Apple Watch SE 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Apple Watch SE 3

The big SE 3 story: an always-on display, a first for the SE line. The LTPO OLED panel peaks at 1,000 nits — bright enough for everyday use, but half the Series 11's 2,000 nits and a third of the Ultra 3's 3,000.

• Always-on display arrives on the SE for the first time — Origin Disc: 'that alone is a huge upgrade for the SE line.'
• LTPO OLED panel peaks at 1,000 nits — fine for everyday use but dimmer than rivals.
• 1,000 nits is half the Series 11's 2,000 and a third of the Ultra 3's 3,000 — the SE 3's display is its clearest hardware compromise.
• Always-on is a personal-preference feature — some owners prefer to leave it off for extra battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Super AMOLED with Sapphire Crystal, 3,000 nits peak brightness. Bright, sharp, readable outdoors. Always-on display supported.

• 3,000 nits peak brightness — a 50% jump over the Watch 6's 2,000 nits; excellent outdoor visibility.
• Super AMOLED with Sapphire Crystal — vibrant, sharp, scratch-resistant.
• Always-on display supported — informative without raising the wrist.
• Readable in direct sunlight — the 3,000-nit brightness handles outdoor workouts well.
• Display sits behind the raised glass profile — bright and clear, but the raised glass is the durability weak point.

Apple Watch SE 3

Heart rate is the SE 3's standout — testers rate it among the best wrist sensors available. Apple adds nightly wrist-temperature tracking and sleep apnea notifications. But ECG, blood oxygen (SpO2), and the Series 11's new hypertension alerts are all absent, and sleep-stage data underreports deep sleep.

• Heart-rate accuracy is excellent — Mike O'Brien tested it against a Polar H10 ECG chest strap and found it had the second-highest correlation of the watches tested, behind only the Pixel Watch 3.
• The Quantified Scientist rates the Apple Watch's optical heart-rate sensor as the best wrist HR monitor he has tested — the SE 3 inherits it.
• No ECG sensor — confirmed missing; if heart-rhythm ECG matters to you, you need the Series 11 or Ultra 3.
• No blood-oxygen (SpO2) sensor and no hypertension notifications — the Series 11's headline health features are absent.
• Apple adds nightly wrist-temperature tracking — the watch samples skin temperature roughly every 5 seconds overnight.
• Sleep apnea notifications are now included — a useful screening feature given how many people have undiagnosed sleep apnea.
• Sleep-stage tracking underreports deep sleep — Mike O'Brien recorded 45-55 minutes of deep sleep per night while reference devices showed 1.5-2.5 hours.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

BioActive sensor — optical HR, ECG, BIA body composition, skin temperature, plus the new AGEs Index biological-age metric. Sleep tracking with coaching.

• New AGEs Index — the Galaxy Watch 7 introduced advanced glycation end products tracking, estimating biological age via a skin scan.
• BioActive sensor — optical HR, ECG, BIA body composition, and skin temperature in one array.
• Sleep tracking with sleep coaching — detailed sleep stages plus a multi-week coaching program.
• ECG + BIA tied to a Samsung phone — the headline health features need Samsung Health on a Galaxy phone.
• Improved sensor accuracy — the new chip and updated BioActive sensor improve HR tracking over the Watch 6.

Apple Watch SE 3

The full watchOS workout app, activity rings, automatic workout detection, and built-in GPS. Apple rates about 7 hours of GPS workout tracking. It is not a dedicated running watch — no dual-frequency GPS — but for everyday fitness it covers the essentials well.

• Full watchOS workout app, activity rings and automatic workout detection — everything expected of an Apple Watch.
• Built-in GPS rated for about 7 hours of workout tracking — DesFit found real-world endurance well beyond that claim.
• The Quantified Scientist rates the Apple Watch SE as a pretty good GPS tracker — accurate enough for everyday runs and rides.
• Not a dedicated running watch — no dual-frequency GPS and no deep training analytics; serious runners still look to Garmin or the Ultra 3.
• Crash detection, fall detection and Emergency SOS carry over — Mike O'Brien notes fall detection is 'among the best in the industry.'

