vs
vs

32 facts in comparison

Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

DesignDisplayHealth & fitnessBatteryConnectivitySoftware

Tap a category to see which one wins it.

71Points
95Points

Why is Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum better than Apple Watch SE 3?

  • 1 mm more Case size ?45 mm vs 44 mm
  • 0.12 " more Display size ?1.9 " vs 1.78 "
  • 36 px more Resolution ?484 px vs 448 px
  • 1,000 nits more Peak brightness ?2,000 nits vs 1,000 nits
  • Has Blood oxygen (SpO2) ?
  • Has ECG ?
  • Has Blood pressure ?
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What matters to you?

Drag the sliders to weight each category and re-rank the products to suit your priorities.

Design
Display
Health & fitness
Battery
Connectivity
Software
Your ranking
Apple Watch SE 3Your pick72
Apple Watch Series 9 AluminumYour pick95

Score breakdown

Design
Apple Watch SE 388
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum75
Display
Apple Watch SE 30
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Health & fitness
Apple Watch SE 364
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Battery
Apple Watch SE 3100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Connectivity
Apple Watch SE 3100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Software
Apple Watch SE 3100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100

Design

Weight ?
26.4 g
31.9 g

A lighter watch is more comfortable to wear all day.

Case size ?
44 mm
45 mm

The case diameter; larger cases fit bigger displays, smaller ones suit slimmer wrists.

Case material ?
Glass front
Glass front

The case material (e.g. aluminium, titanium).

Water resistance ?
5 ATM
5 ATM

A higher ATM rating allows swimming and diving.

Always-on display ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Shows the time and stats without raising your wrist.

Sapphire glass ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the screen.

Colors ?
Midnight, Starlight
Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Pink, Red

The case and band colour options the watch is sold in.

Display

Display size ?
1.78 "
1.9 "

A larger display is easier to read and interact with.

Resolution ?
448 px
484 px

A higher pixel count produces sharper text and graphics.

Display type ?
Retina LTPO OLED
Retina LTPO OLED

The screen technology (e.g. AMOLED).

Peak brightness ?
1,000 nits
2,000 nits

A brighter screen is easier to read in sunlight.

Health & fitness

Heart rate monitor ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Continuously tracks your heart rate.

Blood oxygen (SpO2) ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Measures blood-oxygen saturation.

ECG ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Takes an electrocardiogram to check heart rhythm.

Blood pressure ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Estimates blood pressure from the wrist.

Sleep tracking ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Monitors sleep stages and quality.

Built-in GPS ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Tracks routes and distance without a phone.

Skin temperature ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Senses skin temperature for health insights.

Fall detection ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Detects hard falls and can call for help.

Sport modes ?
? Unknown (Apple Watch SE 3)
? Unknown (Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum)

More tracked workout types suit more activities.

Battery

Battery life ?
18 h
18 h

Estimated hours of use between charges.

Fast charging ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Tops up quickly from empty.

Wireless charging ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Charges on a wireless pad or puck.

Charging time ?
45 min
45 min

How long a full charge takes; lower is better.

Connectivity

Bluetooth version ?
5.3
5.3

A newer Bluetooth version improves range and efficiency.

Wi-Fi ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Connects to Wi-Fi for updates and sync without a phone.

Dual-frequency GPS ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

L1+L5 GPS gives more accurate tracking in cities and forests.

LTE / cellular ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Make calls and stream without your phone nearby.

NFC payments ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Pay contactlessly from your wrist.

Speaker & microphone ?
Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Take calls and use a voice assistant on the watch.

Software

Operating system ?
watchOS 26
watchOS 10

The watch software platform.

Onboard storage ?
64 GB
64 GB

More storage holds more offline music and apps.

The bottom line

The Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum is the clear winner, scoring 95 to 71 on our VS Score. It leads on Display and Health & fitness. The Apple Watch SE 3 answers back with stronger Design. Pick the Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum unless Design matters most to you — then the Apple Watch SE 3 is the smarter buy.

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