Apple Acquiesced To My Apple Watch Se 3 Demands (mostly)

Earlier this year, I typed up an unfastened missive to Apple, giving nan institution my unsolicited (but wholly free of charge!) suggestions connected what it could do to amended its entry-level smartwatch, nan Apple Watch SE. Now that nan iPhone event has concluded I wanted to spot if anyone complete successful Cupertino took my advice.

I asked for a bigger screen, a faster processor and faster charging. I said flashier materials weren't necessary, nor was an always-on display. I besides didn't deliberation nan watch needed to person each past wellness sensor. But on-board Siri would beryllium nice. The Apple Watch SE 3 has immoderate of what I asked for, but not everything. Still, astatine nan aforesaid $250, this is looking for illustration a beautiful tempting fund smartwatch.

The surface is still mini but nan processor is apical of nan line

I compared nan show connected nan SE Gen 2 to my aged Apple Watch Series 4 and they were astir nan aforesaid size. It's usable, but aft wearing nan Series 10, aliases moreover nan Series 9 for a while, nan surface feels dinky. Down to nan pixel, nan size connected nan SE 3 is nan nonstop aforesaid connected nan Apple Watch SE gen 2, pinch a 759 quadrate millimeter show area. Sigh.

But! The aforesaid S10 spot that's going into nan caller Series 11 will vessel wrong nan Apple Watch SE 3, too. That intends nan fund smartwatch will beryllium capable to grip watchOS 26 features for illustration Workout Buddy and Live Translation, conscionable for illustration its pricier siblings (an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone still needs to beryllium nearby, arsenic it does pinch nan different wearables).

That caller spot will besides alteration nan useful double pat motion arsenic good arsenic nan caller wrist flick move that dismisses notifications — thing I find amazingly useful arsenic an inveterate notification-clearer. You besides get on-board processing of Siri requests. No much excessive tapping conscionable to commencement a timer. Both nan motion and Siri support are things I'd hoped a caller SE would have. So, yay!

AOD isn't critical, but faster charging is

In my acquisition pinch smartwatches, an always-on-display is simply a bully to have, but not important if nan surface lights up quickly capable erstwhile I assistance my wrist. But Apple went up and added nan feature. So that's a bonus.

I besides said we could do without a brighter screen, and Apple agreed. Like nan SE Gen 2, nan SE 3 has a maximum brightness of 1000 nits — that's plenty. I tin easy publication nan clip and different pertinent info successful agleam sunlight connected specified a screen, and consciousness nary request for nan other blaze of nan Series 11's 2000 nits.

The astir captious inquire was faster charging. The SE Gen 2 charged... so... slowly... It took complete 2 hours to juice up. Which, for me, made it wholly unusable arsenic a slumber tracker, since I couldn't recharge it while I sewage fresh for nan time (something I could do pinch each different caller smartwatch I've tested). Thankfully, Apple fixed nan problem. The SE 3 tin spell for 8 hours aft conscionable 15 minutes connected nan charger. Hallelujah.

Sensors, lawsuit materials and nan rest

The large news for nan flagship Series 11 watch was a characteristic that tin observe hypertension. The Apple Watch SE 3 can't do that. Nor does it person nan sensors for nan ECG app. As I said successful my letter, it's OK if my watch isn't a doctor's office. The SE 3 tin way your bosom complaint during workouts and tin present nan caller slumber people if you deterioration it to bed. Plus Apple added somesthesia sensors that tin thief pinch ovulation predictions and nan like. That's much than capable wellness information gathering for a fund smartwatch.

While location was talk of a plastic version of nan SE, that didn't happen. Instead, nan SE 3 is made from an aluminum alloy, conscionable for illustration nan guidelines exemplary Series 11 — akin durability is simply a bully information for immoderate fund model.

And it's still conscionable $250! When nan Apple Watch SE Gen 2 came retired backmost successful 2022, Engadget's Cherlynn Low called it "the champion smartwatch $250 tin buy." With each nan improvements Apple has added, that praise whitethorn now beryllium an understatement.

So possibly nan Apple people didn't publication my letter. But capable bully worldly came to beryllium that I'll dress they did. It's ever bully to consciousness heard.