Fitness watches · Model guide · Maker specs
Apple Watch SE 3
Get Apple Watch SE 3 if you want the cheapest current Apple Watch and can do without ECG and Blood Oxygen: it starts at $249, against $399 for Series 12.
In short
Get Apple Watch SE 3 if you want the cheapest current Apple Watch and can do without ECG and Blood Oxygen: it starts at $249, against $399 for Series 12. You still get an Always-On screen, the S10 chip, 64GB, a Sleep score, sleep apnea notifications, Crash Detection and watchOS 27. Battery runs up to 18 hours, or 32 in Low Power Mode, and you'll need an iPhone.
Product images
Apple Watch SE 3, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
Who it is for
- First-time Apple Watch buyers with an iPhone who want the everyday features for $249: Always-On, Apple Pay, sleep tracking and Fall and Crash Detection.
- SE 2 owners ready to upgrade. SE 3 adds the Always-On screen, the S10 chip, 64GB and faster charging, and it gets watchOS 27, which SE 2 doesn't.
- Parents setting up a watch for a child. Cellular SE 3 models work with Apple Watch For Your Kids, though not every feature is available that way.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants ECG, Blood Oxygen, hypertension notifications or a readiness score. SE 3 has none of them; Series 12 has all four, from $399.
- Anyone who wants Apple's newest sensors and S11 features. The Health Sensing System and Audio Intelligence are on Series 12 and Ultra 4 only.
- Divers and backcountry hikers. There's no Action Button or satellite messaging, and it's rated to 50m rather than the Ultra's 100m, with no 40m dive support.
- Android users. SE 3 needs an iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), on iOS 26 or later.
What sets it apart
- The lowest starting price of any current Apple Watch: $249 in the US, against $399 for Series 12.
- Always-On at the SE price: a Retina LTPO screen up to 1,000 nits, behind Ion-X glass Apple calls 4× more crack resistant than SE 2's.
- Sleep apnea notifications, which otherwise need a Series 9 or later or an Ultra 2 or later, plus a nightly Sleep score.
- The S10 chip with 64GB of storage, watchOS 27 and Siri AI.
- Fast charging: about 80% in 45 minutes, and 15 minutes gives up to 8 hours of normal use.
Caveats
- Plan on charging most nights. Apple rates it for up to 18 hours of normal use, or 32 hours in Low Power Mode.
- Sleep apnea notifications are for ages 18 and up, only in supported regions, and they flag signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea rather than diagnose it.
- Apple lists only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi for SE 3; its Series and Ultra watches also list 5GHz.
Key specs
In the same order on every watch page, so you can compare models.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 40mm: 759 sq mm; 44mm: 977 sq mm | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Display type | Always-On Retina LTPO OLED; Ion-X front glass | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Display resolution | 40mm: 324 × 394 px; 44mm: 368 × 448 px; 326 ppi | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Peak brightness | Up to 1,000 nits peak; 2 nits minimum | Apple SE 3 tech specs; Apple SE 3 product pageSeries 12 reaches 2,000 nits and Ultra 4 reaches 3,000, Apple says. |
| Always-On display | Yes | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Case size(s) | 40mm and 44mm | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Case material | Aluminum (100% recycled, Apple says) | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Case dimensions | 40mm: 40 × 34 × 10.7mm; 44mm: 44 × 38 × 10.7mm | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Weight | 40mm: 26.3 g GPS, 26.4 g cellular; 44mm: 32.9 g GPS, 33.0 g cellular | Apple SE 3 tech specsCase only, without a band. |
| Finishes | Starlight or midnight aluminum | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Chip / processor | S10 SiP, 64-bit dual-core processor, 4-core Neural Engine | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| On-device storage | 64GB | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Battery, normal use | Up to 18 hours of normal use | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Battery, Low Power Mode | Up to 32 hours in Low Power Mode | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Battery, GPS workouts | No separate rating; the 18-hour normal-use test includes a 60-minute workout | Apple SE 3 tech specs, footnote 6 |
| Charging | Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C in the box; up to 80% in about 45 minutes; 15 minutes gives up to 8 hours of normal use, 8 minutes up to 8 hours of sleep tracking | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Water resistance | 50m (ISO 22810:2010); for shallow-water swimming, not scuba diving, waterskiing or high-velocity water | Apple SE 3 tech specs, footnote 11 |
