Apple's Entry-Level Gateway: Apple Watch SE 3 Review

Price and Availability

If you are considering the Apple Watch SE 3, there are six options to choose from: Midnight or Starlight as the color of choice, 40 mm or 44 mm case sizes, and 5G or WiFi-only. The prices are as follows:

Depending on your preference, you can also select bands made from different materials. A rubber strap comes as standard with textile and stainless steel options available. If you already use an older Apple smartwatch, you can, of course, swap the band.

Apple Watch SE 3 Design and Build Quality

Okay, at first glance, the Watch SE 3 is indistinguishable from its predecessor. If you want to show off an Apple Watch in the year 2025, you should go for the massive Apple Watch Ultra 3, which wearable expert Camila has already reviewed for nextpit! The Watch SE 3, on the other hand, is available in 40 mm and 44 mm case sizes; Apple sent us the 44 mm model for our review. However, 44 mm does not denote the watch's diameter but its vertical length when viewing it.

The case is made of aluminum and painted in "Starlight" and "Midnight" colors. However, you don't see much of the smartwatch's case. This is because it is completely covered by a glass panel with two high-quality OLED panels beneath. Of course, the display sizes also vary depending on the case size. What is nice to see, however, is how the bezels are narrow enough on both watches, with a pixel density of 226 ppi in each timepiece.

Individual pixels are undetectable when viewing it, and the LTPO-capable OLED panels also achieve up to 1,000 nits brightness, making it easy to read even when you are under direct sunlight. Thanks to LTPO technology, the refresh rate drops so low when not in use that Apple offers an Always-On Mode. This usually shows the time permanently, which is very practical in everyday life.

However, we are already familiar with these features from its predecessor. What is new, however, is how Apple used a particularly hardy Ion-X glass, which, according to the manufacturer, is four times more resistant to breaking. We haven't tested this claim; otherwise, we'll get in trouble with Apple upon returning the device.

On the other hand, there is very little trouble with the watch's operating concept. This is because we have a completely new way of interacting with the smartwatch. The digital crown still remains, which is wonderfully precise. The additional button is also there to be used as required. What is clever, however, is how even the cheapest Apple Watch can recognize two different gestures now. If we were to tap using our thumb and middle finger simultaneously, we could sift through maps on the watch (more on this in a moment). If we were to shake our wrists, we could delete notifications. Apple does this well enough for us to use the function daily. Just for context, I used the function less frequently on the Xiaomi Watch S4.

Tipping the scales at a mere 33 g and 26 g, respectively, both case sizes were wonderfully light. I usually wear a 132 g Scanwatch Nova from Withings and have often forgotten about the Apple Watch SE3  when wearing it. Apple includes a rubber strap as standard, which has a rather unconventional clasp. You must first push a pin through a hole and push the rest of the strap through a buckle. I prefer conventional straps, and thankfully, these are also available for the Watch SE 3.

Another big compliment to Apple: the vibration motor on the Watch SE 3 is a real engineering marvel. It takes just a short while to tell which event the watch wants to signal via the vibration alone. Overall, the SE 3 is and remains a high-quality and, above all, unobtrusive smartwatch. Its ease of use is even better in 2025, and there are no disadvantages after several days of using it. Fantastic!

Apple Ecosystem is King

Apple's connection between the iPhone, Apple Watch, MacBook, and other devices is truly unique in the world of smartwatches, because Apple is always finding little tricks to enable the vast ecosystem of devices to communicate with each other. For instance, Face ID on the iPhone can unlock the Apple Watch or have all devices mute themselves when you activate Focus Mode on the MacBook.

The third-generation Apple Watch SE also benefits from WatchOS 26. The new Apple Watch operating system also features a Liquid Glass design, which is modern and bold. However, Apple has achieved better readability here than on the iPhone, as not quite as many elements in the menus are transparent.

The operation of the Apple Watch was also largely determined by apps and "Smart Stacks", which can be customized to your preferences. Apple's new "Smart Stacks" do understand a little more about the information you need on your wrist. For instance, if I'm out and about, the watch automatically shows me the route I've covered via Google Maps. The Watch also suggests the camera remote control when I take a photo with my iPhone.

Before I dive into the apps again, I recommend Camilla's article that covers the 10 top WatchOS 26 features! And now, on to the apps: In my experience, there is no other smartwatch that can add that many more functions. I can find Spotify as a native app on the watch, display QR codes for parcels in the DHL app, check my travel route in the DB Navigator, and much more! With this, and thanks to smartphone independence courtesy of the 5G module, the Apple Watch is a really useful tool to have in everyday life. Other established manufacturers are nowhere near as good at this.

Technology & Tracking

Surprise, surprise! The Watch SE 3 has the same SoC as the Watch Ultra 3 (review) and the Watch Series 11, placing it on par with more expensive models from this year in terms of performance. Apple also doubled the storage capacity compared to its predecessor. We get 64 GB of storage space instead of 32 GB. Hence, we shouldn't run out of memory for offline music, apps, and the like for the time being.

What is less impressive, but solid, is the Watch's range of functions. We see the 2nd-generation heart rate sensor with temperature measurement in action here, but sans ECG and blood oxygen measurement. Of course, we get accident and fall detection, Apple's noise monitoring, and over 25 native training modes. We can track these via GPS and obtain health features such as menstrual cycle tracking, mindfulness sessions, breathing exercises, and better sleep monitoring, including notifications about sleep apnea.

