After a three-year wait, Apple finally upgraded the Apple Watch SE. The new Apple Watch SE 3 has several features that were previously reserved for more expensive models, but Apple didn't change the price at all.
The Apple Watch SE 3 supports Always-On display technology, which the SE 2 lacked. You can now glance at the time and see complications without having to wake the watch, which is much more useful. The standard Apple Watch models have had Always-On displays since the Series 5, so it's long overdue for the SE. The Ion-X glass that protects the display is more durable than before, and it is 4x more resistant to cracking.
There's a faster S10 chip inside the Apple Watch SE 3, which means it works with the Double Tap and Wrist Flick gestures that have been limited to newer Apple Watch models. Double Tap enables one-handed interactions with notifications, while Wrist Flick lets you dismiss notifications, calls, and more while your hands are full.
On-device Siri works faster thanks to a 4-core Neural Engine, plus Siri can answer health-related queries like giving you your heart rate. The Apple Watch SE 3 also has double the storage of the SE 2, with 64GB.
Temperature sensing, Sleep Apnea detection, and Sleep Score are all Apple Watch SE 3 functions that weren't available on the prior-generation version. Temperature tracking is used for women's health features and monitoring vitals, while Sleep Apnea detection detects potential breathing issues at night. Sleep Score assigns a numerical value to your sleep quality, taking into account bedtime, time asleep, and number of times you were woken in the night.
Compared to the more expensive Apple Watch Series 11, the SE line lacks ECGs, blood oxygen sensing, and hypertension notifications. It is also limited to 40mm and 44mm screen sizes, and doesn't have the newer, thinner display that Apple introduced with the Series 10.
Like the Series 11, the SE 3 supports 5G connectivity instead of relying solely on LTE. It is able to charge faster than before, reaching an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes. A 15 minute charge allows for eight hours of normal use, and an eight minute charge is enough for eight hours of sleep tracking.
If you have an Apple Watch SE 2, the Apple Watch SE 3 is a great upgrade. It's also ideal if you've been waiting to upgrade from an older watch like the Series 4 or the Series 5.
The Apple Watch SE 3 is priced starting at $249 for the GPS model, so it's $150 cheaper than the Apple Watch Series 11, which starts at $399.