Smartwatches / Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)
Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum)
$249.00
VSSamsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)
$699.99
Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)
60 hours with the always-on display actually on, and the brightest screen on any wrist.
Wins overall by 0.8 points
Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) takes this by a clear 0.8 points. 60 hours with the always-on display actually on, and the brightest screen on any wrist. The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) are both closely matched smartwatch models, and the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) is $451 cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) ($249 vs $699.99). On Battery Life, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) leads (7.8 vs 4.5/10) — real endurance between charges, judged against what the claim actually assumes rather than the headline number. On Value, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) leads (9.0 vs 6.6/10) — what you get for the money once LTE upcharges and subscriptions are counted in. On Display, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) leads (9.6 vs 7.4/10) — panel type, brightness, always-on behaviour and legibility in sunlight. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores 7.8/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.0/10 for the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) | Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.00 | $699.99 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2026 |
| Phone Compatibility | iPhone only. Requires iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26 or later. No Android support of any kind. | Android only. Requires Android 13 or later with 1.5 GB RAM minimum. No iPhone support. On non-Samsung Android you lose ECG, blood pressure, SmartThings camera feeds, Camera Controller and DND/bedtime sync — the same list as the Galaxy Watch9. |
| Claimed Battery Life (hrs) | 18 | 60✓ |
| What the Battery Claim Assumes | Apple's 18 h figure assumes the same mixed-use day as Series 11 (90 time checks, 90 notifications, 15 min app use, 60 min workout) with the always-on display active and no LTE. Add overnight sleep tracking and you are charging twice a day. | Samsung's 60-hour figure is quoted with the always-on display ON, which is unusually honest for this category — but it is still a mixed-use claim, not a workout claim. Continuous dual-band GPS and LTE-only use (with the phone left behind) drain it far faster. |
| Case Size (mm) | 40 | 47 |
| Display | LTPO OLED, always-on (new to the SE line), up to 1000 nits | 1.52-inch Super AMOLED under sapphire crystal, up to 5000 nits — the brightest smartwatch display sold |
| Operating System | watchOS 26 | Wear OS (One UI Watch) |
| Third-Party Apps | Full on-device App Store — identical native watchOS catalogue to Series 11 and Ultra 3 | Google Play Store on the watch, same Wear OS catalogue as the Galaxy Watch9 |
| Health Features Enabled in the US | Live in the US: ECG, irregular rhythm notifications, sleep apnea notifications and hypertension notifications (FDA-cleared), plus wrist temperature. Blood Oxygen uses the same post-Masimo design as Series 11 — captured on the watch, calculated on the iPhone. There is no depth gauge and no skin-temperature-driven ovulation estimate beyond what Series 11 offers. | ECG, irregular rhythm notifications and sleep apnea detection are FDA-cleared. Blood pressure rolled out in the US from 31 March 2026 but is not FDA-cleared, is Samsung-phone gated, and needs 28-day cuff re-calibration. BIA body composition included. |
| Subscription Wall | None required; Apple Fitness+ ($9.99/mo) is optional. | No subscription for core metrics; bundled third-party fitness trials auto-renew at full price. |
| LTE Option | Separate SKU: Apple lists SE 3 GPS + Cellular at a $50 upcharge and it needs its own carrier line. The cellular 40mm has repeatedly been discounted to $249.99 at Amazon, closing the gap. | Not an option — LTE is built into every Ultra2 and included in the $699.99 price. You still pay a carrier for the line. |
| Water & Dust Rating | 50 m water resistant (WR50), IP6X dust resistant | 10 ATM (100 m), IP69K, MIL-STD-810H, EN13319 dive certified to 40 m |
| Battery Replacement | Apple out-of-warranty battery service is a flat $99 — over a third of the watch's price. | No consumer battery-replacement programme; the titanium case is sealed. |
| Warranty | 12 months | 24 months |
| Colors | Midnight, Starlight | Titanium Gray, Titanium Silver |
Category Scores
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) leads clearly here, 7.8 against 4.5 — a 3.3-point margin on real endurance between charges, judged against what the claim actually assumes rather than the headline number. If that is what you are buying for, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Health Tracking
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) are level here, at 8.8/10 each. depth of heart, sleep and body metrics that are genuinely enabled and cleared for use in the US is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Fitness & GPS
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 7.8 — a 1.2-point margin on workout tracking, GPS accuracy, sport modes and training analysis. If that is what you are buying for, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Ecosystem Freedom
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) leads clearly here, 2.5 against 1.0 — a 1.5-point margin on the category's trap dimension: how much of the watch still works on a phone other than the maker's own. 10 means full parity on iOS and Android; 1 means one phone brand or nothing. If that is what you are buying for, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App Ecosystem
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) leads clearly here, 10.0 against 8.5 — a 1.5-point margin on whether there is a real third-party app store on the wrist or a handful of proprietary mini-apps. If that is what you are buying for, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) leads clearly here, 9.6 against 7.4 — a 2.2-point margin on panel type, brightness, always-on behaviour and legibility in sunlight. If that is what you are buying for, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Build & Durability
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) leads clearly here, 9.4 against 7.6 — a 1.8-point margin on case and glass materials, water and dust ratings, and how well it survives daily wear. If that is what you are buying for, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 6.6 — a 2.4-point margin on what you get for the money once LTE upcharges and subscriptions are counted in. If that is what you are buying for, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) if…
- • Value matters most to you — the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) scores 9.0/10 here (what you get for the money once LTE upcharges and subscriptions are counted in).
