Summary
The Apple Watch SE 3 is Apple’s latest mid-range smartwatch, launched in fall 2024 as an affordable yet capable option within the company’s wearable lineup. Building on its predecessor, the SE 2, this model introduces the powerful S10 chip—shared with the flagship Apple Watch Series 11—which enables faster processing, advanced gesture controls, and on-device Siri functionality, features previously limited to higher-end models. With a design emphasizing sustainability, the SE 3 uses 100% recycled aluminum for its case and incorporates tougher Ion-X glass for enhanced durability, underscoring Apple’s commitment to reducing environmental impact.
The device offers a robust suite of health and fitness tracking features, including wrist temperature sensing, retrospective ovulation estimates, sleep quality analysis, heart rate monitoring, and safety functions such as Fall Detection and Crash Detection. Fitness enthusiasts benefit from accurate workout tracking across various activities, supported by innovative sensors and the new Workout Buddy feature, which delivers personalized, spoken motivation during exercise sessions. Running on watchOS 10, the SE 3 integrates seamlessly with cellular networks and delivers fast charging capabilities, achieving up to eight hours of use after a 15-minute charge, making it practical for all-day wear.
Positioned as a budget-friendly alternative to the premium Series 11, the Apple Watch SE 3 starts at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for GPS with cellular, offering many core functionalities at a lower price point. While it lacks some advanced health sensors and premium materials found in the Series 11, the SE 3 is praised for its balance of performance, features, and value, appealing to users who prioritize essential health tracking and efficient hardware without the higher cost. Critics note that the choice between the SE 3 and Series 11 largely depends on individual needs for deeper health insights, battery life, and connectivity options.
Overall, the Apple Watch SE 3 revitalizes Apple’s entry-level smartwatch category with significant hardware and software enhancements, sustainability-focused design, and competitive pricing, making it a compelling investment for consumers seeking a versatile wearable this fall. Despite some compromises compared to flagship models, its combination of features, performance, and affordability has garnered positive reception and positions it as a strong contender in the crowded smartwatch market.
Design and Build
The Apple Watch SE 3 features a sleek design with a case made from 100% recycled aluminum, available in two stunning matte finishes, including Starlight. This environmentally conscious choice reduces the need for mining new materials, thereby lowering carbon emissions and environmental impact. The watch is equipped with a cover glass that is four times more resistant to cracks compared to the previous generation, utilizing a proprietary Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) glass, which is currently the toughest glass available on a smartwatch.
The watch maintains the familiar form factor with the Digital Crown and main button positioned on the right side, complemented by a two-speaker grille similar to that found on the Apple Watch Series 11. This design allows users to play music, listen to podcasts, or take calls on speakerphone with surprising loudness, although it does not quite match the quality of AirPods Pro 3.
Water resistance is rated at 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010, making the SE 3 suitable for swimming, bathing, and other water activities. However, not all Apple Watch bands are designed for water exposure; some materials are not recommended for use during workouts or in water, and users are advised to keep the watch and bands clean and dry to maintain comfort and prevent damage.
The band system remains compatible with bands designed for earlier Apple Watch models up to 41mm, and users can personalize their watch with a wide range of bands in different styles, materials, and colors to match their mood or occasion. Notably, Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop bands require a snug fit but are stretchable for easy wearing and removal, although they may increase in length over time.
Hardware and Performance
The Apple Watch SE 3 is powered by the highly efficient S10 chip, which it shares with the flagship Series 11 model. This processor delivers significant improvements in performance and enables advanced features such as on-device Siri processing, gesture controls, and fast charging capabilities. The S10 chip’s efficiency allows the SE 3 to maintain smooth daily operation while supporting smarter interactions like double-tapping the thumb and index finger to make selections or flicking the wrist to dismiss calls and notifications.
Battery life is a key aspect of the SE 3’s hardware performance. Apple claims an all-day battery life of up to 18 hours, a figure that aligns with typical usage from morning to night. Although the Series 11 advertises a longer 24-hour battery life with the always-on display active, the SE 3’s smaller screen and fewer sensors contribute to competitive battery endurance despite using the same processor. The device also supports new fast charging technology, allowing it to gain approximately eight hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging.
Real-world battery performance can vary based on individual usage patterns and settings, with factors such as always-on display and health monitoring features impacting power consumption. However, the balance between improved processing power, efficient battery use, and convenient fast charging makes the Apple Watch SE 3 a compelling choice for users seeking reliable hardware and performance in a smartwatch.