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

100+ workout modes, dual-frequency GPS (new), personalized HR zones, Energy Score. Samsung Health analytics. Solid everyday fitness; serious athletes still lean Garmin.

• Dual-frequency GPS — new for the standard Galaxy Watch; more accurate tracking in urban canyons and tree cover.
• 100+ workout modes — broad activity coverage through Samsung Health.
• Energy Score + Galaxy AI Wellness Tips — Samsung Health's AI-powered daily readiness and guidance.
• Personalized heart-rate zones + automatic workout detection — tailored training guidance.
• 5 ATM water resistance — pool + open-water swim tracking supported.

Apple Watch SE 3

Apple still rates the SE 3 at 18 hours of all-day battery, and that conservative number holds — but independent endurance tests stretched it to 37-41 hours of continuous wear depending on size. The genuine upgrade is fast charging: roughly 0-80% in 45 minutes, with a 15-minute top-up buying about 8 hours. A low-power mode reaches ~32 hours.

• Fast charging is new to the SE line — about 0-80% in 45 minutes, matching Apple's claim in testing.
• A 15-minute top-up buys roughly 8 hours of use — enough to rescue a sleep-tracking night.
• Endurance test: the 44mm SE 3 ran ~41 hours of continuous wear and the 40mm ~37-38 hours — far beyond Apple's conservative 18-hour rating.
• Still rated 18 hours — fast charging helps, but daily charging is the reality, and you may need a pre-bed top-up for sleep tracking.
• A low-power mode extends life to roughly 32 hours on a single charge.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

~30 hours typical use, 425mAh (44mm) / 300mAh (40mm). Battery drew criticism — many owners found it underwhelming. Wireless fast charging.

• Battery drew criticism — Engadget: 'many people were disappointed in its battery life.'
• ~30 hours typical use — similar to the Watch 6; the 44mm (425mAh) outlasts the 40mm (300mAh).
• The new 3nm Exynos W1000 chip improves efficiency — but not enough to fully address the battery complaints.
• Wireless fast charging — a quick top-up before bed enables overnight sleep tracking.
• The Galaxy Watch 8 later addressed the battery complaints with a larger cell — confirming the Watch 7's was a known weak point.

Apple Watch SE 3

watchOS 26 on Apple's S10 chip — identical core performance to the Series 11 and Ultra 3, including double-tap and wrist-flick gestures. 64GB of storage. Apple Pay, the App Store and the full ecosystem are all here. The one hard limit: it works only with an iPhone.

• Same S10 chip as the Series 11 and Ultra 3 — TheJuan&Only confirms identical core performance across the lineup.
• Supports the S10-enabled gestures — double-tap and wrist-flick to dismiss notifications.
• 64GB of storage and the full App Store, Apple Pay, Find My and Siri — nothing core is cut from the experience.
• iPhone-only — like every Apple Watch, the SE 3 does not work with Android phones.
• TechRadar: it has 'the same fantastic chipset as the Ultra 3 and Series 11' — the SE 3 doesn't feel slow or cut-down in daily use.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Wear OS 5 + One UI 6 Watch + Galaxy AI. Samsung Health, Samsung Pay + Google Wallet, Google Play Store. Best inside the Samsung phone ecosystem. Android-only.

• Wear OS 5 + One UI 6 Watch — a complete, polished Wear OS experience with the full Google Play Store.
• Galaxy AI features — Energy Score and AI Wellness Tips arrived on the Galaxy Watch 7.
• Samsung Health — the analytics backbone; AGEs Index and ECG are tied to a Samsung phone.
• Samsung Pay + Google Wallet — both contactless payment options supported.
• Android-only — no iOS compatibility; best on a Samsung Galaxy phone.

Apple Watch SE 3

Crack-resistant Ion-X glass, now rated about 4x tougher than the SE 2, over an aluminum case. Water resistance is 50m (5 ATM) — fine for pool and open-water swimming.

