Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Series 12

The short verdict

Watch Series 12 edges it on score

The Watch Series 12 leads overall; pick the Watch SE 3 if its strengths below matter more to you.

Watch SE 3

8.7

Watch Series 12

8.8

Choose the Watch SE 3 if

iPhone owners, kids and first-time buyers who want core Apple Watch features at the lowest price.

Full specs →

Choose the Watch Series 12 if

iPhone owners who want accurate heart-rate tracking, a Readiness score and Apple's safety features.

Check price at eBay →

At a glance

Key differences

Measured differences only. Ties and tiny gaps are left out.

Why pick theWatch SE 31 win

+99900%Brighter screen outdoors1,000 vs 1 nits peak

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Why pick theWatch Series 120 wins

No measured advantages in our spec data. Check the full specs below.

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Full specs

Side-by-side specifications

Battery1 difference

Battery life

18 mAh

24 mAh

Display4 differences

Panel

44 mm

1.96" (50 mm)

Display type

Always-On Retina display with OLED and LTPO

Always-On Retina

Brightness

1000

2000 nits peak; 1 nit minimum

Refresh rate

—

1 Hz

Performance1 difference

Chipset

S10 chip with 64-bit dual core processor

S11 chip with 64-bit dual-core processor

Connectivity1 difference

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)

Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) · 2.4GHz and 5GHz

Body3 differences

Weight

—

53 g

Water resistance

50 m (ISO 22810:2010)

50 m (ISO 22810:2010) + IP6X

Dimensions

44 x 38 x 10.7 mm

42mm: 42 x 37 x 9.7 mm; 46mm: 46 x 40 x 9.7 mm (aluminum/titanium)

Where to buy

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Which would you buy?

One vote per person. Results appear after you vote.

Watch SE 3 vs Watch Series 12

Watch Series 12 edges it on score

Key differences

Side-by-side specifications

Which would you buy?