Health Monitoring Features
The Apple Watch SE 3 offers an extensive range of health monitoring features that build upon its core capabilities to provide comprehensive insights into users’ wellbeing. Central to these features is wrist temperature sensing, which uses two temperature sensors combined with an advanced algorithm to adjust for environmental temperature, allowing for more accurate tracking of overall health metrics in the Vitals app. This technology supports retrospective ovulation estimates by analyzing wrist temperature data to identify likely ovulation days after they occur, enhancing the accuracy of period predictions within the Cycle Tracking app.
Sleep monitoring is another key aspect, with the Apple Watch SE 3 providing a sleep score that evaluates sleep quality based on factors such as sleep duration, bedtime consistency, wake frequency, and time spent in each sleep stage. This sleep analysis draws on over five million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study to refine its scoring algorithms, helping users understand and improve their restorative sleep patterns. Users can quickly view overnight health data—including heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, and sleep duration—directly on their wrist, and receive notifications if any metrics fall outside their typical ranges.
In addition to these monitoring capabilities, the SE 3 retains vital heart health features such as heart rate notifications and cardio fitness tracking, as well as safety functionalities including Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Check In. Together, these features create a robust health ecosystem designed to keep users informed and safe throughout their daily activities.
Fitness Tracking Capabilities
The Apple Watch SE 3 offers an extensive range of fitness tracking features designed to motivate users and provide detailed insights into their health and workouts. It supports tracking for numerous workout types, from running and cycling to tennis and tai chi, using validated custom heart rate and calorie algorithms through the Workout app. Users can monitor key fitness metrics such as training load, cardio fitness, and cardio recovery, helping them stay on top of their physical health and progress.
Equipped with innovative sensors—including a heart sensor, wrist temperature sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, and GPS—the Apple Watch SE 3 ensures accurate activity tracking and delivers real-time metrics. These sensors work together to track distance, pace, heart rate, and other vital data, providing users with comprehensive feedback during their exercise sessions.
With the introduction of watchOS 26, the Apple Watch SE 3 features Workout Buddy, a first-of-its-kind fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence. This feature analyzes a user’s workout data and fitness history to deliver personalized, spoken motivation throughout the session. It leverages data such as heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, and personal fitness milestones to offer encouragement tailored to each individual. Workout Buddy is available in English for popular workout types and can be used with Apple Watch paired to Bluetooth headphones and an iPhone running compatible software.
Additionally, the Apple Watch SE 3 includes Activity rings that track daily Move, Exercise, and Stand goals, encouraging users to stay active. It also offers weekly summaries, trends, and the ability to share progress and compete with a community through Activity challenges. An improved interface with four corner buttons provides quick access to media, Workout Views, and specialized experiences such as Pacer and Custom Workouts, further enhancing the fitness tracking experience.
Software and Compatibility
The Apple Watch SE 3 runs on watchOS 10, the world’s most advanced wearable operating system, which offers a suite of apps and features designed to keep users active, healthy, safe, and connected. With watchOS 10, the device boasts a fresh, vibrant software design named Liquid Glass, enhancing user experience across the Photos watch face, Smart Stack widgets, notifications, Control Center, and in-app navigation.
Compatibility extends to seamless integration with cellular networks, allowing users with a cellular plan to make calls, send messages, and access emergency services even when their iPhone is not nearby. The Apple Watch SE 3 supports 5G cellular capabilities, which improve data throughput for faster downloads of music, podcasts, and apps. To further enhance connectivity, the Series 11 features a redesigned cellular antenna that covers more bands and can engage two system antennas simultaneously to boost signal strength in areas with weak coverage.
In addition to these connectivity features, watchOS 10 offers advanced health and safety functions, including heart health notifications, Cycle Tracking, cardio fitness monitoring, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Check In. Emergency SOS requires a cellular or Wi-Fi connection and can also be activated through a nearby iPhone. The software’s design and compatibility ensure that the Apple Watch SE 3 delivers a highly personalized and reliable experience across fitness, health, safety, and communication needs.
Pricing, Models, and Availability
The Apple Watch SE 3 offers an accessible entry point into the Apple smartwatch ecosystem, starting at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for the GPS with cellular version. In comparison, the Apple Watch Series 11 starts at a higher price point of $399 for GPS and $499 for GPS with cellular, reflecting its positioning as a more premium device. Despite the price gap of at least $150, the SE 3 includes many of the same essential health tracking features found in the Series 11, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious buyers.
Both the SE 3 and Series 11 share similar dimensions and weight, with the 44mm case measuring 44mm by 38mm by 10.7mm and weighing approximately 36.2 grams for the GPS model and 36.4 grams for the GPS + Cellular version. However, the Series 11 is distinguished by improvements in design, battery life, premium materials, and more advanced health tracking capabilities.
