Smartwatches / Compare
Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Series 9
Product A: Apple
93 of 150 known
Change Apple Watch SE 3
Product B: Apple
91 of 150 known
Change Apple Watch Series 9
47 of 141 fields differ
- 30 different values
- 17 known for one only
- 48 the same
- 46 missing for both
Biggest differences
Each bar uses the scale of all 101 smartwatches.
- Peak brightnessA: 1,000nitsB: 2,000nitsWatch Series 9 is 1,000 nits higher.
Size, drawn to scale
Front and side.
- AWatch SE 3: 34 × 40 mm
- BWatch Series 9: 35 × 41 mm
Weight
0 to 80 g
Weight (case only)
A26.3g
B31.9g
All 150 fields
Every value links to where we found it.


General
7 of 10 differ
Series
Model numbers
GTIN / EAN
Not available
Not available
Announced
Predecessor
Apple Watch SE 25Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2025/09/apple-introduces-apple-watch-se-3Read 30 September 2026Apple calls the Apple Watch SE 3 the next generation of Apple Watch SE.19Reviewtomsguide.com/wellness/smartwatches/apple-watch-se-3-unveiled-cost-release-date-key-features-battery-and-moreRead 23 October 2026Tom's Guide says Apple left the SE alone since 2022 and calls the SE 3 the refreshed Apple Watch SE (3rd generation) after the SE (2nd gen).
Successor
Not available
Launch price (US)
From $3991Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 20262Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-introduces-the-advanced-new-apple-watch-series-9Read 10 October 20263Press releaseapple.com/de/newsroom/2023/09/apple-introduces-the-advanced-new-apple-watch-series-9Read 10 October 20264Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108056Read 10 October 202617Spec databasegsmarena.com/apple_watch_series_9_aluminum-12562.phpRead 10 October 2026
Launch price (EU)
From €4491Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 20262Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-introduces-the-advanced-new-apple-watch-series-9Read 10 October 20263Press releaseapple.com/de/newsroom/2023/09/apple-introduces-the-advanced-new-apple-watch-series-9Read 10 October 20264Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108056Read 10 October 202617Spec databasegsmarena.com/apple_watch_series_9_aluminum-12562.phpRead 10 October 2026
Markets
US, CA, GB, DE, FR, AU, JP, IN, AE, CN4Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108056Read 30 September 20265Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2025/09/apple-introduces-apple-watch-se-3Read 30 September 2026Pre-order in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the U.S. and more than 50 other countries and regions
US, DE, AU, CA, FR, IN, JP, AE, GB2Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-introduces-the-advanced-new-apple-watch-series-9Read 10 October 2026Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the U.K., the U.S. and more than 40 other countries and regions could order. Only the named countries are stored.3Press releaseapple.com/de/newsroom/2023/09/apple-introduces-the-advanced-new-apple-watch-series-9Read 10 October 2026German release also lists Germany among the countries with ordering from September 12 and store availability from September 22, 2023.
Colours
Midnight, Starlight1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 20262Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3Read 30 September 2026
Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Silver, (PRODUCT)RED, Gold, Graphite1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026
Segment
OS updates promised
Not available
Not available
Security updates until
Not available
Not available
Case
4 of 8 differ
Case size
Case shape
Case material
Case material (as published)
Back
Ceramic4Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108056Read 10 October 2026Maker lists a ceramic back for GPS, aluminum cellular and stainless steel cellular models. The GSMArena entry says ceramic/sapphire crystal back.17Spec databasegsmarena.com/apple_watch_series_9_aluminum-12562.phpRead 10 October 2026Build: glass front, ceramic/sapphire crystal back, aluminum frame.
Case dimensions
Height40Width34Thickness10.7mm(1.6 × 1.3 × 0.4 in)1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 20263Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125094Read 30 September 2026
Height41Width35Thickness10.7mm(1.6 × 1.4 × 0.4 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker lists 41 mm as height 41, width 35, depth 10.7 and 45 mm as height 45, width 38, depth 10.7. Orientation kept as published. The page does not say whether the heart sensor bulge is included.6Maker product pageapple.com/watch/compareRead 10 October 2026Series 9 Case rows: 41mm by 35mm by 10.7mm and 45mm by 38mm by 10.7mm.
Weight (case only)
26.3g(0.9 oz)1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 202640mm GPS 26.3 g, GPS + Cellular 26.4 g. 44mm GPS 32.9 g, GPS + Cellular 33.0 g. Case only3Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125094Read 30 September 2026
31.9g(1.1 oz)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker weights 41 mm aluminum GPS 31.9 g, aluminum GPS + Cellular 32.1 g, stainless steel 42.3 g. 45 mm aluminum GPS 38.7 g, aluminum GPS + Cellular 39.0 g, stainless steel 51.5 g. The compare page places the same figures under Case, with bands listed separately. Case only, no band.6Maker product pageapple.com/watch/compareRead 10 October 2026Series 9 weights are listed under the Case heading, with bands in a separate section. This confirms they are case-only weights.
