U.S. prices, manufacturer specifications and companion-app requirements reviewed November 3, 2026.
Apple’s current Watch lineup includes the SE 3, Series 12 and Ultra 4. The Series 12 and Ultra 4 arrived on September 18, 2026; the lower-cost SE 3 remains in the lineup after its September 2025 release. This comparison explains their price differences, then considers three lower-cost watches from Amazfit and CMF.
The main buying differences are the app platform, iPhone integration, cellular options, display, sensors and outdoor hardware. Manufacturer battery figures also differ, but their test workloads are not uniform. The comparisons below use published specifications and current official prices; no watches were purchased or tested for this article.
Relative cost: six named configurations
The chart uses observed U.S. manufacturer prices for the specific configurations below. Apple SE and Series prices are their smaller aluminum GPS configurations; Ultra includes cellular hardware and a titanium case. The comparison therefore shows the entry cost of each option, with those hardware differences stated.
Official U.S. hardware prices
USD · selected configurations
Scroll horizontally to see the full price comparison.
| Model | Observed USD | Configuration and source |
|---|---|---|
| CMF Watch 3 Pro | $79.00 | Light Green, U.S. store; other colors can have different availability · Official product / price |
| Amazfit Bip 6 | $79.99 | Black, standard silicone strap · Official product / price |
| Amazfit Active 2 Round | $99.99 | Standard Black Sport Silicone; Premium version excluded · Official product / price |
| Apple Watch SE 3 | $249.00 | 40mm aluminum, GPS, Sport Band · Official product / price |
| Apple Watch Series 12 | $399.00 | 42mm aluminum, GPS, basic included band · Official product / price |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 | $799.00 | 49mm titanium, GPS + Cellular, standard Ocean Band · Official product / price |
On this price basis, Apple Watch Series 12 costs $150.00 more than Apple Watch SE 3. Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs $550.00 more than the entry Apple model, or about 3.21 times its price. The lowest-priced budget watch shown is $79.00; it costs $720.00 less than the flagship Apple configuration.
Price is also affected by size, connectivity and bands. Apple’s selected SE 3 cellular configuration starts at $299, while the 42mm Series 12 cellular configuration starts at $499. The 46mm aluminum Series 12 starts at $449 with GPS selected. These upgrades change the comparison with the $799 Ultra 4, which already includes cellular hardware. An eligible carrier plan remains a separate ongoing cost; see Apple’s cellular support and carriers.
The latest Apple Watch lineup
Apple Watch SE 3: the entry Apple option at $249
The SE 3 provides the Watch app platform, an Always-On display, the S10 chip and 40mm or 44mm aluminum cases. It includes heart-rate monitoring, temperature sensing and eligible sleep features, including sleep apnea notifications. It is the lower-cost route into the Apple Watch ecosystem if the advanced sensors and Ultra hardware are not priorities.
The SE does not include the ECG or Blood Oxygen apps or hypertension notifications. Its listed display peak is 1,000 nits, and Apple’s mixed-use battery claim is up to 18 hours. Check the SE 3 specifications and release information. A lower purchase price does not remove the current iPhone/software requirements described below.
Apple Watch Series 12: additional sensors and display features at $399
The Series 12 adds the S11 chip, a wide-angle Always-On OLED display with a listed 2,000-nit peak, electrical-heart and blood-oxygen hardware, and Apple’s Readiness and recovery-HRV features. Aluminum and titanium case choices are 42mm and 46mm; the ceramic cases have different physical dimensions. This is the middle tier for buyers who want the main Series feature set in a smaller case than Ultra.
Apple lists up to 24 hours of mixed use and faster charging to about 80 percent in 30 minutes under its test conditions. ECG, Blood Oxygen and eligible health notifications add functions absent from SE, with regional restrictions. Series 12 also has a depth gauge to 6m and a water-temperature sensor. See the Series 12 specifications and 2026 announcement.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: the outdoor and endurance tier at $799
Ultra 4 combines a 49mm titanium case, sapphire front, S11 chip, dual-frequency GPS, a customizable Action button, siren and cellular hardware. Its display has a listed 3,000-nit peak, and its mixed-use battery claim reaches 50 hours. Depth, water-temperature and satellite capabilities add to the outdoor feature set, subject to their service and activity conditions.
The main electrical-heart, blood-oxygen and Readiness features overlap with Series 12. The extra price primarily changes the case, controls, GPS, connectivity and endurance package; it does not establish that every health reading is more accurate. The Ultra 4 specifications and announcement describe those differences.
Highest feature tier and highest price are different questions
Ultra 4 has the highest standard starting price among these three families, but a case or band choice can exceed it. Apple’s small ceramic Series 12 configuration starts at $899, and the Ultra 4 with Titanium Milanese Loop selected is also $899. Hermès editions have separate design, band and watch-face offerings. Compare the underlying Series or Ultra hardware before treating a design premium as another feature tier.
Budget brands compared with Apple
These alternatives are selected current listings, not a claim that every model is a 2026 release. They cost less than the entry Apple configuration, but run different software and rely on their own phone apps.
Amazfit Bip 6: a large display and GPS for $79.99
The Bip 6 combines a 1.97-inch AMOLED display, built-in positioning, offline maps and Bluetooth phone calling. Its manufacturer claims up to 14 days of typical use and a 5 ATM water-resistance rating under stated conditions. It suits readers prioritizing route recording, notifications and a lower hardware cost.
Calls use the connected phone rather than an independent cellular plan. The Watch App Store is not its app platform: it uses Zepp features, faces and mini apps. The current Zepp iPhone app requires iOS 15 or later. Supported Apple Health data sharing and message integrations do not make it equivalent to an Apple Watch.
