As expected, Apple unveiled a new generation of Apple Watch at its September event. This upgrade, unusually, covered every currently available Apple Watch model: the regular model was updated to the Series 11, the premium model to the Ultra 3, and the “Youth” model to the SE 3. These latest models incorporate cutting-edge industry technologies and improved electric efficiency for longer battery life. This year’s Apple Watch Hermès series was also completely redesigned based on the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, making this a total of five new Apple Watch models.
However, due to its unique pricing and nearly identical design, the Apple Watch Hermès model doesn’t warrant a separate comparison. Therefore, the primary Apple Watch buyer this year will likely be choosing between the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3.
Next, let’s take a look at how to choose among this year’s new Apple Watch models by comparing their latest features, industry standing, and electronic performance.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
First, let’s look at the Apple Watch Ultra 3. This product is clearly targeted at serious outdoor and extreme sports enthusiasts, adventure enthusiasts, and professional runners, mountaineers, cyclists, triathletes, divers, and other athletes.
From its appearance, we can clearly see the difference between the Ultra series and the Series series. The Ultra series features sharper corners, less rounded than the Series series, and the 49mm titanium case gives it a more imposing and rugged look. However, weight is a trade-off for users choosing the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 weighs 23.8-24 grams more than the Apple Watch Series 11 GPS version. Therefore, appearance and weight will be the first considerations for potential Apple Watch Ultra 3 users. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 share the same LTPO3 wide-viewing angle OLED screen, but the Apple Watch Ultra 3 boasts a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, a crucial feature for outdoor enthusiasts, ensuring clear viewing from all angles even under scorching sun.
In terms of chips and sensors, all three new Apple Watch models utilize the S10 chip with a 64-bit dual-core processor and the W3 Apple wireless chip. The difference is that the Ultra 3 and Series 11 feature the second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, while the SE 3 lacks it, resulting in a lack of connectivity within the ecosystem. The sensors in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 are nearly identical, differing only in performance. For example, the Ultra 3’s depth gauge supports water depths of 40 meters, while the Series’ depth gauge only supports water depths of 6 meters. In addition, the Ultra 3’s all-weather altimeter has a wider operating range, measuring from -500 meters to 9000 meters.
In terms of durability, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is water-resistant to 100 meters, while the Series 11 is only 50 meters. When diving, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is submerged up to 40 meters, while the Series 11 is only 6 meters. Furthermore, the Ultra 3 features a durable sapphire crystal, which offers significant advantages in challenging outdoor environments, effectively reducing screen scratches and representing the latest technology industry standards in material craftsmanship. In comparison, the aluminum Series 11 model uses Ion-X glass, which is less scratch-resistant.
Finally, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers significantly longer battery life than the other two models. The Ultra 3 boasts up to 42 hours of battery life, extending this to 72 hours in low-power mode. This is particularly important for outdoor activities, as it effectively prevents the battery from running out during a single session. In comparison, the Series 11’s 24-hour battery life and the SE 3’s 18-hour battery life appear to be relatively limited in terms of electric endurance, and also lag behind the latest trend of long-lasting battery life products in the current smart industry.
In summary, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers four key advantages over the regular Series 11:
- Longer battery life, allowing for extended use with active workouts;
- Stronger sensor performance, with superior performance in water resistance, diving depth, and altitude measurement;
- Higher screen brightness, ensuring the display remains clear even in bright sunlight;
- Siren support, allowing for a convenient alarm in the event of an emergency.
In addition, you also need to consider whether you can accept the appearance and weight of Apple Watch Ultra 3. If you can accept it and attach great importance to the four advantages mentioned above, then Apple Watch Ultra 3 should be more suitable for you.
Apple Watch Series 11
As the most evolved and popular Apple Watch series, this year’s new Apple Watch Series 11 truly demonstrates Apple’s commitment. It’s not only a great upgrade opportunity for owners of older models, but also a prime choice for new Apple Watch owners.
