Apple Watch Se 3 Review: Good Enough For Most People

I started my review of nan Apple Watch Series 11 talking astir really everyone uses smartwatches differently. And based connected your needs, nan right Apple Watch mightiness not beryllium nan 1 pinch nan astir features.

The Apple Watch SE bid has agelong been nan action for parents to bargain for their kids aliases different dependents, aliases group who are dipping their toed into nan world of smartwatches. But pinch nan preamble of an always-on-display (AOD), on-device Siri and faster charging, the Apple Watch SE 3 has shed astir of its limitations and whitethorn good beryllium bully capable for astir people. Throw successful an onboard somesthesia sensor, support for 5G, media playback and gestures for illustration double pat and wrist flick, and nan latest Watch SE is not only a superior upgrade complete its predecessor but besides a compelling action for beautiful overmuch anyone.

I utilized nan SE 3 for a fewer weeks to spot if it’s bully capable to switch nan Apple Watch Series 11 I regularly wear, and, mounting speech immoderate mini caveats, nan short reply is yes.

What’s caller successful nan Apple Watch SE 3?

The astir important upgrades successful this procreation of nan entry-level smartwatch are nan presence of nan always-on-display, faster charging speeds and on-device Siri. That second summation allowed maine to inquire nan adjunct to commencement workouts, reply to messages aliases cheque nan upwind without having to woody pinch nan mini buttons connected nan cramped screen. You’ll besides beryllium capable to disregard notifications and alarms pinch a flick of your wrist, aliases usage nan double pat motion to navigate nan smart stack and prime aliases corroborate items onscreen.

Older models of nan Watch SE would not only require a relationship to your iPhone to activity pinch Siri, but those requests would besides beryllium a batch slower since nan strategy would request to hold for nan telephone to present nan answer. I besides loathed really agelong it took for earlier Apple Watches to charge, and successful my testing nan Watch SE 3’s velocity comes person to much caller models for illustration nan Series 7 and newer. It still took noticeably much clip to recharge than nan Series 11, but it’s not slow capable to beryllium a dealbreaker. You’ll conscionable request to found immoderate benignant of charging regular that allows astatine slightest a fewer hours for nan Watch SE 3 to get backmost to 100 percent.

An always-on-display is thing I missed erstwhile I tested nan Watch SE 2, because I’m nan benignant of gym fiend that likes to beryllium capable to quickly glimpse astatine my wrist while pumping immoderate pushups and spot precisely what my bosom complaint is. Without AOD, you’d request to raise your wrist aliases aftermath nan surface someway to spot your stats, which is annoying if you’re successful nan mediate of a workout aliases are lugging dense weights around. The Watch SE 3 delivered fundamentally nan aforesaid acquisition arsenic nan Series 11 erstwhile I wore some to my guidance and HIIT (high strength interval training) sessions, though nan latter’s larger show did make it easier to publication my stats.

Speaking of nan screen, nan Watch SE 3 hasn’t gotten immoderate brighter, pinch its highest of 1,000 nits being nan aforesaid arsenic nan SE 2’s. But nan latest SE tin get arsenic dim arsenic 2 nits, which is very adjacent to nan Series 11’s 1 nit. You whitethorn wonderment why this is worthy noting, but spot maine — your retinas will beryllium grateful erstwhile you accidentally raise your wrist aliases get a notification successful nan mediate of nan nighttime aliases are successful a darkened theater. Older smartwatches were beautiful disruptive successful cinemas since their screens were agleam capable to scorch immoderate eyeballs that were accustomed to low-light environments.

Another screen-related update that isn’t instantly evident is nan Ion-X solid connected nan SE 3, which Apple says is 4 times much crack-resistant than nan SE 2. I haven’t put this declare to nan test, but nan hardier worldly should thief support your smartwatch safe from much mishaps.

I should besides constituent retired that nan Watch SE 3 uses nan aforesaid S10 processor arsenic nan Series 11, which has a four-core neural motor that should thief velocity up Siri and Apple Intelligence tasks. In general, I recovered nan SE 3 snappy and responsive, and mostly arsenic accelerated arsenic nan Series 11. Previous Watch SE models tended to beryllium a spot sluggish, truthful it’s bully to spot nan SE 3 get this peculiar bump.

The effect of astir of nan different improvements to nan SE 3 dangle connected really you usage a smartwatch. The caller 5G support, for example, would beryllium adjuvant if you get a cellular exemplary and want to time off your telephone down while you tally errands aliases spell connected walks. The wrist somesthesia sensor is mostly location to thief pinch predicting cycles, truthful if you don’t ovulate it is improbable to beryllium useful to you correct now. Sleep apnea notifications don’t impact non-sufferers, though they’re a bully characteristic to have. And finally, though I admit nan expertise to play songs of media done nan watch’s onboard speaker, I seldom find myself wanting to do so.

It mightiness beryllium worthy noting that nan SE 3 comes successful 1 less colour action than nan SE 2. You tin only take betwixt starlight (a lukewarm ray gray) aliases midnight (black), arsenic nan metallic type is not disposable successful nan latest generation.

