Featured in today’s comparison is Apple Watch SE (44mm) GPS vs Cellular, compare the differences between these two to know which is the right choice for you. If you recall, Watch SE was released alongside a higher-end Apple Watch 6, it lacks an always-on display, ECG, blood oxygen tracking, and is only available in aluminum material. However, it’s a cheaper alternative featuring all the new additions like Family Setup, emojis, and more. It’s also well designed and houses the same chip as the now-discontinued Watch 5. Just like Watch 6, Watch SE comes in two sizes; 44mm and 40mm with both sizes also available in GPS only and Cellular models. This comparison chart will compare the differences between the Cellular and GPS model of the 44mm size which also applies to the 40mm size.
Table of Contents
Apple Watch SE (44mm) GPS vs Cellular: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Apple Watch SE (44mm) (GPS) Specifications/Features/Review and Price |
 Apple Watch SE (44mm) (Cellular) Specifications/Features/Review and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | - | - |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | (44mm), (GPS), Apple Watch SE | (44mm), (Cellular), Apple Watch SE |
| Device type | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Standalone/Fitness smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2020 | September, 2020 |
| Predecessor | — | — |
| Successor | — | — |
| Versions | Apple Watch Hermès, Apple Watch Nike+ | Apple Watch Hermès, Apple Watch Nike+ |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 44 x 38 x 10.4mm | 44 x 38 x 10.4mm |
| Weight | 36.36g | 36.36g |
| Shape | Rectangular | Rectangular |
| Case material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Polyester, Silicone | Polyester, Silicone |
| Bezel material | Bezeless, Sapphire glass | Bezeless, Sapphire glass |
| Strap size | 24mm | 24mm |
| Screen protection | Sapphire glass | Sapphire glass |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes | Yes |
| Color | Gold, Gray, Silver | Gold, Gray, Silver |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.78 inch | 1.78 inch |
| Display type | 1000nit, LTPO OLED | 1000nit, LTPO OLED |
| Display resolution | 448 x 368 pixels | 448 x 368 pixels |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | No | No |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.0 | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | GLONASS, GPS | GLONASS, GPS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 1GB | 1GB |
| ROM | 32GB | 32GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| SIM type | None | e-SIM |
| Band | No | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | No | No |
| Thermometer | App | App |
| Other sensors | — | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | No | No |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | — | — |
| On-screen workout | No | No |
| Sport modes | Yes | Yes |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | Regular: up to 18hrs | Regular: up to 18hrs |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Apple S5 chip (64bits) | Apple S5 chip (64bits) |
| CPU | Dual core | Dual core |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | WatchOS 7 | WatchOS 7 |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Apple Watch App | Apple Watch App |
| Compatibility | iOS 12.0+ | iOS 12.0+ |
| Payment system | Apple Pay | Apple Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | 24mm, Yes | 24mm, Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Siri | Yes, Siri |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Apple Watch SE, Charger, Manual, Straps | Apple Watch SE, Charger, Manual, Straps |
| Price |
Apple Watch SE GPS vs Cellular Features Compared
| FEATURES | Watch Series 3 | Watch Series 4 | Watch Series 5 | Watch SE (GPS) | Watch SE (Cellular) | Watch Series 6 (GPS) | Watch Series 6 (Cellular) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DESIGN | |||||||
| Case Sizes | 38mm and 42mm | 44mm and 40mm | 44mm and 40mm | 44mm and 40mm | 44mm and 40mm | 44mm and 40mm | 44mm and 40mm |
| Thickness | 11.4mm thin | 10.7mm thin | 10.7mm thin | 10.4mm thin | 10.4mm thin | 10.4mm thin | 10.4mm thin |
| Always-on-display | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Digital crown | Digital crown with haptic feedback | Digital crown with haptic feedback | Digital crown with haptic feedback | Digital crown with haptic feedback | Digital crown with haptic feedback | Digital crown with haptic feedback | |
| Available Materials and Finishes | Aluminum | Aluminum Stainless steel Titanium | Aluminum Stainless steel Titanium | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum Stainless steel Titanium | Aluminum Stainless steel Titanium |
| Back Material | Composite back | Ceramic and sapphire crystal back | Ceramic and sapphire crystal back | Ceramic and sapphire crystal back | Ceramic and sapphire crystal back | Ceramic and sapphire crystal back | Ceramic and sapphire crystal back |
| HEALTH AND ACTIVITY TRACKING | |||||||
| Family Setup Allows you to use your iPhone to pair watches for your children or older adults who don’t have their own iPhone | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Noise Protection Protects your ear against high decibels that can be harmful to hearing, also alerts you when you reach your hearing dose for the week according to recommendations from global health authorities. | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen Tracking Tracks your blood oxygen to determine the amount of oxygen your blood. | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| ECG Tracking Allows you to take ECG test directly from your wrist which can help you detect atrial fibrillations. | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate sensor Tracks your heart rate with high, low, and irregular heart rhythm notifications. | Yes Optical heart sensor | Yes Second-generation optical heart sensor | Yes Second-generation optical heart sensor | Yes Second-generation optical heart sensor | Yes Second-generation optical heart sensor | Yes Second-generation optical heart sensor | Yes Second-generation optical heart sensor |
| Compass | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental Fall Detection Can help you get help real quick when the watch detects a fall, it calls a preset emergency number. | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| International Emergency Calling Allows you to call international emergency contacts almost anywhere in the world. | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Always-on altimeter | Always-on altimeter | Always-on altimeter | Always-on altimeter | Always-on altimeter | Always-on altimeter |
| Accelerometer | Yes up to 16 g-forces | Yes up to 32 g-forces | Yes up to 32 g-forces | Yes up to 32 g-forces | Yes up to 32 g-forces | Yes up to 32 g-forces | Yes up to 32 g-forces |
| MEDIA/STORAGE | |||||||
| Loudspeaker | Yes | 50% Louder speaker | 50% Louder speaker | 50% Louder speaker | 50% Louder speaker | 50% Louder speaker | 50% Louder speaker |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Calls Call and Text From Wrist | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pay Make a secured payment from your watch. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Siri Get help with just about anything, simply by asking with your voice. Including translations. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PLATFORM | |||||||
| CPU | S3 with dual-core processor | S5 with 64-bit dual-core processor Up to 2x faster processor | S5 with 64-bit dual-core processor Up to 2x faster processor | S5 with 64-bit dual-core processor Up to 2x faster processor | S5 with 64-bit dual-core processor Up to 2x faster processor | S6 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor Up to 20 percent faster than S5 | S6 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor Up to 20 percent faster than S5 |
| Chip | W2 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip |
Which is Right For You?
The Cellular model is a more comprehensive smartwatch, it’s a standalone smartwatch that comes with an e-SIM which enables it to have access to cellular connectivity without any connection to your iPhone. AS a result, the Cellular model features international emergency calling, incidental fall detection, and Family setup which the GPS only model lacks. You can also make and receive calls directly from the Cellular model without your phone and you can also stream music independent of your phone. However, the Cellular model is more expensive than the GPS model. Moreover, you’ll need to pay for a plan which is where the real extra cost comes.
To cover the LTE and UMTS bands used around the world, there are two separate cellular models for Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE. They have been optimized for use in the country of purchase, and not all models work in all countries or regions. There is no single model that supports cellular service worldwide. See which carriers in your country or region offer cellular service for Apple Watch.
On the other hand, the GPS model is cheaper, yet a fantastic smartwatch.
So, if you really need cellular features on your Apple Watch SE, then you should also bear in mind the extra cost.