The SE 3 is, therefore, technically behind some of its competitors and also behind the Series 11 and the Ultra models. Measuring the blood oxygen content in particular would support sleep tracking. This is because Apple has to use microphones to detect sleep apnea—which makes you feel queasy when you sleep, knowing "someone" is hearing in on you. However, let's take a closer look at the three central measuring points: "heart", "sleep", and "tracking".

Heart Rate and Heart Health

Apple was able to secure approval for the Apple Watch to be designated as a medical device in the USA. This is a reason for many people to buy Apple Watches for emergencies—i.e., atrial fibrillation or sudden changes in heart rate. The Apple Watch then warns users well ahead of time and advises them to consult a doctor. The "large" Watch models from Series 9 and the Ultra 2 can now also issue these warnings in the event of elevated blood pressure, and it does so without the need for a swelling cuff, as found in the Huawei Watch D (review), for instance.

Together with the ECG function and blood oxygen level measurement, the SE 3 therefore lacks three useful functions to determine one's heart health. Nevertheless, the cheapest Apple Watch at the moment proved to be very reliable in monitoring the heart rate:

Here, you can view the comparison with the Withings Scanwatch Nova (review), which obtained readings close to wearing a chest strap while jogging. Slight deviations are normal here—for most people, the cheapest Apple Watch is definitely capable of providing relevant orientation to the heart rate zones.

What is also interesting in the area of "heart health" is how Apple has not yet placed much focus on HRV. Heart rate variability is used by trackers such as the Whoop 5.0 (review) as a central orientation for recovery and for stress during sports. Withings also added HRV via an update this summer. Apple also records HRV, but you have to search for it deep within the Health app. If you like, you can pin the value to the start page of the Health app.

Sleep Tracking

Are you exhausted yet with so many technical terms thrown into the mix? Let's take a little nap and use the Watch SE 3 for sleep tracking. First of all, the positive stuff: thanks to its size and light-weight nature, the Watch SE 3 was hardly noticeable when sleeping. It can also wake us up with vibrations and sounds, which means the smartphone no longer has to be in the bedroom. Wearing the Watch SE 3 on your wrist while you sleep also has other advantages.

The smartwatch monitors our sleep and detects sleep phases, dangerous sleep apnea, and resting heart rate. However, the Watch SE 3 must not be in battery-saving mode when doing so, otherwise it will not record any sleep data. It confirmed excellent sleep quality for me, which was consistent with the results of my Scanwatch Nova just a few weeks ago. However, after the integration of HRV, the Scanwatch no longer finds my sleep to be that good quality—making a comparison with the Apple Watch SE 3 difficult.

Tracking

What I really like about the Watch SE 3 is how the smartwatch handles sporting activities. When cycling or running fast, the watch asked me whether I am currently training and would like to track the activity. With a tap on the wrist, I can begin a workout or mute notifications for the rest of the day. I find this more convenient than automatic tracking, as a lot of fitness apps wrongly record activities.

When tracking, the watch showed me the current heart rate, distance covered when running and cycling, and the current heart rate zone. I can also view this information as a live notification on my iPhone and receive up-to-date statistics via my headphones. This left nothing to be desired for me!

Overall, the Watch SE 3 is a good companion for sports and everyday life—but the smartwatch lacks tracking functions that I would expect in a device that costs over $200. Apple probably wanted to leave some wiggle room for the more expensive models. Unfortunately, this is where the "Special Edition" made the biggest compromises.

How Long does the Watch SE 3 Last?

I use a hybrid smartwatch in my everyday life as I am very poor at keeping my devices charged. Needless to say, I was a little skeptical about how annoying I would find the Apple Watch's somewhat notorious battery life. Apple stated this rather realistically at 18 hours and offers a quick charge function, should the watch be close to empty before workouts or before sleeping. Overall, however, I would describe the battery life of the Watch SE 3 as "suitable for everyday use, but high-maintenance".

With an active lifestyle—let's assume 1-2 workouts a day, including cycling to work, we definitely need to charge the watch once a day. A full charge of the smartwatch takes almost exactly one hour (see table below), and you can't wear the watch throughout the duration. If you were to charge the watch while sleeping, you would have to live without the excellent sleep tracking. If you charge the watch during the day, you should take a long shower or work at your desk.

This is not so much a criticism of the Watch SE 3, but rather a compromise that you have to accept with such a functional and lightweight smartwatch. Other smartwatches with a display last longer, but they are usually heavier, can do less, and are not as actively connected to the smartphone and other devices. To get a little closer to other smartwatches, Apple also integrated a power-saving mode.

In this mode, the watch's range of functions is significantly reduced. The watch restricts the measurement of the heart rate in the background, no longer recognizes gestures, deactivates the Always-on Display, and also limits mobile communications and Wi-Fi.

Interesting: Using the Apple Watch Reduces the iPhone's battery life

I would also like to add a small sidenote: The constant connection between the Apple Watch and my iPhone seemed to significantly reduce its battery life. Normally, I can manage an entire day with my iPhone 16 Pro, whose charging capacity I have limited to 80%. Since I've been using the Watch SE 3, however, I have to charge it more frequently towards the evening. You have been forewarned!