Skip to content
MobileIQ

Head to head

Google Google Pixel Watch 5 41mmvsApple Apple Watch SE 3 44mm

Released
2026-08-20Google blog — Pixel Watch 5, retrieved 2026-09-13
Price
£369Google Store UK — Pixel Watch 5, retrieved 2026-09-13
Security updates until
Not published by the makerGoogle Store UK — Pixel Watch 5 specs, retrieved 2026-09-13
Released
2025-09-19Apple Newsroom — Apple Watch SE 3, retrieved 2026-09-13
Price
£249Apple UK store — SE 3 44mm GPS, retrieved 2026-09-22
Security updates until
Not published by the makerApple UK — watchOS 27 compatible models, retrieved 2026-09-22

1 win for Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm0 wins for Apple Watch SE 3 44mm2 gaps borderline1 difference you won’t notice£120 apart at RRP

Verdict: Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm ahead on 1 row, Apple Watch SE 3 44mm on none

On the makers’ published figures, the Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm wins on peak brightness (3,000 nits against 1,000 nits). 2 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: battery life (maker's claim) (30 h against 18 h) for the Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm and charge to 80% (25 min against 45 min) for the Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm. The difference in weight (case only) is below the threshold you would notice. The other 26 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.

True to scale

Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm · 41 × 41 mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm · 44 × 38 mm

Case outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. A round case is an ellipse at those figures; rectangular corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice on the wrist. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.

Body

SpecificationGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm
DimensionsDiffers, but not ranked.
41 x 41 x 12.3 mmOfficial
44 x 38 x 10.7 mmOfficial
Case size
41mmOfficial
44mmOfficial
Case shapeDiffers, but not ranked.
roundOfficial
rectangularOfficial
Weight (case only)
31gOfficial
32.9gOfficial

You won’t notice this difference.

Case materialDiffers, but not ranked.
100% recycled aluminiumOfficial
AluminiumOfficial
Water ratingDiffers, but not ranked.
5 ATM, IP68Official
Water resistance 50m (swimproof)Official

Display

SpecificationGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm
Display typeDiffers, but not ranked.
Actua 360 AMOLED LTPO display with DCI-P3 colour, Always-on displayOfficial
Always-On Retina display with OLED and LTPOOfficial
Display area
No verified data
977mm²Official
Resolution
No verified data
368 x 448Official
Peak brightness
3000nitsOfficialwins this row
1000nitsOfficial

Google Pixel Watch 5 41mm is ahead here, by a gap you’d notice.

Always-on displaySame.
YesOfficial
YesOfficial

Platform

SpecificationGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm
Operating systemDiffers, but not ranked.
Wear OS 7.0Official
watchOS 26Official
ChipDiffers, but not ranked.
Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated, Cortex-M55 co-processorOfficial
S10 SiPOfficial
StorageSame.
64GBOfficial
64GBOfficial
RAM
3GB3rd party
No verified data

Battery

SpecificationGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm
Battery life (maker's claim)
30hOfficial
18hOfficial

Marginal — most people won’t notice.

Charge to 80%
25minOfficial
45minOfficial

Marginal — most people won’t notice.

ChargingDiffers, but not ranked.
Quick Charge DockOfficial
Fast-charge capable, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C CableOfficial

Health

SpecificationGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm
SensorsDiffers, but not ranked.
Compass, altimeter, red and infrared sensors for oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring, multipurpose electrical sensors compatible with ECG app, multi-path optical heart rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, electrical sensor to measure skin conductance (cEDA), far-field skin temperature sensor, barometer, magnetometerOfficial
Second-generation optical heart sensor, temperature sensor, compass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, ambient light sensorOfficial
ECGDiffers, but not ranked.
YesOfficial
NoOfficial
Blood oxygenDiffers, but not ranked.
YesOfficial
NoOfficial
Skin temperatureSame.
YesOfficial
YesOfficial
GPSDiffers, but not ranked.
Dual Frequency GPS: GPS, Galileo, Glonass, Beidou, QZSSOfficial
L1 GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou)Official

Connectivity

SpecificationGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm
Cellular modelSame.
YesOfficial
YesOfficial
UK networks with eSIMDiffers, but not ranked.
EE, Vodafone3rd party
EE, Vodafone, O2, Three3rd party
Wi-FiDiffers, but not ranked.
802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz, 5GHzOfficial
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)Official
BluetoothDiffers, but not ranked.
6.0Official
5.3Official
NFC paymentsSame.
YesOfficial
YesOfficial

Compatibility

SpecificationGoogle Pixel Watch 5 41mmApple Watch SE 3 44mm
Works withDiffers, but not ranked.
Works with most phones running on Android 12.0 or newer. Requires a Google Account and the Google Pixel Watch app.Official
iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27 or laterOfficial
CompatibilityDiffers, but not ranked.
Android; some features need a Google phoneOfficial
iPhone onlyOfficial
5 attributes neither watch has a sourced figure for

Strap width · Display size · Battery capacity · Blood pressure · Cellular model price. Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either watch.

The pairs a buyer of either watch would also weigh. Any two watches in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.