- • You want to spend less — it's $451 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is iphone.
Choose the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) if…
- • Battery Life matters most to you — the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores 7.8/10 here (real endurance between charges, judged against what the claim actually assumes rather than the headline number).
- • Display matters most to you — the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores 9.6/10 here (panel type, brightness, always-on behaviour and legibility in sunlight).
- • Build & Durability matters most to you — the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores 9.4/10 here (case and glass materials, water and dust ratings, and how well it survives daily wear).
- • Ecosystem Freedom matters most to you — the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores 2.5/10 here (the category's trap dimension: how much of the watch still works on a phone other than the maker's own. 10 means full parity on iOS and Android; 1 means one phone brand or nothing).
- • Your main use case is android or outdoors.
Pros & Cons
Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum)
Pros
- +Cheapest route to a US-enabled ECG plus hypertension and sleep apnea notifications
- +Same S10 chip and same watchOS 26 as the $399 Series 11 — the gap is display and sensors, not speed
- +Always-on display and fast charging finally arrive on the SE line
- +No subscription gates any metric, unlike the similarly-priced Fitbit Sense 2
Cons
- −18 hours is the shortest battery life of any watch in this comparison
- −1000-nit display is half the brightness of Series 11 and a sixth of Galaxy Watch Ultra2's
- −Aluminum only, two colours only, no titanium and no larger 46mm option
- −iPhone-only — worthless the day you switch to Android
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)
Pros
- +60 hours quoted with the always-on display ON — the only maker here that states the harder number
- +5000 nits is genuinely twice as bright as the brightest Apple Watch
- +10 ATM plus EN13319 dive certification and IP69K, on a Wear OS watch with Play Store apps
- +LTE included rather than a $50 upcharge and a second ASIN
Cons
- −Same iPhone lock-out and the same non-Samsung Android feature loss as the Galaxy Watch9
- −$699.99 buys you a watch whose blood-pressure headline feature is not FDA-cleared
- −The dive app was still 'coming later in 2026' at launch — you are buying a promise
- −47mm titanium is heavy, and Samsung will not replace the battery
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Battery Life, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)?+
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores higher on Battery Life (7.8/10 vs 4.5/10) — real endurance between charges, judged against what the claim actually assumes rather than the headline number.
Which is better for Value, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)?+
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) scores higher on Value (9.0/10 vs 6.6/10) — what you get for the money once LTE upcharges and subscriptions are counted in.
Which is better for Display, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)?+
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores higher on Display (9.6/10 vs 7.4/10) — panel type, brightness, always-on behaviour and legibility in sunlight.
Which is better for Build & Durability, the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)?+
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) scores higher on Build & Durability (9.4/10 vs 7.6/10) — case and glass materials, water and dust ratings, and how well it survives daily wear.
Is the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) worth the price difference over the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)?+
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) is the cheaper option at $249 versus $699.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Battery Life.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) is the better fit if you mainly care about iphone. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) is the better fit for android or outdoors.
What's the warranty on the Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) vs the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium)?+
The Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS, Aluminum) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 (47mm, LTE, Titanium) ships with a 24-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Amazfit Bip 6 (46mm) — $79.99
Premium Option
Apple Watch Ultra 3 (49mm, GPS + Cellular, Titanium) — $799.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.