After three years, the Apple Watch SE is finally getting a refresh. The company showed off the Apple Watch SE 3, the latest version of its budget-friendly wearable during its big iPhone 17 event.
The third-generation Apple Watch SE is the first of Apple’s budget-friendly watches to come with an always-on display and support for 5G. Other notable upgrades include Apple’s S10 chip and new health-tracking features.
Despite rumors that Apple may be changing the form factor for its entry-level watch, the Apple Watch SE 3’s design is largely unchanged from the last generation. It comes with an aluminum case, which will be available in two colors (“midnight” and “starlight”) and come in 40mm and 44mm sizes. Even though the display size isn’t changing, Apple has upgraded its cover glass, with the new display being “four times more resistant to cracks” than the SE 2.
The third-gen Apple Watch SE also adds some significant new health-tracking capabilities that bring it more in line with other recent versions of the Apple Watch. There are two onboard temperature sensors, which allows it to deliver temperature data to the Health app. It also powers new cycle tracking features, with ovulation estimates and improved period predictions. On the sleep tracking side, it adds sleep apnea notifications and sleep quality scores, which provides insights about the quality of your sleep.
Despite the always-on display, Apple says the watch has “all-day” battery life (up to 18 hours). It also charges two times faster than the previous generation, with just 15 minutes of charging providing up to eight hours of battery life, according to Apple.
The addition of the S10 chip also powers a faster Siri experience on the watch, as well as “double tap” and “wrist flick” gestures that allow you to take actions within apps and quickly dismiss notifications. It also helps with audio quality on FaceTime calls, thanks to background noise suppression. And, speaking of audio, the Watch SE 3 supports audio playback directly through its speaker so you can listen to music or podcasts without headphones.
One aspect Apple isn’t changing is the price. The third-generation Apple Watch SE starts at $249 for the 40mm version and $279 for the 44mm. It’s available for pre-order today and will ship September 19.
