Apple Watch SE 3 vs Apple Watch Series 11: Which smartwatch is better?

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Last night, we tuned into Apple's 'Awe-Dropping' event and we were treated to plenty of new releases like the Apple iPhone 17 line-up, Apple AirPods Pro 3, and the smartwatch line-up: Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE 3.

In our Apple Watch Ultra 3 UK release date page, we spoke about how impressed we were with the new health and fitness features, as well as the incredible 42-hour battery life. Now, we've turned our attention to the more affordable smartwatches in the line-up: the Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Series 11.

Speaking about 2025's Apple Watch SE offering, Stan Ng, Apple’s vice president of Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing said: "Apple Watch SE offers a great way for users to start their Apple Watch journey, delivering outstanding health, fitness, safety, and connectivity features at an incredible value."

In comparison, the Apple Watch Series 11 is for people who are more serious about their health and fitness, and it boasts the brand-new hypertension tracking feature.

Jump to:

Apple Watch Series 11 UK release date
Apple Watch SE 3 UK release date
Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch SE 3 price
Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch SE 3 features
Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch SE 3 design
Our verdict

Apple Watch Series 11 UK release date

The Apple Watch Series 11 is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Friday 19th September.

Pre-order the new Apple Watch Series 11 from £369 at Very

Apple Watch SE 3 UK release date

You can pre-order the Apple Watch SE 3 right now, with availability starting from Friday 19th September.

Pre-order the new Apple Watch SE 3 from £219 at Very

Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch SE 3 price

The Apple Watch Series 11 will set you back from £369, whereas the Apple Watch SE 3 starts at £219.

There's a £150 difference between the two smartwatches and this is down to the discrepancy in features as the Apple Watch Series 11 is a more premium smartwatch. Let's get into it.

Check out the best Apple iPhone 17 pre-order deals.

Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch SE 3 features

Both the Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Series 11 offer a more advanced set of health features in comparison to the previous generation of Apple Watch. For example, both smartwatches offer a sleep score, retrospective ovulation estimates, sleep apnea notifications, and wrist temperature sensing for richer Vitals app data.

The two smartwatches run on watchOS 26, and this operating system brings a fresh design, Workout Buddy, and a wrist flick to dismiss notifications on Apple Watch. 'What is Workout Buddy?' we hear you ask! This first-of-its-kind fitness experience analyses your workout data and fitness history to deliver personalised, spoken motivation. So, if a pep talk is what you need to get through your routine, you'll get it with the new Workout Buddy.

The Apple Watch SE offers 18-hour battery life, whereas the Apple Watch Series 11 comes with 24-hours of battery life. Both smartwatches support fast charging.

Plus, both new smartwatches will allow you to play your favourite songs and podcasts through its speaker, and for calls, the smartwatch's S10 chip powers Voice Isolation to suppress background noise.

However, the feature which we believe gives the Apple Watch Series 11 the edge over the Apple Watch SE 3 is the new hypertension tracking feature.

Which Apple Watch has the new hypertension tracking feature?

The Apple Watch Series 11 comes with the new hypertension tracking feature, whereas the Apple Watch SE 3 does not.

So, how does it work?

This new hypertension tracking feature is the new advancement on everybody's lips following the 'Awe-Dropping' Apple event last night.

The hypertension notifications on the new Apple Watch Series 11 use data from the optical heart sensor to analyse how your blood vessels respond to your heart beats. The smartwatch works passively in the background, reviewing data over 30-day periods, and it'll notify you if it detects consistent signs of high blood pressure.

Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch SE 3 design

Thanks to watchOS 26, both smartwatches have a new look with the Liquid Glass design.

The Apple Watch Series 11 has a redesigned watch face gallery with two new watch faces, and we think the Liquid Glass design offers a particularly vibrant experience across the across the Photos watch face, Smart Stack widgets, Smart Stack hints, notifications, Control Centre, and in-app controls and navigation.

For the first time in an SE, the Apple Watch SE 3 now has an Always-On display, allowing you to view the time and any notifications without having to raise your wrist or tapping the display screen. Although this may seem like a minor change to some, small tweaks like this make the user experience so much better.

What are the new Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Series 11 colours?

The Apple Watch SE 3 comes in 40mm and 44mm, and in Midnight and Starlight colourways.

In comparison, the Apple Watch Series 11 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes, and has a lot more colourways to choose from, such as Jet Black, Rose Gold, Silver and a new Space Gray.

Our verdict: Why the Apple Watch Series 11 is worth the extra £150

If you're serious about your health and fitness, we recommend purchasing the new Apple Watch Series 11.

While the Apple Watch SE 3 is a great first smartwatch, if you're looking for a smartwatch with more advanced health and fitness features, and not to mention more colourways, opt for the Apple Watch Series 11.

As we mentioned earlier, one of the stand-out reasons for selecting the Apple Watch Series 11 is its hypertension tracking feature. Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, and impacts over one billion adults globally. The hypertension tracking feature on the new Apple Watch Series 11 alerts users if signs of chronic high blood pressure are detected, so that you can keep on top of your health.

Speaking about this brand-new feature, Harlan Krumholz, MD, SM, cardiologist and scientist at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital said: "Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of heart attack and stroke, yet millions remain undiagnosed. Making accurate detection easy and part of daily life can help people get care earlier and prevent avoidable harm".

In our opinion, the advancements the Apple Watch Series 11 is worth the additional £150.

For more like this, take a look at the new Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max UK release date and Apple AirPods Pro 3 UK release date.

Laura Wybrow