Apple recently unveiled its latest smartwatch lineup, introducing three new models: the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. For many consumers, navigating these options to find the right fit can be a challenge, especially when considering a holiday gift card or an upgrade.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3, with its premium $799 price tag, is clearly designed for a niche market of high-end users and dedicated athletes. For most, the decision will likely come down to the Apple Watch SE 3, starting at $249, and the Apple Watch Series 11, priced from $399. This guide will help you understand the similarities and differences to inform your purchase.

Despite its more accessible price point, the Apple Watch SE 3 shares many core software features with the Series 11. If you're seeking a straightforward smartwatch with essential functionalities like step counting and sleep tracking, the SE 3 presents an excellent and affordable choice.

While the Series 11 and Ultra 3 offer modest improvements over their predecessors, the Apple Watch SE 3 has received a significant upgrade from the SE 2. It now features the more powerful S10 chip (up from S8), an always-on display, fast charging support, enhanced crack resistance, and new health capabilities. These include a wrist-temperature sensor for advanced sleep tracking and retrospective ovulation insights, among other enhancements. This makes the SE 3 a compelling option, especially for first-time smartwatch buyers and younger users, effectively narrowing the gap between standard and budget smartwatches.

Of course, if your needs lean towards more advanced health features, superior battery life, and a larger, brighter display, the Series 11 might be the better option. However, it's worth a detailed comparison, as the SE 3 could offer everything you need at a lower cost.

Similarities Between the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3

Despite their price difference, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3 share several key features:

  • S10 Chip: Both models are powered by the same S10 chip, ensuring comparable performance.
  • Always-on Retina Display: Both watches can continuously display the watch face and time, even when your wrist is down.
  • Heart Health Features: Users benefit from high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, and low cardio fitness alerts.
  • Wrist Flick and Double Tap Gestures: Both models support intuitive gestures like a "wrist flick" to dismiss notifications and timers, and a "double tap" to trigger actions such as answering calls or playing music.
  • Emergency SOS: A press and hold of the side button allows both watches to quickly call local emergency services, share your location, and notify emergency contacts.
  • Fall and Crash Detection: Both watches can automatically alert emergency services and designated contacts upon detecting a hard fall or severe car crash.
  • Water Resistance: Rated water resistant to 50 meters, making both suitable for swimming.
  • Sleep Tracking: Both models offer comprehensive sleep tracking, including notifications and Apple's new Sleep score (a 1-100 scale for sleep quality). They also feature temperature sensing to provide insights into well-being by tracking nightly wrist temperature changes.
  • Cycle Tracking with Retrospective Ovulation Estimates: Both watches can determine the most likely ovulation day in your previous cycle.
  • Fast Charging Capabilities: Both are fast-charge capable, reaching up to 80% charge in approximately 30 minutes for the Series 11 and 45 minutes for the SE 3. Both also offer up to eight hours of normal use with just 15 minutes of charging.
  • Find iPhone: Both watches allow you to play a sound on your iPhone to help locate it. However, the Series 11 uniquely offers "Precision Finding," which can pinpoint your phone's exact location.

Differences Between the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3

While sharing many features, the Series 11 and SE 3 diverge in several significant areas:

  • Battery Life: The Series 11 offers up to 24 hours of battery life (28 hours in low-power mode), while the SE 3 lasts up to 18 hours (32 hours in low-power mode).
  • Advanced Health Features: The Series 11 includes more advanced health tracking, such as hypertension notifications (detecting high blood pressure), an electrical heart sensor, an ECG app, and a Blood Oxygen app.
  • Screen and Display: The Series 11 boasts a brighter display, reaching up to 2000 nits, compared to the SE 3's 1000 nits. Additionally, the Series 11 features a wide-angle OLED display, while the SE 3 uses a standard OLED.
  • Size and Materials: The Series 11 is available in 46mm and 44mm sizes with options for aluminum or titanium cases. The SE 3 comes in 44mm and 40mm sizes, exclusively with an aluminum case. The Series 11 is also nearly 10% thinner.
  • Color Options: The Series 11 offers aluminum colors like Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold, and Space Gray, alongside titanium options of Natural, Gold, and Slate. The SE 3 is available in Midnight Aluminum and Starlight Aluminum.
  • Other Features: The Series 11 includes a depth gauge (up to six meters), a water temperature sensor, a minimum brightness of 1 nit (compared to the SE 3's 2 nit minimum), and certified IP6X dust resistance.