Apple Watch 6 has been released alongside Watch SE which is a lower-end version that lacks blood oxygen and ECG monitoring. The price difference between the two is about $130 and above which begs the question, which should you buy? However, the new Apple smartwatches come with WatchOS 7 out of the box with lots of interesting new features. The new OS will also be available on Watch 5 which was released last year. The Watch 5, 6, and SE share a lot of features in common which is why this comparison post compares Apple Watch Series 5 vs 6 vs SE – Which should you buy? Find out in this comparison of three of the best Apple smartwatches.

Apple Watch Series 5 vs 6 vs SE Full Specifications Compared

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Apple Watch Series 5 vs 6 vs SE – The Differences?

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• Same Appearances – Sophisticated Designs

Nothing much has changed in the appearance, it’s still the same rectangular shape and same sizes of 44mm or 40mm. However, while Watch 6 and 5 are available in three materials; aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium, the Watch SE is only available in aluminum case material. Apple has discontinued the ceramic model on Watch 5, while there are new strap designs; a solo loop made of silicone and a Milanese loop made of silicone and polyester. These new straps designs are very easy to wear compared to the buckle design.

Each of these three is very lightweight with slight differences in weight. Sapphire glass material protects the screen of all three, and the ceramic back lives a very polished design. Navigation is also easy with touchscreen support and a digital rotating crown button with a haptic feedback mechanism that makes any of these Apple smartwatches very easy to operate. New watch faces have been added, and with the new emoji app, emojis can be sent as stickers in messages or used as watch faces. You can also create a watch face and share it.

• Fitness Tracking

Each of these three features heart rate tracking, calorie counting, incidental fall detection, and more. New workout modes have been added which allow you to choose your preferred workout routine. Sleep tracking, hearing protection, and handwashing have been added. Other activity features include emergency SOS and international emergency calling that can help you get the needed help when you need it.

However, only Watch 6 features blood oxygen tracking – A feature that monitors your blood oxygen levels to determine how well your blood absorbs oxygen. ECG tracking that was introduced to Watch 5 is also available on Watch 6 but not on Watch SE. It lets you take ECG tests right on your wrist and can help detect the irregular heart rhythm.

• Media

All three smartwatches; Watch 5, 6 and SE come with a 32GB storage capacity that enables you to listen to your favorite tracks from the watch. There’s also a loudspeaker and microphone that enables Bluetooth calling as well as Siri voice Assistant that has been updated to be able to translate languages to another.

• Performance: Apple S5 vs S6 Chip

Although the S5 chip that powers Watch 5 has shown to be outstanding when you consider the watch’s amazing performance. It’s the same chip on the Watch SE, but Apple claims the S6 chip powering Watch 6 is 20% faster than the S5 chip. For a smartwatch, every inch of improvement in speed means a lot.

• Notifications and Features

The Apple Watch app is the companion app for all Apple smartwatches, it syncs data from your iPhone to the watch. In other words, all three smartwatches, Watch 5, 6, and 5 will alert you when you receive notifications on your phone as well as allow you to manage the watch from the phone. You can reply to text messages from the watch and there’s Apple Pay that allows you to make payments directly from the watch.

• Battery Life

Battery life has not improved with the release of Watch 6 and SE, it’s the same about 18 hours battery life as Watch 5.
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Apple Watch Series 5 vs 6 vs SE Features at a Glance

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Which is Better?

Clearly, Watch 6 housing the S6 chip is the best choice out of these three, it features an always-on display, ECG tracking, and blood oxygen monitoring which Watch SE lacks. Watch 5 also features ECG and an always-on display. Both the Watch 5 and 6 are available in three materials; aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium with the GPS model being available in only aluminum material. In other words, Watch 5 is the closest to Watch 6 in terms of features.

However, Watch SE is still a decent smartwatch. It offers all the features except for the ones mentioned above, and it’s cheaper which makes it a decent entry device for anyone looking to experience what an Apple Watch can offer.

Summary: Apple Watch 6 is the best Apple smartwatch, it has the most features, followed by Watch 5, while Watch SE is a cheaper alternative.

Best Prices

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