Apple Watch Series 11 vs nan Watch SE 3

The main point I wanted to find erstwhile reviewing nan Watch SE 3 was whether it’s bully capable to switch nan Series 11. Like I said earlier, nan short reply is yes, but it depends connected really you usage these devices. I don’t deterioration smartwatches to bed, and arsenic a consequence my Watch SE 3 still has plentifulness of powerfulness near successful nan greeting erstwhile I request it, truthful I’m a batch little affected by its comparatively slower charging speeds. If you usage your Apple Watch each nan time, you mightiness find thing that recharges faster a batch much suitable — nan Series 10 aliases 11 are some amended connected that front.

The Series 11’s larger surface and smaller bezels makes it a batch nicer to look at, though since nan SE 3 besides runs watchOS 26, I was capable to usage nan aforesaid watch faces for both. Aesthetically, I didn’t find nan 2 to beryllium very acold isolated successful position of appearances, and if you’re not acquainted pinch nan latest Apple Watches for illustration I am, you mightiness not find nan bezels arsenic unsightly arsenic I did. And though nan SE 3 uses a level OLED compared to nan Series 11’s wide-angle OLED, I ne'er really had an rumor reference it, sloppy of nan position.

Thanks to their electrical bosom complaint sensors, nan Series 11 and Series 10 support Apple’s newer health-centric features for illustration hypertension alerts, arsenic good arsenic apps for ECG and humor oxygen readings. The SE 3’s optical sensor is older and doesn’t person those capabilities, but you’ll still get notifications for irregular rhythms, debased cardio fitness, arsenic good arsenic precocious and debased bosom complaint notifications. Those were much than capable for me, and though I occasionally tally an ECG reference connected my Series 11, it’s not thing I’d miss (especially if a $150 quality successful value were successful nan balance).

I’m besides not a large swimmer aliases underwater enthusiast, truthful nan SE 3’s deficiency of a extent gauge and h2o somesthesia sensor don’t fuss me. All 3 watches I’ve mentioned successful this conception are h2o resistant to 50 meters, and that’s much than capable for my needs. If you want your watch to thief pinch your underwater activities, it’s astir apt worthy splurging connected nan Series 10 aliases 11.

The pricier watches are besides certified IP6x for particulate resistance, meaning they should connection a spot much bid of mind for those who activity connected beaches aliases connected occupation sites, for example. I’ve not yet encountered a smartwatch that stopped moving owed to particulate ingress, sloppy of whether it was rated, truthful nan SE 3 not having this certification doesn’t fuss maine either.

One point that nan astir discerning tech fans mightiness telephone retired is nan truth that nan SE 3 doesn’t person nan aforesaid ultra wideband (UWB) spot that nan Series 10 and 11 do. This enables nan greater precision successful Find My that allows you to find your iPhone aliases wearable down to nan number of feet. But you’ll still get basal Find My support connected nan Watch SE 3, and honestly each I really did pinch this was to usage my watch to ringing my telephone truthful I could corroborate it was pinch maine without having to excavation done each nan pockets successful my gigantic purse. Still, if you usage this Find My interface a lot, it’s worthy considering erstwhile getting your adjacent Apple Watch.

Finally, if you’re a instrumentality of nan titanium decorativeness aliases aggregate colour options successful Apple’s more-premium lineup, only nan Series 10 and 11 travel successful nan metallic and roseate golden colors for nan aluminum case. The Series 11 is besides disposable successful Space Gray successful aluminum, arsenic good arsenic Slate, Gold and Natural hues for nan titanium finish. Again, nan SE 3 is only disposable successful 2 colors.

Using nan Apple Watch SE 3 arsenic a Series 11 wearer

I’m nan benignant of personification who straps connected my smartwatch erstwhile I caput retired and removes it erstwhile I get home. When I’m outside, I expect my Apple Watch to way my steps and activity, automatically observe and log extended walks, show maine erstwhile someone’s calling aliases texting and support tabs connected my workouts. For each those situations, nan SE 3 was much than adequate. Occasionally I noticed it was a spot slower than nan Series 11 astatine recognizing erstwhile I was done moving retired and suggesting I extremity nan session, but not astatine a wave that was concerning.

The SE 3 was besides arsenic tin arsenic nan Series 11 erstwhile it came to acting arsenic a distant viewfinder for my iPhone’s camera, and Siri was satisfyingly responsive astatine launching my workouts aliases telling maine astir nan weather. I besides enjoyed having nan double pat and wrist flick gestures astatine my disposal, and honestly benignant of liked nan watch’s smaller size.

But I did miss nan Series 11’s brighter surface and smaller bezels. I besides for illustration nan Series 11 for its expertise to recharge much quickly, arsenic good arsenic its somewhat longer-lasting battery. Both still were capable to make it done an full time earlier needing a charge, but nan Series 11 mostly did much successful nan inheritance successful that magnitude of time.

In nan end, it wasn’t nan features for illustration humor oxygen readings aliases hypertension notifications that I wanted back. It boiled down to beingness components for illustration a brighter show aliases bigger artillery and much durable lawsuit that I wanted astir for bid of mind.

Wrap-up

Is bid of mind worthy a $150 premium? In this economy, it’s difficult to say. On 1 hand, it’s imaginable a $399 Apple Watch will outlast nan $249 SE 3, mostly owed to its harder materials, making it a much astute finance successful nan agelong run. But for those who presently person tight budgets and request to switch aging aliases surgery smartwatches, nan SE 3 is nan measurement to go.