Weight with strap
Not available
Not available
Durability
1 of 8 differ
Water resistance
Water resistance standard
Dust and water rating
Not available
Dive rating
Not available
Not available
Max dive depth
Not available
Not available
MIL-STD-810
Not available
Not available
MIL-STD-810 tests
Not available
Not available
Display
5 of 14 differ
Display type
Display type (as published)
Always-On Retina display with OLED and LTPO1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026
Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Verbatim: Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display.
Screen size
Not available
Not available
Resolution
324 × 394px1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 20263Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125094Read 30 September 2026
Not available
Pixel density
Display area
759mm²1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 20263Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125094Read 30 September 2026
Not available
Touchscreen
Max refresh rate
Not available
Not available
Min refresh rate
Not available
Not available
Peak brightness
Minimum brightness
Always-on display
Display cover
Display cover (as published)
Platform
4 of 15 differ
Platform
OS at launch
Software
Not available
Not available
Latest OS
watchOS 27.0.110Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/100100Read 30 September 2026Get the latest software updates: latest watchOS is 27.0.1, expanded September 28. SE 3 eligibility is also explicitly confirmed in 9to5Mac September 28 coverage.11Press article9to5mac.com/2026/09/28/watchos-27-0-1-is-now-available-for-all-compatible-apple-watch-modelsRead 30 September 2026Eligible models list explicitly includes Apple Watch SE 3.
Works with
Phone requirement
iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27 or later1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026As listed on 2026-09-28. At launch it was iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26
Launch: iPhone XS or later with iOS 17. Current watchOS 27 requires iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27.1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker Compatibility line: iPhone Xs or later with iOS 17 or later. Current requirement is on the watchOS page source.8Maker product pageapple.com/os/watchosRead 10 October 2026watchOS 27 requires iPhone 11 or later or iPhone SE (2nd generation or later) with iOS 27. The launch minimum of iPhone Xs with iOS 17 comes from the tech specs page.
App store
Voice assistants
Chipset
Process
Not available
Not available
CPU cores
CPU configuration
Not available
Not available
Max CPU clock
Not available
Not available
GPU
Not available
Not available
Low-power coprocessor
Not available
Not available
Memory
0 of 2 differ
RAM
Not available
Not available
Health sensors
5 of 8 differ
Heart rate sensor
Second-generation optical heart sensor1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026
ECG capability
Blood oxygen sensing
Skin temperature sensing
Blood pressure feature
Body composition sensor
Not available
Not available
Skin conductance (EDA)
Not available
Not available
Medical clearances
Not available
FDA 510(k) clearance for Sleep Apnea Notification Feature (US), FDA 510(k) K250507 for Hypertension Notification Feature (US)13Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2024/09/watchos-11-is-available-todayRead 10 October 2026Maker release names Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 for sleep apnea notifications and states the feature followed FDA 510(k) clearance. US jurisdiction only. Other countries need their own authorization.14Regulatory filingaccessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf25/K250507.pdfRead 10 October 2026FDA 510(k) K250507 covers the Hypertension Notification Feature on Apple Watch. Eligibility of Series 9 is shown by the watchOS 26 maker page. It is a notification algorithm, not a blood pressure measurement.
Motion and environment sensors
0 of 9 differ
Accelerometer
Accelerometer range
Not available
Not available
Gyroscope
Barometric altimeter
Compass
Ambient light sensor
Depth gauge
Not available
Not available
Depth gauge range
Not available
Not available
Water temperature sensor
Not available
Not available
Health and fitness
3 of 5 differ
Health features
Heart rate alerts, Irregular rhythm notifications, Heart rate variability, Sleep tracking, Sleep stages, Sleep apnea notifications, Cycle tracking, Temperature-based ovulation, Noise monitoring1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026Heart Rate app with high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, Sleep app including sleep stages, sleep score, sleep apnea notifications, Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, Noise app. HRV from the Apple compare section on the overview page2Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3Read 30 September 2026Compare section lists HRV and heart rate tracking. Readiness app not applicable5Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2025/09/apple-introduces-apple-watch-se-3Read 30 September 2026
Heart rate alerts, Irregular rhythm notifications, ECG app, Blood oxygen app, Sleep tracking, Sleep apnea notifications, Hypertension notifications, Cycle tracking, Temperature-based ovulation, Noise monitoring1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker Health and Wellness list: high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, ECG app, Blood Oxygen app, sleep tracking, sleep apnea notifications, hypertension notifications, Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, nightly wrist temperature tracking, noise monitoring. Country, age and phone limits are in the footnotes. Vitals app, sleep score, Mindfulness, low cardio fitness notifications and GymKit have no matching option and are not stored.9Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/123002Read 10 October 2026Hypertension notifications confirmed for Series 9 by this page. Country, age and iPhone limits apply.13Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2024/09/watchos-11-is-available-todayRead 10 October 2026Sleep apnea notifications are for adults 18 or older without a sleep apnea diagnosis. They are available on Series 9.