As a longtime Series user, my favorite aspect of this Apple Watch series is its weight and thickness, which significantly reduce the smartwatch’s presence on my wrist. With the Series 11, the case thickness has reached 9.7mm, and the lightest model weighs just 29.5 grams, making it virtually invisible on my wrist.
The battery life of the Apple Watch Series has long been criticized. With this year’s new Series 11, Apple announced an improvement, increasing the battery life from 18 hours to 24 hours, and increasing the maximum usage time in Low Power Mode from 36 hours to 38 hours.
However, it’s important to note that the 24-hour battery life under official testing actually includes six hours of sleep tracking. So while the battery life of the Apple Watch Series 11 has indeed been improved, the actual perceived improvement may not be as significant as you might think.
While some sensor performance may differ, the Apple Watch Series 11 features the same sensors as the Ultra series, including two heart rate sensors and a wrist temperature sensor, providing the same comprehensive health monitoring capabilities.
When introducing the Apple Watch Ultra 3, I mentioned that the sapphire crystal used in the Ultra series is more durable than Ion-X glass. Perhaps Apple noticed that the crystals of previous Series models were easily scratched, so they focused on improving the scratch resistance of the Ion-X glass in the Series 11, achieving twice the scratch resistance of the previous generation. This difference should be noticeable in daily use.
If you can’t stand the weight and thickness of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, dislike the Ultra series’ styling, and still value the scratch resistance of a sapphire crystal, the Apple Watch Series 11 also comes in a titanium model with a sturdy sapphire crystal, which I believe will meet your needs.
Apple Watch SE 3
If you’re looking for an entry-level Apple Watch for a family member, an elderly friend, or a child, or if you simply want a basic Apple Watch, then this year’s newly released Apple Watch SE 3 is the perfect choice.
While the Apple Watch SE 3’s hardware isn’t as powerful as the Series and Ultra models, it retains a comprehensive set of features and can generally meet the needs of casual users. First, the display uses an LTPO OLED screen, lacks wide viewing angles, and has a maximum brightness of 1000 nits. While readability may be affected in bright outdoor sunlight, it’s largely unaffected indoors or in dimly lit environments. Battery life is also generally good, with up to 18 hours of use ensuring a full day of use.
Secondly, in terms of health monitoring, the Apple Watch SE 3 lacks the mobile ECG atrial fibrillation alert software and the Blood Oxygen app. However, it comes fully equipped with nighttime wrist temperature tracking, period tracking, sleep tracking, sleep score, heart rate, respiratory rate, and noise monitoring.
In terms of activity monitoring, the Apple Watch SE 3 lacks a water temperature sensor and depth gauge. Furthermore, the Apple Watch SE 3 is not certified IP6X dustproof and does not support 6-meter water depth. If you only wear your Apple Watch for common and basic land-based activities, the lack of these activity sensors and durability won’t be a problem.
Finally, what surprised me most about the Apple Watch SE series is that the SE 3 uses the same S10 chip as the Series and Ultra series. This means that the Apple Watch SE 3 doesn’t compromise on overall performance and offers the same smooth system performance as the other two series, while also gaining features previously only available on flagship models, such as an always-on display, on-device Siri, and one-handed gestures.
In addition to the upgrades I’ve described above, all three new Apple Watch models support the feature upgrades Apple introduced in watchOS 26 this year, such as Sleep Score, which allows you to easily monitor your sleep quality, and 5G network support, which makes streaming, voice calls, and other functions smoother and clearer.
Overall, if you’re a new iPhone user or have never worn an Apple Watch before, this year’s three watch series have a high level of maturity in hardware design and functional experience, making them a great opportunity to get an Apple Watch for the first time.
In summary, if you’re a serious outdoor or professional sports enthusiast, or a fan of functional style, then the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is recommended. If you prefer a relaxed and comfortable wearable experience while demanding a comprehensive hardware experience and comprehensive software features, then the Apple Watch Series is your best choice. If you’re an iPhone user trying a smart wearable for the first time, or if you’re looking for an entry-level model for an older adult or child, then the Apple Watch SE 3 offers the best value.
