Apple Now Says Apple Watch Series 8 and SE 2 Support Bluetooth 5.3 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Now Says Apple Watch Series 8 and SE 2 Support Bluetooth 5.3

When the Apple Watch Series 8 and second-generation Apple Watch SE were first announced, the Apple Watch comparison page said both models supported Bluetooth 5.0, but Apple now says they actually support the newer Bluetooth 5.3 standard.

f1662570472
Apple's website still lists the Series 8 and new SE with Bluetooth 5.0 support in some places, but we received confirmation today from Apple that both models do in fact support Bluetooth 5.3 in the United States at a minimum.

All four iPhone 14 models, the second-generation AirPods Pro, and the Apple Watch Ultra also support Bluetooth 5.3, according to Apple.

Bluetooth 5.3 is said to include "several feature enhancements with the potential to improve reliability, energy efficiency, and user experience in many types of Bluetooth enabled products," such as the LE Audio specification. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Apple has implemented LE Audio yet in its latest products.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 11, Apple Watch SE 3
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

youtube iphone apple watch health ad 2026

New Apple Ad Sells the iPhone and Apple Watch Health Pairing

Thursday April 23, 2026 11:18 am PDT by
Apple has published a new ad to appeal to customers in the market for an iPhone and Apple Watch pairing, highlighting the insights it can offer for your health. Titled simply "Health with iPhone + Apple Watch," the half-minute ad focuses on a woman waiting in line at a cafe who begins receiving unsolicited health and fitness advice from other people in the queue, as well as local residents,...
watchos 26 gradient light

This New Apple Watch Face Is Coming in watchOS 26.5

Friday April 24, 2026 5:51 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 and watchOS 26.5 will have a new Pride Luminance wallpaper and Apple Watch face when the updates are released in the coming weeks, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a brief tweet, Gurman revealed that Pride Luminance will "Celebrate the vibrancy and individuality of the LGBTQ+ community and customize your watch face with colors from Pride flags." iOS 26.5 has been in...
modular ultra training load

watchOS 27 to Offer New Watch Faces, Including 'Modular Ultra' Variant

Monday May 4, 2026 5:58 am PDT by
For watchOS 27, Apple is testing new Apple Watch faces, and one of them is a simpler version of an existing Apple Watch Ultra watch face that could be coming to standard Series models. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is testing multiple new faces for watchOS 27, code-named "Orchid." One of them is said to be a "simplified take" on the...

Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
48 months ago

in the uk it still shows Bluetooth 5.0
Did you read the article?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
48 months ago

BUT ONLY IN THE US!!! I talked with Apple and got an email confirmation that the European version of the series 8 and SE (2022) are just bluetooth 5.0...
I find this pathetic. Europeans pay more and get less 🤡
If you look up model numbers for Apple Watch the GPS version has one version globally called A2771 which means all have the same Bluetooth version which is 5.3.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
48 months ago

BUT ONLY IN THE US!!! I talked with Apple and got an email confirmation that the European version of the series 8 and SE (2022) are just bluetooth 5.0...
I find this pathetic. Europeans pay more and get less 🤡
The person who replied to your email probably looked at the Watch specs on the website. Apple usually keep specifications consistent across regions, so the EU version should also support Bluetooth 5.3.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
48 months ago

why would it even matter tho you dont use bluetooth much it just pairs and once its paired that's it
When I go for a run, I pair AirPods with Apple Watch. AirPods Pro 2 has Bluetooth 5.3, which can improve the battery life and connectivity with Apple Watch Series 8, Ultra, and iPhone 14 series.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
48 months ago

why would it even matter tho you dont use bluetooth much it just pairs and once its paired that's it
The last paragraph in the article tells you how Bluetooth 5.3 is an improvement.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe Rossignol Avatar
48 months ago

I don’t understand why there wasn’t a follow up “which countries do not have Bluetooth 5.3 in their watches”. This is still ambiguous.
I did ask this as a follow-up question. Apple didn't respond. So I published the information that I have.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)