Apple Watch SE 3 (44 mm, GPS) / Samsung Galaxy Watch8 44 mm Bluetooth (SM-L330)

Apple Watch SE 3 (44 mm, GPS): 44 mm GPS · aluminium case (Midnight / Starlight)

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 44 mm Bluetooth (SM-L330): SM-L330 (44 mm, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi), aluminium case; Graphite and Silver. The 40 mm SM-L320, the LTE SM-L335 and the rotating-bezel Galaxy Watch8 Classic are separate models.

SpecificationApple Watch SE 3 (44 mm, GPS)Samsung Galaxy Watch8 44 mm Bluetooth (SM-L330)
Release year20252025
AnnouncementSeptember 9, 2025; on sale from September 19, 2025 Apple—
Case44 mm aluminium; 44 × 38 × 10.7 mm

A 40 mm version also exists with different size, display and battery values.

Apple		—
Weight32.9 g (GPS) Apple—
DisplayAlways-On Retina, LTPO OLED; 368 × 448 pixels, 977 mm², 326 ppi

Because the LTPO panel can lower its refresh rate, the display keeps showing the time and notifications with the wrist down; this is the first SE with Always-On.

Apple		1.47-inch Super AMOLED, 480 × 480; full-colour Always On Display

Always On Display keeps the watch face visible but shortens battery life; when off, the screen wakes on wrist raise.

Samsung
Brightness1,000 nits peak; 2 nits minimum Apple—
Front glassIon-X glass

Apple claims 4x better crack resistance than the SE 2.

Apple		—
ProcessorApple S10 SiP; 64-bit dual-core processor, 4-core Neural Engine

The S10 enables the Always-On display, double tap and wrist flick gestures, on-device Siri and fast charging.

Apple		—
Storage64 GB Apple—
SensorsSecond-generation optical heart sensor, temperature sensor, compass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, ambient light sensor

There is no ECG or blood oxygen sensor. The temperature sensor is not intended for medical use.

Apple		Samsung BioActive Sensor (optical heart rate, electrical heart signal, bioelectrical impedance); temperature, accelerometer, barometer, gyro, geomagnetic, light

The electrical heart signal enables ECG and bioelectrical impedance enables body composition readings. ECG and blood pressure need a Samsung phone and country approval.

Samsung
Health featuresHeart rate and rhythm notifications, sleep apnoea notifications, sleep stages and sleep score, cycle tracking

Feature availability varies by country.

Apple		Antioxidant Index (carotenoid measurement), Bedtime Guidance, Vascular Load, Running Coach

Antioxidant Index is measured by holding a fingertip on the sensor for about five seconds; Vascular Load needs the watch to be worn to sleep on at least 3 of the last 14 days. These are wellness indicators, not medical diagnoses.

Samsung
GesturesDouble tap; wrist flick (watchOS 26)

Wrist flick dismisses notifications and calls, silences alarms and returns to the watch face with one hand.

Apple		—
SpeakerYes; can play music and podcasts Apple—
Water resistance50 metres (ISO 22810:2010); swimproof Apple—
WirelessWi-Fi 4 (802.11n, 2.4 GHz only); Bluetooth 5.3 Apple—
LocationL1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou

This is single-frequency (L1) GPS; position can drift under trees and between tall buildings.

Apple		L1 + L5 dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo)

The L5 band helps reduce route drift caused by reflections among tall buildings and trees.

Samsung
Battery lifeUp to 18 hours of normal use; up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode

In Apple's test the watch stays connected to an iPhone over Bluetooth throughout; results vary with use and settings.

Apple		—
ChargingFast charging: about 80% in 45 minutes; 15 minutes gives up to 8 hours of use

Times are with the included Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable; no adapter is included.

Apple		—
CompatibilityiPhone 11 or later, iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later AppleAndroid 12 or later phones with more than 1.5 GB RAM

It cannot be used with an iPhone.

Samsung
Colour optionsMidnight or Starlight aluminium case Apple—
Glass and case—Sapphire crystal glass; 43.7 × 46 × 8.6 mm (excluding health sensors)

Sapphire crystal resists scratches better than ordinary glass. The 8.6 mm thickness excludes the sensor bump on the back.

Samsung
Processor and memory—Exynos W1000 (5-core, 3 nm); 2 GB RAM, 32 GB storage

32 GB of storage is enough to keep music and apps on the watch for phone-free runs.

Samsung
Battery and charging—435 mAh (typical); WPC-based fast wireless charging

The watch charges only wirelessly; it must align with Samsung’s charging puck, and some wireless chargers may not sit flat because of the band.

Samsung
Connectivity—Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4 + 5 GHz, NFC; this model has no LTE (Bluetooth)

On the Bluetooth model calls and notifications work while connected to the phone; NFC contactless payments depend on country and bank.

Samsung
Durability—5ATM, IP68, MIL-STD-810H

5ATM means water resistance suitable for swimming, not diving or high-speed water sports. MIL-STD-810H refers to selected environmental tests from the military standard and is no guarantee against impacts.

Samsung
Software and assistant—One UI 8 Watch on Wear OS 6; first smartwatch series to ship with Gemini

Gemini can act in Samsung Health, Calendar and Clock via voice; availability varies by device, language and country.

Samsung
Weight and colours—34.0 g (without band); Graphite, Silver Samsung