Amazfit Active 2 Round: a round option for $99.99
The compared Active 2 Round Standard has a 1.32-inch AMOLED screen, tempered-glass front, built-in positioning, offline maps and a barometric altimeter. The manufacturer claims up to ten days of typical use. The chart uses Black Sport Silicone, not the more expensive Premium leather/sapphire version.
It offers phone-connected Bluetooth calls, Zepp mini apps and supported Apple Health synchronization. It is a currently listed older Active model, not the newest generation in that family. Its selected configuration has no listed independent cellular option. The current Zepp app has the same iOS 15 minimum as Bip 6; use the current app listing rather than older product copy giving an earlier iOS baseline.
CMF Watch 3 Pro: dual-band GPS for $79
The CMF Watch 3 Pro has a 1.43-inch AMOLED screen, dual-band GPS, Bluetooth phone calls and a claimed 13 days of typical battery use. The observed $79 price is for the available Light Green U.S. configuration. Color availability can differ.
It uses Nothing X, currently requiring iOS 13 or later. The model has no eSIM service. Music controls operate the phone, and it cannot connect directly to Bluetooth earphones. Its IP68 rating is not a published swimming or diving permission. The advertised ChatGPT feature is restricted to Nothing OS, so it is not an iPhone feature in this comparison.
What the higher price buys
Scroll horizontally to compare the feature tradeoffs.
| Feature | Apple Watch tiers | Selected budget models |
|---|---|---|
| Apps and games | watchOS and the Watch App Store, including supported games and independent Watch apps. | Amazfit uses Zepp mini apps; CMF uses its own built-in tools and companion ecosystem. Apple Watch apps do not transfer. |
| Calls away from the phone | Cellular versions need eligible service. Ultra includes the radio; entry SE/Series chart configurations are GPS-only. | Bluetooth calling uses the connected phone. Built-in GPS does not add cellular voice/data. |
| Messages on iPhone | Apple’s iPhone/watchOS integration, with features depending on connection, app and service. | Amazfit has conditional linked-service replies. CMF notification relay needs Nothing X, Bluetooth and iPhone permissions. |
| Health feature set | SE includes selected heart/sleep features; Series/Ultra add ECG and other eligible features. | Fitness, heart-rate, sleep and other manufacturer features differ. Similar metric names do not establish equivalent accuracy or clinical functions. |
| Outdoor hardware | Ultra adds dual-frequency GPS, Action button, siren and satellite capability. Series and Ultra both have depth/water-temperature sensors with different limits. | All three offer positioning; CMF also lists dual-band GPS. That specification alone does not establish equal route accuracy or safety features. |
Amazfit’s current iPhone reply guide includes Bip 6 and Active 2 Round. It requires Zepp 9.13 or later, Beeper/Matrix setup and linked supported chat services. This is a conditional integration rather than universal native iMessage or SMS reply support. CMF’s iOS notification instructions describe its phone/app connection requirements.
For the current Apple software, the three Apple models require iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE second generation or later, with iOS 27 or later. Apple lists watchOS 27.2 as the current public update, separate from a purchased watch’s installed build. Apple Watch For Your Kids is a separate managed setup with its own eligibility and feature limits; ordinary Apple Watch pairing is not Android pairing.
Health availability varies by country, software, age and model. In particular, Series 12 and Ultra 4 hypertension notifications may await model-specific authorization in some regions. Notifications are not a cuff blood-pressure measurement. Check Apple’s availability list for the exact feature before assigning value to it.
Battery claims need their test conditions
The figures below reproduce manufacturer claims. They are not results from one test with equal display settings, cellular use, GPS time or sensor sampling.
| Model | Normal / typical claim | Important context |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch SE 3 | Up to 18 hours | Up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode. |
| Apple Watch Series 12 | Up to 24 hours | Up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode. |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 | Up to 50 hours | Up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. |
| Amazfit Bip 6 | Up to 14 days | Typical test includes ten-minute heart-rate sampling and limited weekly calls/GPS workouts. |
| Amazfit Active 2 Round | Up to 10 days | Typical test uses a static face and limited weekly calls/GPS workouts. |
| CMF Watch 3 Pro | Up to 13 days | Typical test includes 120 minutes GPS and 30 minutes Bluetooth calls per week. |
Sources: Apple’s battery protocols, the linked Amazfit product footnotes and Nothing’s battery conditions. Always-On display, continuous GPS, calls, monitoring settings, coverage and battery age change results. Low Power figures restrict features and should not be read as the same workload.
Choose the features you will use
- Lower-cost Apple integration: Start with SE 3 if watchOS apps, everyday notifications and the Apple platform matter more than ECG, the Series display or Ultra’s hardware. Confirm your iPhone supports the current software.
- The main Apple feature set: Series 12 adds health hardware, display features and faster charging for $150 above the selected SE. Check any health feature’s regional eligibility before counting it as an included benefit.
- Outdoor controls and longer Apple runtime: Ultra 4 is relevant if its larger case, Action button, GPS, cellular hardware and specified endurance match your use. A more expensive case or band alone does not add those functions to another family.
- Lower hardware cost and longer claimed intervals between charges: Consider the Amazfit or CMF choices when their documented phone-linked features and app ecosystems meet your needs. Verify specific message, music and payment features for your phone and region.
Check the cost of the full configuration: case size, band, cellular service and any optional coaching or connected-service subscriptions. For app-focused use, see our free, paid and standalone Apple Watch games; those watchOS titles do not become compatible with a budget watch through its iPhone app.
Sources: official U.S. manufacturer stores, current specifications, support pages and companion-app listings linked above, reviewed November 3, 2026. Price calculations and comparisons: AppShifted. No checkout, uniform battery test, sensor-accuracy evaluation or hardware test was performed.