• 50m (5 ATM) water resistance — rated for pool and open-water swimming.
• Crack-resistant Ion-X glass, now about 4x more crack- and scratch-resistant than the SE 2.
• DesFit notes Apple Watch aluminum models hold up well in practice — he has scratched only one across many Apple Watches going back to the Series 3.
• Not as scratch-hardened as the Series 11's ceramic-coated glass or the Ultra 3's sapphire — fine for everyday wear, not adventure abuse.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

5 ATM (50m) water resistance + IP68 + MIL-STD-810H. Sapphire Crystal display + aluminum case. The raised glass profile is the durability weak point.

• 5 ATM + IP68 + MIL-STD-810H — the full Galaxy Watch durability ratings.
• Sapphire Crystal display protection — premium scratch resistance.
• Raised glass profile — Engadget flags this as the durability weak point: 'the raised glass screen can be easily damaged.'
• Aluminum case — durable and lightweight for everyday wear.

Apple Watch SE 3

Built-in GPS, Apple Pay via NFC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. An optional cellular model adds standalone connectivity for about $50 more. The SE 3 lacks the Series 11's second-generation ultra-wideband chip, so it can only ping a lost iPhone rather than guide you to it.

• Built-in GPS, Apple Pay (NFC), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi — the standard Apple Watch connectivity set.
• An optional cellular model adds standalone connectivity for roughly $50 more — useful for leaving the phone behind.
• No second-generation ultra-wideband chip — the SE 3 can only beep a lost iPhone, not precision-guide you to it like the Series 11.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

Dual-frequency GPS (new), optional LTE, NFC for Samsung Pay + Google Wallet, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi. No satellite messaging.

• Dual-frequency GPS — new for the standard Galaxy Watch 7; more accurate than the Watch 6's single-band GPS.
• Optional LTE — standalone calls, texts, and music streaming without the phone.
• NFC for Samsung Pay + Google Wallet — both contactless options.
• Bluetooth + Wi-Fi — full Wear OS connectivity stack.
• No satellite messaging — a feature reserved for higher tiers.

Apple Watch SE 3

At a held-steady $249, the SE 3 is the cheapest way into a current Apple Watch and the obvious pick for most iPhone owners. The $399 Series 11 adds ECG, blood oxygen, hypertension alerts, a brighter screen and 24-hour battery; the $799 Ultra 3 adds far more. For the majority, the SE 3's gaps will not be felt.

• TechRadar's verdict: the SE 3 'might be the best-value Apple Watch ever made.'
• Mike O'Brien calls it 'the best Apple Watch for most people' — major improvements with very few noticeable differences from the $400 Series 11.
• Gizmodo: 'The Apple Watch SE 3 is a stupidly good value for $250.'
• Step up to the $399 Series 11 for ECG, blood oxygen, hypertension alerts, a 2,000-nit screen and 24-hour battery — worth it only if you actually need those.
• Best for: first-time Apple Watch buyers and anyone who wants the core experience for the lowest price — Tom's Guide names the SE 3 'the best value, great for first-time users.'

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7

$299 (40mm) / $329 (44mm) launch. Now superseded by the Galaxy Watch 8 — a strong value if discounted. Competes with the Pixel Watch and (for iOS) the Apple Watch.

• $299 (40mm) / $329 (44mm) launch — fairly priced for a flagship Wear OS watch.
• Android Authority's standing recommendation: 'Samsung forgot about the Galaxy Watch 7, but I still think you should buy it' — a strong value pick.
• vs Galaxy Watch Ultra (same generation): the Ultra adds a rugged build, a larger battery, and a Quick Button for considerably more money.
• Now superseded by the Galaxy Watch 8 — which added a larger battery and the squircle redesign.
• Best for: Samsung phone owners who want the faster 3nm chip, dual-band GPS, and the AGEs Index — and find the overlooked Watch 7 discounted.