Apple Watch SE 3 benefits from the S10 chip, enabling it to charge up to twice as fast as its predecessor, reaching up to 8 hours of use after a quick 15-minute charge. This makes it an attractive option for users who prioritize efficient charging and basic health functionality over the enhanced features and materials of the Series 11.
Although the Apple Watch SE 2 did not receive an update last year and had a two-year gap between releases, the SE 3’s recent launch refreshes the more affordable Apple Watch line, offering consumers a current and competitive model for fall 2024.
Availability for both the SE 3 and Series 11 began on Friday, September 19, allowing customers to view and purchase the new models in Apple Stores and authorized retailers from that date.
Environmental Impact and Packaging
Apple is committed to achieving carbon neutrality across its entire carbon footprint by 2030, as part of its comprehensive environmental strategy known as Apple 2030. This plan focuses on reducing emissions from three primary sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. The Apple Watch SE 3 aligns with this initiative through its use of recycled materials and sustainable manufacturing processes.
The Apple Watch SE 3 features a case made from 100% recycled aluminum, available in two matte finishes, including Starlight. Utilizing recycled aluminum significantly reduces the environmental impact by minimizing the need for mining new materials, thereby lowering associated carbon emissions and ecological disruption. Additionally, the battery contains 100% recycled cobalt, further emphasizing the device’s sustainable design.
Packaging for the Apple Watch SE 3 has been designed to be highly efficient and compact, enabling a 40% increase in the number of units shipped per trip compared to its predecessor. This improvement not only optimizes shipping logistics but also reduces carbon emissions related to transportation. Furthermore, Apple’s Zero Waste Program ensures that no established final assembly sites generate waste sent to landfill, supporting broader sustainability goals. All materials used in the products, accessories, and packaging comply with Apple’s Regulated Substances Specification, one of the first industry standards to restrict the use of key substances of concern.
Reception and Critical Analysis
The Apple Watch SE 3 has generally received positive attention as a more affordable alternative within Apple’s smartwatch lineup. While it lacks some of the advanced features of the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, many reviewers and users appreciate its balance of price and functionality, making it a compelling choice for budget-conscious buyers.
Critics note that the SE 3 is ideal for users seeking essential health and fitness tracking, such as step counting and sleep monitoring, without the need for deeper health insights or premium materials. Its sleep tracking capabilities analyze factors like sleep duration, consistency, and stages, providing users with a detailed sleep score each night. Additionally, personalization options with various customizable watch faces and bands allow users to express their style, which adds to the device’s appeal.
In comparison to the Apple Watch Series 11, the SE 3 is positioned as a more entry-level model, yet it shares many similarities with the higher-end model, including updated performance and features. However, the Series 11 still leads in areas like design quality, health tracking depth, battery life, and materials, which may justify the higher price for some buyers. The decision between the two often hinges on user priorities, such as whether advanced health metrics, cellular capability, or safety features like fall detection are necessary.
Comparison with Previous Models
The Apple Watch SE 3 marks a notable step forward compared to its predecessor, the SE 2, primarily due to its upgraded S10 chip, which replaces the older S8 chip found in the SE 2. This upgrade brings faster processing speeds and enables features that were previously exclusive to the more advanced Series and Ultra models, such as double tap gestures, wrist flick controls, on-device Siri, and enhanced voice isolation during phone calls. Another highly anticipated addition is the always-on display, a feature that SE users had long awaited, although the battery life remains estimated at around 18 hours.
In comparison to the Apple Watch Series 11, the SE 3 shares many similarities but also reveals some clear distinctions. The Series 11 offers a minor improvement over the previous Series 10 with enhancements including 5G connectivity on cellular models, a slightly larger battery, and stronger glass on aluminum variants. While the price difference between the entry-level SE 3 and the more premium Series 11 is significant—starting at $249 and $399 respectively—both models cater to different user priorities. The Series 11 excels in design, health tracking capabilities, battery longevity, and uses more premium materials, making it better suited for those seeking deeper health insights and additional functionalities.
For many consumers deciding between the SE 3 and the Series 11, the choice hinges on individual needs. Casual users interested in basic step counting and sleep tracking might find the SE 3 sufficient, whereas users requiring cellular capabilities, fall detection, or more advanced health metrics may prefer the Series 11. This nuanced differentiation means that the SE 3 serves as a strong, budget-friendly option with significant improvements over the SE 2, while the Series 11 remains the choice for those desiring a more feature-rich experience.
The content is provided by Jordan Fields, Home Upgrade News