Fitness features
VO2 max, Training load, Running dynamics, Running power, Pool swim, Open water swim, Route navigation, Trackback, Interval workouts1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026Training Load, VO2 max, Cadence, Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, Vertical Oscillation and Running Power, pool and open water swim, offline maps with custom route creation, Backtrack15Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd66fcd5c5c/27/watchos/27Read 8 October 2026Create a Custom Workout explicitly supports repeating work and recovery intervals, with optional warmup/cooldown. It excludes Multisport and Open Water Swim from custom workouts. The added entry is interval_workouts only. The SE 3 is an eligible watchOS 27 model.
Interval workouts, Running dynamics, Training load, Pool swim, Open water swim, Trackback1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker Workouts and Activity list: custom interval workouts, stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation (running dynamics), Backtrack GPS data, pool and open water swim, and training load under Health and Wellness. Race Route, heart rate zones, waypoints, power zones, FTP and cadence, SWOLF and multisport have no matching option and are not stored.
Sport profiles
Not available
Not available
Dive modes
Not available
Not available
External sensors
Heart rate strap, Power meter, Speed and cadence13Reviewwareable.com/apple/apple-watch-se-3-reviewRead 8 October 2026Exact 40 mm review explicitly says an external heart-rate chest strap can be paired. Power meters and speed/cadence sensors are supported separately by the maker cycling guide. Partial daily discharge with 20% remaining and 40-50 minute top-up advice do not prove full endurance or 0-100% charging, so no measured numeric field is added.16Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd4cbc876c7/27/watchos/27Read 8 October 2026Connect to compatible Bluetooth accessories for cycling workouts and About Power Zones explicitly identify external power meters, speed sensors and cadence sensors. Pair in Settings > Bluetooth > Health Devices. Physical built-in sensors and phone GPS are excluded. Supports the native watchOS 27 cycling feature on the listed compatible model, not an inferred ANT+ capability.
Power meter, Speed and cadence1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker lists connection to cycling accessories via Bluetooth. The launch release names power meters, speed sensors and cadence sensors.2Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2023/09/apple-introduces-the-advanced-new-apple-watch-series-9Read 10 October 2026Release states watchOS 10 brings Bluetooth connectivity for power meters, speed sensors and cadence sensors for cyclists.
Safety
1 of 6 differ
Fall detection
Car crash detection
Emergency SOS
Emergency siren
Not available
Not available
Live location sharing
Yes12Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd1132106dc/27/watchos/27Read 8 October 2026Find a friend's location: a worn Apple Watch with cellular service shares its location when the wearer has no iPhone or iPad nearby. Find My sharing must be configured with recipients and Location Services. The GPS-only reference uses the paired iPhone sharing path. The documented standalone path requires a GPS + Cellular model with service and network coverage. This network-based feature is separate from manual satellite location updates.17Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/jg49jxgqs19v/27/watchos/27Read 8 October 2026Set up Find My on Apple Watch explicitly supports sharing location from the watch app with a selected recipient and sharing duration. Find My must be set up for the paired account. The iPhone guide identifies when the location source moves from phone to a worn GPS + Cellular watch.18Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph01954dc44/iosRead 8 October 2026Set up location sharing requires Share My Location and Find My Location Services. The location source can be the paired iPhone. Apple explicitly says the worn GPS + Cellular watch becomes the sharing source when out of iPhone range. This does not assign standalone cellular sharing to a GPS-only model.
Not available
Dedicated LED flashlight
Not available
Not available
Positioning
1 of 3 differ
Positioning
GPS (L1), GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026L1 GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou)
L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker: L1 GPS, GNSS, Galileo and BeiDou. GLONASS and QZSS come from the GSMArena entry. No dual-frequency signal is listed by the maker.17Spec databasegsmarena.com/apple_watch_series_9_aluminum-12562.phpRead 10 October 2026GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS. Apple lists L1 GPS, GNSS, Galileo and BeiDou. No dual-frequency signal is listed by either source.
