Should You Buy the Apple Watch SE 3?
Refreshed in September 2025, the Apple Watch SE 3 is Apple's most affordable Apple Watch option. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of the Apple Watch Series 11 or the Apple Watch Ultra 3, as it lacks ECG functionality, hypertension alerts and blood oxygen monitoring, but it otherwise provides much of the key Apple Watch functionality.
Apple just updated the Apple Watch SE, which means now is a good time to buy.
Apple Watch SE 3 Features
Apple debuted the Apple Watch SE 3 in September 2025 alongside the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The Apple Watch SE is designed for people who want a more affordable, fitness-focused Apple Watch option that has all of the essential Apple Watch functionality at a lower price point. Apple also markets it to parents who are looking for a device for their children.
The third-generation Apple Watch SE looks identical to the SE 2, with no design changes. It does not support ECG, blood oxygen, or temperature sensing functionality, as those health features require hardware components that Apple did not include in the Apple Watch SE in order to keep costs down.
The Apple Watch SE is available in 40mm and 44mm size options, and it has the same design as the Apple Watch Series 4, 5, and 6 models. It has an upgraded S10 SiP, which Apple introduced with the Apple Watch Series 10. It is significantly faster than the prior-generation Apple Watch SE.
The S10 chip enables several new features that weren't available with the Apple Watch SE 2. The Apple Watch SE 3 can use the wrist flick and double tap gestures, with wrist flick available to dismiss incoming calls and notifications one-handed, and double tap offering a way to control watch functions with finger taps. Siri is also able to answer queries about on-device health readings thanks to the faster chip, and the Apple Watch SE 3 offers 64GB storage like the more expensive Apple Watch models.
Apple added Always-On display capabilities to the Apple Watch SE 3, so the time and complications remain visible even when the wrist is down. The SE 3 has a Retina OLED display with up to 1,000 nits maximum brightness and 2 nits minimum brightness, and other than Always-On functionality, the display has not changed and the bezels are the same size.
All Apple Watch SE models are aluminum and this model can't be purchased with a stainless steel or titanium casing. Casing colors include Midnight and Starlight, with Apple eliminating the previous Silver color. The Apple Watch SE is compatible with all Apple Watch bands other than those intended for the Apple Watch Ultra.
The Apple Watch SE includes a haptic Digital Crown for navigating through the operating system, and Ion-X glass protects the display. The Ion-X glass has been updated and it offers 4× better scratch protection than before. The Apple Watch SE 3 has the same speaker as the prior-generation version, but an upgraded microphone that supports voice isolation.
The Apple Watch SE is water resistant to 50 meters and supports Apple Pay much like prior models, and though it lacks ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, it has an optical heart rate sensor, gyroscope, and accelerometer so it can monitor steps taken, calories burned, stairs climbed, and heart rate, plus it can track sleep, look out for falls with fall detection, make emergency calls with SOS, check orientation with the compass, and watch out for overly loud sounds with sound detection features.
The Apple Watch SE 3 includes Sleep Apnea detection, which is a new feature that the prior version did not support. The Apple Watch SE can monitor for breathing disturbances during sleep, and send an alert if sleep apnea is a possibility. Apple also added a temperature sensor that can measure wrist temperature at night, providing updated Vitals information and other temperature sensing features.
With watchOS 26, the Apple Watch SE also supports Sleep Score, a feature that quantifies sleep quality with a daily numerical grade.
Apple sells both GPS + 5G and GPS-only Apple Watch SE models, so there is an option to use the low-cost Apple Watch with cellular plans. 5G connectivity is new this year, and it is an upgrade over the prior LTE support. 5G is limited to select countries, and when it's not available, the Apple Watch SE 3 will revert to LTE.
Since it supports 5G/LTE, the Apple Watch SE can be used with Family Setup. Family Setup allows multiple Apple Watches to be paired with and managed by a single iPhone, so a family member without an iPhone can use an Apple Watch. Apple envisions this feature being used for children and elderly adults who need assistance.
The Apple Watch SE 3 features an 18-hour battery life that can be extended to 32 hours with Low Power Mode. The new model adds support for fast charging, so it can charge from 0 to 80 percent in approximately 45 minutes. A 15-minute charge provides eight hours of normal use, and an 8-minute charge provides enough battery for eight hours of sleep tracking.
A Crash Detection feature uses an updated gyroscope and accelerometer along with an advanced sensor-fusion algorithm to detect severe car crashes and alert emergency services. When a crash occurs, the Apple Watch checks in with the user and if no response is received within a 10-second countdown, emergency responders are contacted.
The Apple Watch SE is priced starting at $249 for the 40mm model and $279 for the 44mm model. The Apple Watch SE is being sold alongside the more expensive Apple Watch Series 11 and the high-end Apple Watch Ultra 3.
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How to Buy
The Apple Watch SE is available for order from Apple and other retails, and it launched on September 19. The 40mm model is priced starting at $249, and the 44mm model is priced starting at $279.
Apple Watch SE Changelog
- September 17 - Overhauled for the Apple Watch SE 3.
