The Apple Watch SE 3 starts at $249, while the Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399. The $150 difference buys a more advanced health sensing system, a larger display, longer battery life, and more options for tracking training and recovery.
The two watches still share many features, including an always-on display, wrist temperature sensing, sleep apnea notifications, retrospective ovulation estimates, 5G connectivity on cellular models, media playback, and 64GB of storage. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two Apple Watch models is best for you. The differences between the two models are as follows:
?Apple Watch SE 3?
Apple Watch Series 12
Same design as Apple Watch Series 4, 5, and 6
Refined design with a thinner casing, display with more rounded edges and a wider aspect ratio, and front glass that extends further over the sides for a higher screen-to-body ratio
40mm or 44mm case
42mm or 46mm case
Aluminum case
Aluminum, titanium, or ceramic case
40mm: 40 by 34 by 10.7mm
44mm: 44 by 38 by 10.7mm
42mm aluminum/titanium: 42 by 37 by 9.7mm
46mm aluminum/titanium: 46 by 40 by 9.7mm
42mm ceramic: 43 by 37 by 9.85mm
46mm ceramic: 47 by 41 by 9.85mm
Aluminum GPS weight: 26.3 grams (40mm) or 32.9 grams (44mm)
Aluminum GPS weight: 32.2 grams (42mm) or 39.5 grams (46mm)
Ion-X front glass
Ceramic Shield 2 front on aluminum models; sapphire crystal front on titanium and ceramic models
No published IP6X rating
IP6X dust resistance
LTPO OLED display
LTPO3 display with a 1Hz always-on refresh rate, allowing a live ticking seconds hand on supported watch faces
?OLED? display
Wide-angle ?OLED? display
40mm: 324 by 394 pixels
44mm: 368 by 448 pixels
42mm: 374 by 446 pixels
46mm: 416 by 496 pixels
40mm: 759 sq mm display area
44mm: 977 sq mm display area
42mm: 970 sq mm display area
46mm: 1,196 sq mm display area
Up to 1,000 nits brightness
Up to 2,000 nits brightness
2 nits minimum brightness
1 nit minimum brightness
Nylon composite and sapphire crystal back
Aluminum or titanium and zirconia back; ceramic and zirconia back on ceramic models
S10 chip (2024)
S11 chip (2026)
2GB RAM
4GB RAM
Second-generation optical heart sensor
Always-on optical heart sensor
Standard background heart rate tracking
Background heart rate readings every five seconds
Heart rate variability tracking
Recovery HRV and more frequent overall HRV readings
Vitals app with heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, and sleep duration
Vitals app with heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, HRV, and a daytime view
Readiness app
Electrical heart sensor and ECG app
Blood oxygen sensor and Blood Oxygen app
Hypertension notifications
Standard step tracking
Improved step tracking
Real-time heart rate and steps watch face complications
Water temperature sensor
Depth gauge to 6 meters and Depth app
Oceanic+ app for snorkeling to 6 meters, available on the App Store
Audio Intelligence features including Siri Recap, Sound Recognition, and Shazam
Live Rewind and ?Siri? Recap, due in beta in late 2026
Microphone
Microphone with Voice Isolation
Single, elongated speaker openings
Individual speaker holes
2.4GHz Wi-Fi 4
2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi 4
L1 GPS
Precision L1 GPS
Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip
Find iPhone
Precision Finding for iPhone, with distance and direction guidance
HomePod playback controls
?HomePod? playback controls and proximity-based media suggestions with a compatible Ultra Wideband ?HomePod?
Up to 18 hours of normal use
Up to 24 hours of normal use
Up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode
Up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode
Up to 7 hours of workout tracking
Up to 10 hours of workout tracking
Charges from 0 to 80% in about 45 minutes
Charges from 0 to 80% in about 30 minutes
15 minutes of charging for up to 8 hours of normal use
15 minutes of charging for up to 12 hours of normal use
8 minutes of charging for up to 8 hours of sleep tracking
5 minutes of charging for up to 10 hours of sleep tracking
Midnight and Starlight aluminum finishes
Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, and Space Gray aluminum finishes
Radiant Gold and Natural titanium finishes
Pearl White and Night Blue ceramic finishes
Silver and Radiant Gold titanium Hermès models
40mm: $249 GPS or $299 GPS + Cellular
44mm: $279 GPS or $329 GPS + Cellular
Aluminum 42mm: $399 GPS or $499 GPS + Cellular
Aluminum 46mm: $449 GPS or $549 GPS + Cellular
Titanium models start at $699; ceramic models start at $899
If you mainly want a smart watch for notifications, standard workout and sleep tracking, and an always-on display, the ?Apple Watch SE 3? remains the better value. Although it is now a year old, it still represents excellent value for money at $249, offering most of the Apple Watch’s core features for $150 less than the entry-level Series 12.
The Apple Watch Series 12 has a much stronger case for anyone who uses their device to follow health and recovery trends. Its new Health Sensing System enables frequent heart rate readings, Recovery HRV, and a Readiness score that draws on recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep. ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, and hypertension notifications add further capabilities unavailable on the ?Apple Watch SE 3?.
Battery life may be a decisive factor. The Apple Watch Series 12 is rated for six more hours of normal use and three more hours of outdoor workout tracking. It also charges faster, which is particularly useful if you wear your watch overnight for sleep tracking.
The Series 12 also offers a larger and brighter display, which makes a noticeable difference in daily use, along with 5GHz Wi-Fi, Precision Finding for a misplaced iPhone, and premium titanium and ceramic case options. Its Audio Intelligence features include ?Siri? Recap, Sound Recognition, and always-on Shazam.
If you prefer the Series 12’s broader health tracking capabilities, longer battery life, display advantages, or luxury case options, the extra cost is justified. If those features are unlikely to change how you use or appreciate your watch, the ?Apple Watch SE 3? is the more economical choice.Related Roundups: Apple Watch 12, Apple Watch SE 3Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now), Apple Watch SE (Neutral)Related Forum: Apple WatchThis article, “Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer’s Guide: Which Should You Buy?” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
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Author: Hartley Charlton