Apple introduces the Apple Watch SE 3, a budget-friendly model that gets some flagship features as a trade without being too heavy on the budget. The new model opens at $249 and is home to an S10 processor, always-on display, and an extended array of health tools yet retains the very approachable design that made previous SE models such best-sellers.
Preorders are live now and general availability will take place afterwards. Apple is promoting the SE 3 as the simplest on-ramp to its wearable ecosystem — an everyday smartwatch that now seems much less “entry-level.”
Price and preorder details
The Apple Watch SE 3 begins at a price of $249 for the GPS model, and people can also choose a model that supports cellular if they want standalone connectivity. Look for two case sizes and an all-too familiar aluminum finish lineup, with full compatibility for Apple’s current band range. On top of that, retailers and carriers normally stack their own trade-in offer and bundle promos at launch, so those who are looking out for deals will want to be on the lookout for activation incentives and accessory credits.
Contains USB-C cable for fast charge. Like some recent models, Apple suggests using a USB-C power adapter with higher output for faster top-ups.
Key specs and performance
Powering the SE 3 is Apple’s S10 chip, whose speed helps the interface feel more responsive, as well as new gesture controls like double tap. App launches are snappier, Siri requests fly by, and animations don’t suddenly jump off a cliff when you’re juggling notifications, music controls, and workouts.
An always-on display is a major upgrade for the SE line. It’s glanceable stats during runs, persistent watch faces and complication data that’s visible without you flipping up your wrist, all features that were previously the preserve of pricier models. Apple also promises a stronger cover glass so it will stand up better to everyday knocks and scratches.
Health and safety features
The SE 3 further doubles down on Apple’s health stack with wrist temperature sensing, which supplements the retroactive ovulation estimates used within the Cycle Tracking app. For a lot of users, that data offers useful context for how their cycle varies and how they are trends to wellness. Apple notes that the estimates are for informational purposes and aren’t a form of contraception.
The new sleep apnea notifications check for pattern over time, and can flag signals for potential sleep-disordered breathing. That’s significant because tens of millions of U.S. adults suffer from sleep apnea, many of them not diagnosed, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Like all alerts, after all, it’s not a medical diagnosis but a conversation starter with a clinician.
Essential safety features make a comeback, such as Fall Detection, Crash Detection and Emergency SOS, and high and low heart rate notifications as well as irregular rhythm notifications (via the optical heart sensor). For families, the SE 3 is still a cheaper way into a Family Setup network, letting a child or older family member remain connected without an iPhone of their own.
Battery and charging
Battery life, Apple says, is up to 18 hours in typical use, which is the same amount as the previous models are rated at. Fast charging makes things a lot less of a hassle though: a quick hit of top up juice can give a whole night of sleep tracking, and you’ll be back to 80% or so charge from low in well under an hour if you’re using a compatible adapter. Low Power Mode is still a handy feature on travel days or extended hikes when you need some extra runtime.
In reality, always-on display and cell use are the two big variables; the people running with streaming audio over cell will get a faster drain than the walkers relying on GPS alone. That said, fast charging does make it possible to realize the “wear all day, top up while showering” routine.
Smart features and ecosystem
Running watchOS as its operating system, the SE 3 features gesture navigation (e.g., double-tap), on-device Siri for quick hits, and tight integration with Apple services spanning Fitness+ and Find My. Music and podcasts, wallet for contactless payment, and directions for walking or transit complete the daily utility belt.
What’s important is that the SE 3 is now Driskell is calling “still more flagship.” (Counterpoint Research has been one of many who have regularly reported Apple’s ranking as best-selling smartwatch, so a cheaper “gateway” for new entrants, and second or third wearers in a family, is likely to keep that flywheel turning.)
Who the SE 3 is for?
If you’ve been waiting for an affordable Apple Watch with an always-on display and a broader range of health signals, the SE 3 is the sweet spot. Those fitness enthusiasts who want the very latest in metrics, or adventurers who demand the very longest in battery life and the most specialized of sensors, will still flock to the top-end models. Since that’s the case, for everybody else, the SE 3 is the no-drama default — contemporary performance, noteworthy health upgrades, and a price that undercuts most of the competition while matching it in polish.
Apple’s own product marketing positions the SE as the entry point to the platform, and this generation finally delivers on that concept. It’s the affordable Apple Watch that no longer feels like a concession.
