Watch SE is the new guy in the Apple Watch family, so also Fitbit Sense is the new guy in the Fitbit family. While the Watch SE is a lower-end version of Watch 6, Fitbit Sense is the most advanced Fitbit smartwatch. Each of these two is very equipped to track your daily activities, and also help you stay connected to important updates. There is also a microphone, loudspeaker, and music storage in each of these two. This comparison chart compares Apple Watch SE vs Fitbit Sense – which should you buy? Read further to see my verdict.
Table of Contents
Apple Watch SE vs Fitbit Sense: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Apple Watch SE (44mm) (GPS) Specifications/Features/Review and Price |
 Fitbit Sense Full Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $359.00 | $295.00 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | (44mm), (GPS), Apple Watch SE | Fitbit Sense |
| Device type | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2020 | September, 2020 |
| Predecessor | — | Fitbit Versa 2 |
| Successor | — | — |
| Versions | Apple Watch Hermès, Apple Watch Nike+ | — |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 44 x 38 x 10.4mm | 40.4 x 40.4 x 12.4 mm |
| Weight | 36.36g | — |
| Shape | Rectangular | Square |
| Case material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Polyester, Silicone | Polyester, Silicone |
| Bezel material | Bezeless, Sapphire glass | Stainless steel |
| Strap size | 24mm | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) |
| Screen protection | Sapphire glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Gold, Gray, Silver | Black/black, Blue/gold, Pink/Gold, Thistle/Gold |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.78 inch | 1.58 inches |
| Display type | 1000nit, LTPO OLED | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 448 x 368 pixels | 300 x 300 pixels |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | No | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen | 1 Physical button, 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 | — |
| ROM | 32GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| 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 | No |
| ECG | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | No | Yes |
| Thermometer | App | Yes |
| Other sensors | — | Vibration motor |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | No | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | - |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | — | No |
| On-screen workout | No | Yes |
| Sport modes | Yes | 20+ |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — |
| Battery life | Regular: up to 18hrs | Regular: 6 Days+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock | USB charging |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Apple S5 chip (64bits) | — |
| CPU | Dual core | — |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | WatchOS 7 | Fitbit OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Apple Watch App | Fitbit App |
| Compatibility | iOS 12.0+ | Android, iOS |
| Payment system | Apple Pay | Fitbit Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | 24mm, Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Siri | Yes, Alexa, Yes, Google Assistant |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Apple Watch SE, Charger, Manual, Straps | Charger, Fitbit Sense, Manual, Straps |
| Price | $359.00 | $295.00 |
Features Compared
- Both Are Well Designed – Watch SE has a better design, but lacks always-on display
- Comprehenive Fitness Smartwatches
- Media and Storage – Watch SE has 32GB and more
- Notifications
- Battery Life – Fitbit Sense has up to 6 days battery life
The design of both smartwatches is outstanding, aluminum has been used for the case of Sense and Watch SE which is very lightweight. Talking of the straps, both come with silicone straps which adds to making these comfortable to wear. Apple introduced the solo and braided loop straps which are very easy to put on, meanwhile, Sense has a buckle design which is also easy to fix. The good thing is that you can change the straps on both smartwatches with compatible straps of your choice. Its Corning Gorilla Glass covering the display of Sense, while a more refined sapphire glass covers that of Watch SE.
AMOLED powers the 1.58 inches display of Sense, while Watch SE which is available in two sizes; 44mm and 40mm has 1.78 inches and 1.57 inches respectively which are both powered by LTPO OLED. The viewing experience on both smartwatches is satisfying to the best of my knowledge, although not the best experience under direct sunlight. It’s unfortunate Watch SE lacks an always-on display which is present in Watch 6. However, Sense has an always-on display. And there are lots of watch faces to choose from on the respective companion apps.
Looking at the navigation features, Fitbit Sense has a haptic button which I personally don’t like, meanwhile Watch SE has a digital rotating bezel with a haptic feedback mechanism. There is also the touchscreen feature on both smartwatches, and that’s to say it’s easy to interact with these two.
Both smartwatches are rated 5ATM which means you can wear any of these two to the pool. So in other words, I’ll say both smartwatches have very nice designs that are good enough, even though I think Watch SE has more refined and attractive aesthetics.
The major factor pushing the smartwatch market up is fitness and health tracking. Each of these two is fitness-oriented and well designed to track your daily activities to help you stay fit. Sleep tracking, heart rate tracking, stress management, steps and floors counting as well as inbuilt GPS are some of the basics that are present in these two. You can also log your water and food intake on both smartwatches and a menstrual cycle app that allows women to log and track their monthly cycle.
There are 20 preset sport modes on Sense, Apple has added some more preset sport modes to their watches, so you still get more options to choose from. Fitness tracking accuracy is still a bone of contention, however, many agree Fitbit and Apple are some of the best trackers.
Fitbit introduced ECG tracking to Sense which makes it the most advanced Fitbit smartwatch. It also has an EDA stress sensor that monitors your stress level, and as well as a temperature sensor that monitors your body temperature. With an ECG app on Sense, you can take an ECG test directly from the watch and this can help detect irregular heart rhythms. Another feature of Sense which is available on many other Fitbit smartwatches is SpO2 blood oxygen tracking. This is not a complete feature as it only tracks your blood oxygen overnight. It then shows your SpO2 levels when you wake up through the Fitbit Signature watch face. Watch SE lacks ECG and blood oxygen tracking – features reserved for Watch 6.
Talk about the media features on both smartwatches, Watch SE has a massive 32GB storage capacity which is far more than what you get from Sense which has only 4GB. Both smartwatches offer various ways through which you can enjoy music on the watch. You can’t add your personal music to Sense which I’m not happy about.
There is a microphone and loudspeaker on both smartwatches which is suppose to allow you to make and receive calls from the watch. However, for now, Fitbit Sense doesn’t allow you to make and receive calls. This feature may be added in the future. Meanwhile, you can make and receive calls directly from Watch SE. The cellular model of Watch SE is a standalone smartwatch that allows you to make and receive calls directly from the watch independent of your phone.
Alexa voice is available on Sense and later Google Assistant will be added which will give you more options to use your voice, while on the other hand, Siri allows you to do a whole lot with your voice on Apple smartwatches.
Managing notifications you receive on your phone is one of the basic functions of a smartwatch. The Watch SE and Sense are not left out of these features, as both allow you to receive and reply to notifications with your voice, preset replies, and emojis. You can’t type your reply with Fitbit Sense – a feature that is preset on Watch SE and on many Samsung smartwatches.
The longer the battery life, the better, and in that regard, Sense just like Versa 3 can last up to 6 days from a single charge, while Watch SE just like all Apple smartwatches barely lasts up to a day. In other words, you’ll need to charge the Watch SE everyday in other stay connected.
Which Should You Buy?
Obviously, these two are just as good as you can imagine. However, Apple smartwatches are only compatible with iPhones. So if you own an android phone, Sense is the right choice for you. You can also check out Galaxy Watch 3 which I believe is a better smartwatch. And if you own an iPhone, Watch SE or other higher-end Apple smartwatches like Watch 5 or Watch 6 will make a perfect choice.