Dual-band GNSS
Offline maps
Connectivity
7 of 15 differ
Bluetooth version
Wi-Fi standard
Wi-Fi bands
Cellular
Yes1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker lists LTE and UMTS for GPS + Cellular models. GPS rows have no cellular radio. Wireless service plan required.5Maker product pageapple.com/watch/cellularRead 10 October 2026Maker lists Series 9 cellular models A2982 and A2984. GPS models A2978 and A2980 have no cellular radio.
Network
4G bands
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71, 38, 39, 40, 411Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026FDD-LTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71. TDD-LTE 38, 39, 40, 41. Models A3326 and A33283Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125094Read 30 September 2026
Not available
5G bands
n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n66, n71, n38, n40, n411Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026FDD-5G NR n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n66, n71. TDD-5G NR n38, n40, n413Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125094Read 30 September 2026
Not available
NFC
Contactless payments
Payment services
Ultra-wideband
Not available
Satellite
Not available
Not available
ANT+
Not available
Not available
Audio
1 of 4 differ
Speaker
Microphones
Not available
Calls on the watch
Controls
1 of 5 differ
Buttons
Named operating buttons
Crown
Rotating bezel
Not available
Not available
Gestures
Single tap, Double tap, Wrist flick1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 20262Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3Read 30 September 20265Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2025/09/apple-introduces-apple-watch-se-3Read 30 September 2026
Double tap, Wrist flick9Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/123002Read 10 October 2026Wrist flick is available on Series 9 and later and Ultra 2 and later with watchOS 26. Double tap is on the tech specs page and arrived with a software update after launch.10Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/guide/watch/use-buttons-and-gestures-apd1d9d7efca/27/watchos/27Read 10 October 2026Guide describes Wrist flick and Double tap as gestures.
Battery and charging
4 of 13 differ
Battery capacity
Not available
Not available
Claimed battery life
AApple Watch SE 3
| Mode | With solar | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch | No | 18 |
| Low power | No | 32 |
| GPS | No | 7 |
BApple Watch Series 9
| Mode | With solar | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch | No | 18 |
| Low power | No | 36 |
Smartwatch mode (claimed)
18h
18h
AOD battery life (up to)
Not available
Not available
GPS mode (claimed)
7h
Not available
Solar charging
Not available
Not available
Charging method
Charging guidance
Not available
Not available
Max charging power (watch)
Not available
Not available
Fast charging
Quick charge claim
Charge time15 minUse time8 h1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026Power and Battery Life: normal-use hours from a short charge. Sleep-only charging claim is a different workload.
Not available
Charge 0 to 80% (claimed)
45min1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker: up to 80% charge in about 45 minutes. Footnote 6 names the 0 to 80% test, the included USB-C fast-charge cable (A2515) and an Apple 20W USB-C adapter (A2305). The adapter is not in the box and its rating is not the watch's input power. No full-charge time is stated.7Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/102454Read 10 October 2026Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8 and Series 9 charge from 0 to 80 percent in about 45 minutes.
Measured
None of 4 known
Peak brightness (measured)
Not available
Not available
Battery life (measured)
Not available
Not available
Battery tests (measured)
Not available
Not available
Full charge time (measured)
Not available
Not available
Strap
2 of 6 differ
Lug width
Not available
Not available
Quick-release strap
Strap system
Apple Watch proprietary slide-in band connector with case-mounted band-release buttons.14Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108908Read 8 October 2026Changing your band: hold the case band-release button and slide the band sideways. This is the proprietary sliding attachment, not a standard spring-bar width. Compatible size groups depend on the chosen case. The value describes the shared attachment mechanism without substituting an unproved width.
Not available
Strap material
Not available
Not available
Strap
Not available
Not available
Strap sizes
AApple Watch SE 3
Not availableBApple Watch Series 9
| Size | Wrist (min) (mm) | Wrist (max) (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Overall compatible case wrist range, varies by band | 130 | 200 |
Regulatory
None of 3 known
FCC ID
Not available
Not available
SAR limb (US)
Not available
Not available
SAR limb (EU)
Not available
Not available
Other certifications
Not available
Not available
In the box
1 of 2 differ
In the box
Apple Watch SE 3, Band, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m)1Maker product pageapple.com/apple-watch-se-3/specsRead 30 September 2026
Apple Watch Series 9, Band, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111833Read 10 October 2026Maker box: Apple Watch Series 9, Band, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m).
Links
Not compared
Product page
Spec sheet
Manual
EPREL registration number
Not available
Not available
Warranty
None of 1 known
Manufacturer warranty (source market)
Not available
Not available
Both are also in the API. Back to all smartwatches.












