Apple’s entry-level watch no longer feels like settling for less

It’s a story similar to the base iPhone. Every year, the Watch SE represented the “there but not quite” option, in that it had all the elements but was held back to meet a (lower) price point. Much like the iPhone on this page, the year sees Apple flip the script, with the Apple Watch SE 3 seeing the biggest upgrades, year on year. 

Have you explored the Apple Watch SE3?

Still the splitting image from the 2022 SE, the SE 3 is now available in 40mm and 44mm options, and sure, the bezels are still there (and noticeably thicker than the Watch Series 11), but the watch sees an upgrade to Ion-X enhanced glass, which is the same as on the Series 11 for improved scratch resistance.

Crucially, you now get an always-on display for telling time at a quick glance, without having to raise your wrist or tap the display. On the SE 3, the OLED display ships with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, which dims to 500 nits when your arm is down to continue showing you the time, your workout stats or a phone notification. 

Under the hood, the third generation Watch SE is powered by the same S10 chip that powers the Series 11 and the Ultra 3, which enables all the double tap gestures, wrist flick controls and on-device Siri that gives the SE 3 a proper, uncompromised feel.

The story continues on health features, with the SE 3 packing many of the same health tracking features as the Series 11, including sleep apnea detection, high- and low-heart-rate alerts, AFib detection, temperature sensors for more granular menstrual tracking, and the ability to calculate a nightly Sleep Score, the latter a new feature that rates each night of sleep based on when you slept, how long you slept and how many times your sleep was interrupted.

Super handy to look at in the morning and know why you’re feeling the way you are. You do miss out on the Watch Series 11’s ECG tracking and blood oxygen monitoring, for the pretty savings you make on the SE 3. You’ll also have to contend with average battery life and charge daily, but when you do, it will go past the 50% mark in just 30 minutes, perfect for a splash and dash in the middle of the day if needed. Bear in mind, the smaller display and sizes may work better for those with smaller wrists, but it may be too small for others, so try one on for size before picking it up. 

Rating: 9/10

Price: ₹25,900 (40mm) onwards.

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