I went hands-on with the Apple Watch SE 3, and it might be the best-value Apple Watch ever made

Apple unveiled three new Apple Watches, along with four new iPhones and the next generation of AirPods Pro, at its September 9 Awe Dropping event, with the new wearables heralding a complete refresh of Apple’s smartwatch lineup.

While the Apple Watch Series 11 should last a full day and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 gets satellite connectivity, the Apple Watch SE 3 (third-generation) might just have become the best Apple Watch for most folks, especially if you want an Apple Watch for the basics and then some, but moreover, one that doesn’t break the bank.

The Apple Watch SE 3 hasn't changed much in terms of looks compared to the Apple Watch SE 2; in fact, it’s basically identical. It comes in either a 40-millimeter or 44-millimeter size in Starlight or Midnight. It still has a recycled aluminum hull with a composite back and a full sensor stack on the rear.

It does address one of the big factors you had to consider when deciding whether to get an SE or a main-series Watch, though. The third-generation SE now boasts an always-on display, meaning the screen won’t turn off when your wrist is lowered or it’s not in use. You’ll now be able to glance down to see your watch face and easily check the time, or even the complications you have set. That’s a really nice upgrade, and one I had fun trying in my brief hands-on time with the entry-level Apple Watch.

Beyond the always-on display, most of the other changes live under the hood, and that’s a common trend with the entire new Apple Watch lineup. The Watch SE 3 is powered by the same S10 processor as the Series 11 and Ultra 3, which was debuted in last year's Series 10, and I found it to be very snappy with pretty much any task. Apps opened quickly, the keyboard was responsive, and watchOS 26 felt quite fluid. The previous LTE modem has been swapped for the 5G one, just like in the Series 11 and Ultra 3.

The S10 chip also allows for some Siri requests be processed right on the device, which should speed up response times, and it also enables two gestures: Double Tap and Wrist Flick. It’s really close to feature parity with the more expensive watches, and that extends to fast charging too.

You’ll also get a boatload of health features on the Apple Watch SE 3, including heart rate tracking, wrist temperature readings, thanks to a skin temperature sensor, sleep apnea detection, retrospective ovulation estimates, and sleep tracking with the new Sleep Score functionality. The only health feature the SE misses out on compared to the Series 11 and Ultra 3 is hypertension monitoring.

Apple has trickled down most of its major Watch features and even the nice-to-have ones to the third-generation SE, and that's great to see for an entry-level smartwatch for the masses. No, it doesn’t get the ultra-sleek design of the Series 11 with a screen that slopes down the edges, or the adventure-ready properties of the Ultra 3, but there’s a case to be made that the SE does an excellent job of balancing the features most folks would want with affordability.

Sweetening the deal further is that Apple hasn't raised the price for the SE third-generation, starting at just $249 / £219 / AU$399 for the 40mm version. That makes it a compelling buy even for those with the second-gen SE: if you're in the UK, it's actually £30 cheaper than the SE 2 was at launch.

We’ll have more thoughts once we can fully test it, but let us know in the comments below what you think about the Apple Watch SE 3.

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