| GNSS / GPS | L1 GPS (GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou) | Apple SE 3 tech specsSingle-frequency, unlike the Ultra's dual-frequency L1 and L5 GPS. |
| Cellular | GPS and GPS + Cellular models; cellular models A3326 and A3328 have 5G RedCap and LTE | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Heart rate | Second-generation optical heart sensor; Heart Rate app; high, low and irregular-rhythm notifications | Apple SE 3 tech specs; Apple SE 3 product pageSeries 12 and Ultra 4 use the newer Health Sensing System. |
| Blood oxygen (SpO2) | No Blood Oxygen app | Apple SE 3 product page; Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Temperature sensing | Wrist temperature sensor; Apple says SE 3's readings aren't for medical use | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| ECG | No ECG app; Apple's ECG app runs on Series 4 and later, excluding SE models | Apple Series 12 Newsroom, footnote 3; Apple SE 3 product page |
| Sleep tracking | Sleep app with sleep stages; Sleep score; sleep apnea notifications (region and age limits) | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Workout types | Running, hiking, cycling and swimming, plus skiing, snowboarding, outdoor rowing, paddling, golf, walking, elliptical, HIIT, yoga and more | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Other sensors | Compass; always-on altimeter; high-g accelerometer; high-dynamic-range gyroscope; ambient light sensor | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Durability / ingress | 50m water resistance; Ion-X glass Apple calls 4× more crack resistant than SE 2's; no IP6X dust or MIL-STD rating listed | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Safety / incident alerts | Emergency SOS; international emergency calling; Crash Detection; Fall Detection; noise monitoring; Backtrack | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Operating system | watchOS 26 at launch; SE 3 gets watchOS 27 | Apple SE 3 tech specs; Apple Series 12 Newsroom |
| Phone compatibility | iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 26 or later; watchOS 27 needs iOS 27 | Apple SE 3 tech specs; Apple Series 12 Newsroom |
| Wireless (Wi-Fi / Bluetooth) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.4GHz, with no 5GHz listed; Bluetooth 5.3 | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| NFC / contactless payments | Apple Pay; GymKit | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Band / strap system | Apple Watch band fitting (not 22mm quick-release); one band in the box | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| US price at launch | Starts at $249 (US) | Apple Newsroom, 2025-09-09; Apple SE 3 product page |
| Price band | Value Apple Watch ($200–$300 US) | Based on Apple's $249 starting price |
| Announced | 9 September 2025 | Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Pre-order from 9 September 2025; stores from Friday, 19 September 2025; still sold in 2026 alongside Series 12 and Ultra 4 | Apple Newsroom; Apple SE 3 product page |
Apple Watch SE 3 extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| ECG app | No; Apple's ECG app excludes all SE models | Apple SE 3 product page; Apple Series 12 Newsroom, footnote 3 |
| Blood Oxygen app | No (Series 12 has one) | Apple SE 3 product page |
| Readiness score | No | Apple SE 3 product page |
| Hypertension notifications | No | Apple SE 3 product page |
| Audio Intelligence | No; it needs the S11 chip in Series 12 and Ultra 4 | Apple SE 3 product page; Apple Series 12 Newsroom, footnote 2 |
| Siri AI | Yes on SE 3, with watchOS 27; Apple Intelligence availability rules apply | Apple SE 3 product page |
| Sleep apnea notifications | Yes; SE 3, Series 9 or later and Ultra 2 or later get them. Ages 18 and up; flags signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea; not a diagnosis | Apple SE 3 tech specs; Apple Series 12 Newsroom, footnote 4 |
| Wrist fit | 40mm fits 130–200mm wrists; 44mm fits 140–245mm wrists | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Model number | A3326 and A3328 (cellular, with 5G RedCap and LTE) | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Ion-X glass | Apple says it's 4× more crack resistant than Apple Watch SE 2 | Apple SE 3 tech specs, footnote 5 |
| Gestures | Double tap and wrist flick; Siri with on-device processing | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| In the box | Apple Watch SE 3, one band, and a Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C cable (1m) | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Recycled content | 40% recycled content overall, including 100% recycled aluminum in the case | Apple SE 3 tech specsApple's materials figures, not an independent score. |
