At its “Awe Dropping” event yesterday, Apple finally announced its lineup for the Apple Watch in 2025. Along with the Apple Watch Series 11, which is a slight spec-bump over last year’s redesigned Series 10, we finally have a new Apple Watch SE. The Apple Watch SE 3 has been updated after three years, and it’s got a lot to show for it.
The key difference between the Series 11 and the SE 3 comes down to features and value. Traditionally, the SE lost out on quite a lot of features when compared to the flagship model. This year, they’re the closest they’ve ever been, which means it will be harder to decide which smartwatch is right for you.
We’ve got high blood pressure notifications, bigger battery life, and finally, an always-on display in the SE. But overall, how does Apple’s $249 entry-level smartwatch hold up against the flagship $429 Series 11?
The screen and design
Credit: Apple
The flagship Series 11 Apple Watch comes with a bigger and brighter display. It features an LTPO3 wide-angle OLED display that goes up to 2,000 nits outdoors. Both the Series 11 and SE 3 have an Ion-X display that makes it twice as scratch resistant compared to the Series 10 model (four times when compared to the outgoing SE 2). The SE 3 has an LPTO OLED display that goes up to 1,000 nits outdoors. But for the first time ever in an Apple Watch SE, you get an Always-on display, just like on the Series 11.
The Series 11 displays are also bigger compared to the SE 3, with 44mm and 46mm models. On the SE 3, you get options for 40mm and 44mm displays, with significantly larger bezels.
Credit: Apple
Apple redesigned the Apple Watch with the Series 10, reducing the bezels, and making the watch thinner (it and the Series 11 are the thinnest Apple Watches in the lineup). The SE3 is bulkier compared to the Series 11 (10.7 mm thickness against the Series 11’s 9.7mm), but it’s a bit lighter. The 46mm Series 11 case weighs 37.8 grams, while the SE 3 is 32.9 grams instead. It’s small, but it might be noticeable in daily use.
The battery life
The Series 11 has received the first big battery boost since the Watch came out. Apple has so far maintained an 18-hour all-day battery life as standard. Now, the Series 11 is bumping it up all the way to 24 hours. The SE 3 is still stuck with the old 18-hour battery life.
And if you use low-power mode, the Series 11 will supposedly last up to 38 hours now, while the SE can go up to 32 hours. Apple has also increased the fast-charge capability. The Series 11 will fast-charge to 80% in about 30 minutes, instead of 45 minutes for the SE 3. Plus, both watches can gain 8 hours of usage with just 15 minutes of fast-charge time.
If you hate charging your Apple Watch repeatedly, and you care about battery life above all else, the Series 11 is the right pick between the two.
Health and medical features
The Series 11 gets flagship-level sensors, with an electric heart rate sensor, third-generation optical heart rate sensor, water temperature sensor, and depth gauge. The SE loses out on the electric heart rate sensor, depth gauge, and water temperature sensor. Both watches can still sense the temperature on your wrist, though, leading to richer insights in the Vitals app.
Credit: Apple
The SE 3 also loses out on the ECG monitoring and Blood Oxygen monitoring, both features that are available in the Series 11.
Series 11 also gets a brand new blood pressure notifications feature, that uses data from the optical heart rate sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. It works in the background and reviews data over 30 days. When it notices signs of chronic high blood pressure, it notifies the user. This is a passive tracking method, and it doesn’t require a cuff. The SE 3 does not get this feature, although it is being back-ported to the Series 9 and Series 10.
Credit: Apple
But both watches do get the Sleep Score feature that’s coming to the Sleep app. This feature analyses things like sleep duration, time spent in each sleep stage, and sleep quality to give an overall score.
Performance
Both devices share quite a few internals. They both run the same S10 64-bit dual-core processor chip that was released in last year’s Series 10 model. Both devices feature the same W3 wireless chip, 4-core Neural Engine, and 64GB storage. The Series 11, though, gets the Ultra Wideband chip, making it easier to locate nearby iPhones.
Both watches also feature 5G connectivity in the Cellular models, helping with faster downloads and streaming, and making sure that your calls never drop, even when you’re in areas with spotty connectivity.
The Series 11 and SE both have a built-in speaker, which was first released in Series 10. This lets you play podcasts and media out loud without the need for headphones. Both watches also include the double-tap and wrist flick gestures for controlling the Apple Watch without actually touching the screen.
Which Apple Watch is right for you?
As I mentioned above, the SE 3 packs a surprising amount of stuff in it $249 package. Both it and the Series 11 feature the same processor, which is very fast for a smartwatch, and an always-on display. They also have similar health sensors, fitness tracking, 5G connectivity, and a built-in speaker.
If you really want the latest design, a slim case, and a larger and brighter screen, then the Series 11 is the right pick for you. If battery life is your priority, the Series 11 again wins out, with its 24-hour battery life. The same goes if you want the latest health features like hypertension notifications on a new watch. And if you’re willing to pay $399 for the smaller 42mm model, or $429 for the larger 46mm model.
But if you don’t really care about those things, and if you’re on a budget, the Apple Watch SE 3 at $249 for the 40mm model, and $279 for the 44mm model, is hard to beat. You’ll still get a fast Apple Watch with all the essential features and an always-on display. It’s just going to be packaged in a slightly outdated design, and will lack some top-of-the-line health features.
