Apple Watch SE 3 vs Garmin vívoactive 6
The Garmin vívoactive 6 lists for about $51 more than the Apple Watch SE 3. On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 11 days for the Garmin vívoactive 6 against 18 h for the Apple Watch SE 3. Apple publishes no always-on figure for the Apple Watch SE 3. For a GPS workout the figures are 21 h and 7 h. Phones differ: the Apple Watch SE 3 is iphone only, the Garmin vívoactive 6 android; iphone with limits. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Apple
Apple Watch SE 3
~$249
Launched in 2025 and still Apple's entry model, the SE 3 has an always-on display, a temperature sensor with sleep score, and 5G on cellular versions.
Best for: First-time iPhone watch buyers, or a child's watch set up through Apple Watch For Your Kids
Garmin
Garmin vívoactive 6
~$300
Garmin's April 2025 health-and-fitness watch keeps the price low while carrying music storage, Garmin Pay and an AMOLED screen Garmin calls brighter than before.
Best for: A gym-goer or casual runner who wants music, payments and sleep tracking at the lowest Garmin price with both
| Specification | Apple Watch SE 3 | Garmin vívoactive 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$249 (40mm aluminum GPS, 'From $249' on apple.com/shop/buy-watch) | ~$300 (vívoactive 6, $299.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/1555457) |
| Type | Everyday smartwatch | Fitness |
| Platform | watchOS | Garmin |
| Case sizes | 40 mm / 44 mm | 42.2 mm |
| Weight | 40 mm: 26.3 g · 44 mm: 32.9 g (aluminum, GPS, case only (Apple spec page)) | 42.2 mm: 23 g (Garmin spec: '23 g (36 g with included band)') |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 18 h (Apple: 'All-day battery life, up to 18 hours of normal use' (both sizes)) | 11 days (Garmin: 'Smartwatch mode: Up to 11 days') |
| Battery, always-on display | Not published by the maker | 5 days (Garmin: '(5 days display always-on)') |
| Always-on keeps | not published | 45% of the headline figure |
| Battery, GPS workout | 7 h (Apple: 'Up to 7 hours workout tracking' — outdoor run, without iPhone, heart rate on (L1 GPS)) | 21 h (Garmin: 'GPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 21 hours'; 'All-Systems GNSS mode: Up to 17 hours') |
| Battery note | Apple: up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode (including 6 hours of sleep tracking); 18-hour figure excludes sleep tracking | Garmin: 'Battery Saver Smartwatch mode: Up to 21 days'; no multi-band mode |
| Works with | iPhone only | Android; iPhone with limits |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes, with limits |
| Android | No | Yes |
| Phone limits | Needs iPhone 11 or later with iOS 27 or later; Apple sells no Android pairing | Garmin's spec table marks text replies and reject-call-with-text as Android only; iPhone owners get notifications but cannot reply from the watch |
| Paid tier | Apple Fitness+, $79.99/year | Garmin Connect+, $69.99/year |
| What the paid tier gates | No watch feature requires it; it adds guided workout and meditation video classes that use the watch's metrics on screen | No watch feature requires it: Garmin's chart keeps activity details, health stats, performance metrics, Garmin Coach plans, courses and LiveTrack in the free app. Connect+ adds Active Intelligence AI insights, nutrition logging, a desktop performance dashboard, live activity on the phone, 3D maps and offline Garmin Trails downloads |
| Update years | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Cleared health features | Irregular rhythm notifications (FDA), Sleep apnea notifications (FDA) | None the maker cites |
| Display | OLED | AMOLED |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-band GPS | No | No |
| Maps | Downloadable maps, no topo (Apple: 'Offline maps with custom route creation' plus 'Topographic maps for thousands of national and regional parks (U.S. only)' — not worldwide topo) | No maps (Garmin lists Back to start only; no courses or maps) |
| Music on the watch | Yes | Yes |
| LTE | Optional (GPS + Cellular version needs a carrier plan; the carrier sets the price (apple.com/watch/cellular)) | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | Yes | Yes |
| Flashlight | No | No |
| Water rating | 50 m (ISO 22810:2010) | Swim, 5 ATM |
| Case | aluminum | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
Apple Watch SE 3: what it gives up
- 18-hour rating is the shortest here; overnight sleep tracking needs Low Power Mode or a top-up
- No ECG app, hypertension notifications or blood oxygen, which Series 12 has
- 7-hour workout figure rules out long races
- Older S10 chip misses the Audio Intelligence features of Series 12
Garmin vívoactive 6: what it gives up
- No barometric altimeter, so floors and elevation gain come from GPS only
- No ECG app, flashlight or calls; the Venu 4 has all three
- No courses or maps
Full pages: Apple Watch SE 3 · Garmin vívoactive 6