| Apple Watch For Your Kids | Supported on cellular models, without every feature | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Running metrics | Custom workouts; training load; heart-rate zones; Race Route; Pacer; stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation; automatic track detection; multisport. No running power on SE 3 (the Ultra lists it) | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Hiking / offline maps | Compass; waypoints; Backtrack; offline maps; U.S. topographic maps; curated hikes in 63 U.S. national parks | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Cycling metrics | Speed, elevation, distance; Bluetooth cycling accessories; Functional Threshold Power; power zones; cadence; Live Activity on iPhone | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Swim metrics | Pool and open water; custom pool workouts; splits and auto sets; SWOLF; automatic stroke and kickboard detection. No water temperature on SE 3 | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Operating range | 0°C to 35°C; altitude 0–3,000m (Ultra models are rated for −20°C on the wrist and 9,000m) | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
| Accessibility features | VoiceOver, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, Type to Siri, RTT and more | Apple SE 3 tech specs |
Where SE 3 sits in Apple’s lineup
SE 3 was announced on 9 September 2025 and is still Apple’s $249 watch in 2026, sold next to Series 12 and Ultra 4. If your budget tops out around $250, it’s the current Apple Watch that fits. The real question is whether Series 12 is worth the extra:
| Spec | SE 3 | Series 12 |
|---|---|---|
| US starting price | $249 | $399 |
| Case | 40mm or 44mm aluminum | 42mm or 46mm aluminum, titanium or ceramic |
| Peak brightness | 1,000 nits | 2,000 nits |
| Chip | S10 | S11 |
| ECG, Blood Oxygen, readiness | No | Yes |
| Hypertension notifications | No | Yes |
| Sleep score, sleep apnea notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | Up to 18 hours; 32 in Low Power Mode | Up to 24 hours; 38 in Low Power Mode |
| Depth gauge | No | Yes, to 6m |
| watchOS 27 | Yes | Yes |
Most of the extra money goes to health features: ECG, Blood Oxygen and hypertension notifications, the Health Sensing System and the readiness score, plus Audio Intelligence on the S11 chip. Series 12 also has the brighter screen and the longer battery. If you won’t use those, SE 3 already has the Always-On screen, sleep apnea notifications, Crash Detection and the same watchOS 27. SE 3 vs Series 12 goes through it in detail.
Ultra 4 is a different kind of watch. The Ultra line adds an Action Button, satellite messaging, dual-frequency GPS and a 100m water rating with 40m dive support, and Ultra 4’s screen reaches 3,000 nits. SE 3 vs Ultra 4 covers that jump.
Below SE 3 sits SE 2, which never got an Always-On screen and doesn’t get watchOS 27; SE 2 vs SE 3 lists everything that changed.
Always-On at 1,000 nits
The Retina LTPO OLED stays on with your wrist down, dims to 2 nits in the dark and peaks at 1,000. It’s 324 × 394 pixels on the 40mm model and 368 × 448 on the 44mm, at 326 ppi, for 759 and 977 sq mm of screen. Series 12 doubles the peak brightness, which is the difference you’d notice in direct sun.
Health and sleep
SE 3 uses a second-generation optical heart sensor for the Heart Rate app and the high, low and irregular-rhythm notifications. It also has a wrist temperature sensor, Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates, Medications, Mindfulness and Noise.
Sleep tracking matches Series 12: sleep stages, a Sleep score, and sleep apnea notifications, which Apple offers on SE 3, Series 9 or later and Ultra 2 or later.
What’s missing is the electrical heart sensor, so no ECG, plus the Blood Oxygen app, hypertension notifications, the Health Sensing System and readiness. Don’t expect ECG or Blood Oxygen in an update: they’re hardware and app omissions, and Apple keeps them for its Series and Ultra watches.
Battery and charging
| Mode | SE 3 |
|---|---|
| Normal use | Up to 18 hours |
| Low Power Mode | Up to 32 hours |
| Fast charge | About 80% in 45 minutes |
| 15-minute charge | Up to 8 hours of normal use |
| 8-minute charge | Up to 8 hours of sleep tracking |
There’s no separate GPS workout rating; Apple’s 18-hour test includes a 60-minute workout. The Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C cable (1m) comes in the box, and a short top-up before bed is enough for a night of sleep tracking.
More workout depth than the price suggests
Running, hiking, cycling and swimming each get dedicated modes. Runners get Race Route, Pacer, stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation, though not running power, which the Ultra adds. Hikers get offline maps, Backtrack, U.S. topographic maps and curated hikes in 63 U.S. national parks, cyclists get Functional Threshold Power and power zones, and swimmers get SWOLF. GPS is single-frequency L1, with GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou.
Software, safety and payments
SE 3 launched on watchOS 26 and gets watchOS 27, which needs an iPhone on iOS 27. