The 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 the 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 you receive on your phone. There is also a microphone, loudspeaker, and onboard music storage in each of these two. In this post, we’re comparing the differences between the Apple Watch SE vs Fitbit Sense – which should you buy? Read further to see our verdict.
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 | - | - |
| 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 | — | None |
| Successor | — | Fitbit Sense 2 |
| 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) |
| Interchangeable strap | 24mm, Yes | Yes |
| 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 | — | 268.5 PPI |
| Always on | No | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen | 1 Haptic 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 |
| Reply to Notifications | - | - |
| 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 |
| Temperature | App | Yes |
| Other sensors | — | EDA sensor, 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 |
| 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 | 30min-1hr |
| Solar charging | 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 OS 8.0+, iOS 14.0+ |
| Payment system | Apple Pay | Fitbit Pay |
| 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 |
Apple Watch SE vs Fitbit Sense: Features Compared
Design – Watch SE has a better design, but lacks always-on display
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 each of these two comfortable to wear. Apple introduced the solo and braided loop straps which are very easy to put on, while Sense has a loop strap that’s also easy to fix. The good thing is that you can change the straps of both smartwatches with compatible straps of your choice.
Its Corning Gorilla Glass covers the display of Sense, while a more durable 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 that Watch SE lacks an always-on display which is present in Watch 6 and Watch 7. However, Sense has an always-on display.
Both the Watch SE and Sense have customizable watch faces, 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 crown with a haptic feedback mechanism. You also get touchscreen support on both watches which clearly means that these two are very easy to navigate. Although, the Watch SE has a more sophisticated user interface that boasts of more features.
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.
Fitness Tracking
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 floor counting as well as inbuilt GPS are some of the basics that are present in each of these two. Both watches will allow you to log your water and food intake, and there is a menstrual cycle app that allows women to log and track their monthly cycle.
There are 20 preset sport modes on Sense, Apple has also 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 fitness 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, 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 or any other SpO2 watch face of your choice. Watch SE lacks ECG and blood oxygen tracking – features reserved for Watch 6 and also present on the Watch Series 7.
Media and Storage – Watch SE has 32GB and more
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 supposed to allow you to make and receive calls from the watch. You can make and receive calls directly from Watch SE and Sense. Though the Watch SE features a dialer and contact app that allows you to easily make calls. With Fitbit Sense or Versa 3, you can only start a call using Google Assistant.
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 assistant and Google Assistant are available on Sense while on the other hand, Siri allows you to do a whole lot with your voice on Apple smartwatches.
Notifications
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, 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 present on Watch SE and on many Samsung smartwatches.
Battery Life – Fitbit Sense has up to 6 days battery life
The longer the battery life, the better, and in that regard, the 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 every day in other to 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 or the newer Galaxy Watch 4. And if you own an iPhone, Watch SE or other higher-end Apple smartwatches like Watch 7 will make a perfect choice.
