With the release of Apple Watch Series 6 and SE, there are more options for Apple Watch fans to choose from. While Apple Watch 6 is the most comprehensive and advanced Apple watch featuring blood oxygen tracking and an S6 chip, Apple Watch SE is a lower-end and cheaper version that is still well equipped. Although, featured in this comparison chart is Apple Watch Series 3 vs 5 vs 6 – which is the right Apple Watch for you? We’ll take a critical look at the differences to help you make a more informed choice. Watch 5 has now been discontinued with the release of Watch 6, it’s still available in many stores across the world, and the nearest as far as features are concerned to Watch 6, while Apple Watch 3 Cellular model has also been discontinued.
The table below shows the full specifications of all three smartwatches, compare the differences.
Table of Contents
Apple Watch Series 3 vs 5 vs 6 Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) Specifications, Features and Price |
 Apple Watch Series 5 (44mm) (Cellular) Specifications, Features and Price |
 Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm) (Cellular) Full Specifications - Features and Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $227.96 | - | - |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) | (Cellular), Apple Watch Series 5 | (44mm), (Cellular), Apple Watch Series 6 |
| Device type | Standalone/Fitness smartwatch | Standalone/Fitness smartwatch | Standalone/Fitness smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2017 | September, 2019 | September, 2020 |
| Predecessor | Apple Watch Series 2 | Apple Watch Series 4 | Apple Watch Series 5 |
| Successor | Apple Watch Series 4 | — | — |
| Versions | Apple Watch Nike+ | Apple Watch Hermès, Apple Watch Nike+ | Apple Watch Hermès, Apple Watch Nike+ |
| BODY | BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4 mm | 44 x 38 x 10.7 mm | 44 x 38 x 10.4mm |
| Weight | 52.8 grams | 47.8g (GPS + Cellular) | 36.5g |
| Shape | Rectangular | Rectangular | Rectangular |
| Case material | Aluminum, Ceramics (cellular), Stainless steel (cellular) | Aluminum, Ceramic/Sapphire crystal back, Stainless steel, Titanium | Aluminum, Stainless steel, Titanium |
| Strap material | Elastomer | Elastomer | Polyester, Silicone |
| Bezel material | Bezeless | Bezeless, Sapphire glass | Bezeless, Sapphire glass |
| Strap size | 24mm | 24mm | 24mm |
| Screen protection | Sapphire glass | Sapphire glass | Sapphire glass |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes | Yes |
| Color | Black, White | Gold, Gray, Silver | Black, Blue, Gold, Gold PVD, Graphite, Gray, Red, Silver, Titanium |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.65 inch | 1.78 inch | 1.78 inch |
| Display type | 1000nit, OLED | 1000nit, OLED | 1000nit, LTPO OLED |
| Display resolution | 312 x 390 pixels | 448 x 368 pixels | 448 x 368 pixels |
| Pixel density | — | — | — |
| Always on | No | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE | Bluetooth v5.0 | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | GLONASS, GPS | GLONASS, GPS | GLONASS, GPS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 0.768GB | 0.768GB | 1GB |
| ROM | 16GB (GPS + Cellular), 8GB (GPS) | 32GB | 32GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | 4G LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| SIM type | e-SIM | e-SIM | e-SIM |
| Band | — | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No | No |
| Radio | No | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | No | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | No | No | Yes |
| Thermometer | App, No | App, No | App |
| Other sensors | — | — | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | No | No | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | (Third-party app), Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | No | No | — |
| On-screen workout | No | No | No |
| Sport modes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | 279mAh | — | — |
| Battery life | Regular: up to 18hrs | Regular: up to 18hrs | Regular: up to 18hrs |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Apple S3 | Apple S5 chip (64bits) | Apple S6 (64bits) |
| CPU | Dual core | Dual core | Dual core |
| GPU | — | — | — |
| Operating system | WatchOS 4 | WatchOS 6 | WatchOS 7 |
| MISC | MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Apple Watch App | Apple Watch App | Apple Watch App |
| Compatibility | iOS 12.0+ | iOS 12.0+ | iOS 14.0+, iPhone 6s+ |
| Payment system | Apple Pay | Apple Pay | Apple Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | 24mm, Yes | 24mm, Yes | 24mm, Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Siri | Yes, Siri | Yes, Siri |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Apple Watch Series 3, Charger, Manual, Straps | Apple Watch Series 5, Charger, Manual, Straps | Apple Watch Series 6, Charger, Manual, Straps |
| Price | $227.96 |
Apple Watch Series 3 vs 5 vs 6 Features Compared
| FEATURES | Watch Series 3 | Watch Series 5 | Watch Series 6 (Cellular) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DESIGN | |||
| Case Sizes | 38mm and 42mm | 44mm and 40mm | 44mm and 40mm |
| Thickness | 11.4mm thin | 10.7mm thin | 10.4mm thin |
| Always-on-display | No | Yes | Yes |
| Digital crown | Digital crown with haptic feedback | Digital crown with haptic feedback | |
| Available Materials and Finishes | Aluminum | Aluminum Stainless steel Titanium | Aluminum Stainless steel Titanium |
| Back Material | Composite 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 |
| 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 |
| Blood Oxygen Tracking Tracks your blood oxygen to determine the amount of oxygen your blood. | No | No | Yes |
| ECG Tracking Allows you to take ECG test directly from your wrist which can help you detect atrial fibrillations. | 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 |
| Compass | No | 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 |
| International Emergency Calling Allows you to call international emergency contacts almost anywhere in the world. | No | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | 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 |
| MEDIA/STORAGE | |||
| Loudspeaker | Yes | 50% Louder speaker | 50% Louder speaker |
| Storage | 16GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Calls Call and Text From Wrist | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pay Make a secured payment from your watch. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Siri Get help with just about anything, simply by asking with your voice. Including translations. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PLATFORM | |||
| CPU | S3 with dual-core 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 |
| Chip | W2 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip | W3 Apple wireless chip |
Which is Right For You?
Although each of these three is a fine smartwatch, Apple Watch 6 is the best. With an S6 chip under the hood and a blood oxygen app, Watch 6 is the most comprehensive out of these three.
Both Watch 6 and 5 have an always-on display mode, higher storage, improved sensors, and available in three materials unlike Watch 3 which is only available in aluminum material. Moreover, Watch 5 and 6 have more health tracking features like ECG tracking which isn’t available on Watch 3. And if you decide to get the Cellular model of Watch 5 or 6, you get access to more activity tracking features such as incidental fall detection, Family setup, and international emergency calling. In other words, Watch 5 and 6 are more advanced Apple smartwatches than Watch 3, but will cost you more.
On the other hand, If you’re low on budget, Apple Watch 3 will serve as a good entry-level device considering its features. However, it’s still a fantastic smartwatch. A better alternative to Watch 3, is the new Watch SE which is relatively cheaper than Watch 5 or 6.
VERDICT: Apple Watch Series 6 is the best Apple Watch if you want to enjoy the best of what Apple has to offer in a smartwatch.
Watch the Watch 6 Review
