Apple has announced two new smartwatches: the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE. Usually, each new Apple Watch slots in at the top of the company’s lineup, making the older ones a little less expensive as a result, but this year’s cadence is different. The new Apple Watch SE looks very similar to the new $399 Series 6, but it lacks a few of its highlight features to reach a lower $279 price.
Here’s how to pick between the Apple Watch Series 6, SE, and older models
It’s getting a little difficult to find the right match
It’s getting a little difficult to find the right match
is an editor covering deals and gaming hardware. He joined in 2018, and after a two-year stint at Polygon, he rejoined The Verge in May 2025.
So which one should you buy, and how do these smartwatches compare to each other? Should you spring for the Series 6 over the SE? What about the Series 5 that came out last year? And are you really missing out on much if you just get the cheapest Series 3 Watch? It’s getting complicated to suss out the differences, so we’re going to spell out the specs below to make your buying decision a little more clear.
Apple has a comprehensive look at all of the specs of each model right here, but if you just want a quick look at specs, check out the table below. And just to note: we haven’t used the Series 6 or Apple Watch SE yet, so don’t let these specs solely guide you; numbers don’t always tell you everything you need to know about tech.
Apple Watch specs comparison
Categories | Apple Watch Series 6 | Apple Watch SE | Apple Watch Series 5 | Apple Watch Series 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $399 | $279 | $399 | $199 |
| Processor | S6 dual-core processor | S5 dual-core processor | S5 dual-core processor | S3 dual-core processor |
| watchOS version | watchOS 7 | watchOS 7 | watchOS 7 | watchOS 7 |
| Water resistance | Water resistant up to 50 meters | Water resistant up to 50 meters | Water resistant up to 50 meters | Water resistant up to 50 meters |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| LTE | Yes, $499 | Yes, $329 | Yes, but hard to find | Yes, but hard to find |
| Built-in mic and speaker | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| W-series Wireless chip | W3 | W3 | W3 | W2 |
| U1 Ultra Wideband support | Yes | No | No | No |
| Always-on altimeter | Yes | Yes | No, but still has an altimeter | No, but still has an altimeter |
| Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Digital Crown haptic feedback | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Heart sensor | second-gen optical heart sensor | optical heart sensor | second-gen optical heart sensor | optical heart sensor |
| Case sizes | 44mm, 40mm | 44mm, 40mm | 44mm, 40mm | 38mm, 42mm |
| Display | Always-on OLED Retina display | OLED Retina display | Always-on OLED Retina display | OLED Retina display |
| Display size (approx.) | 44mm: 1.78-inch, 40mm: 1.57-inch | 44mm: 1.78-inch, 40mm: 1.57-inch | 44mm: 1.78-inch, 40mm: 1.57-inch | 42mm: 1.65-inch, 38mm: 1.5-inch |
| Screen resolution | 44mm: 368 x 448, 40mm: 324 x 394 | 44mm: 368 x 448, 40mm: 324 x 394 | 44mm: 368 x 448, 40mm: 324 x 394 | 42mm: 312 x 390, 38mm: 272 x 340 |
| Storage | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | 8GB |
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Family Setup support | Yes, with cellular version | Yes, with cellular version | Yes, with cellular version | No |
| Fall detection? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Emergency SOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG app | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Blood Oxygen app | Yes | No | No | No |
| Noise monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| High, low, or irregular heart notifications | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Optical heart sensor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch Series 6
Starts at $399, available starting Friday, September 18th.
Apple Watch SE
Starts at $279, available starting Friday, September 18th.
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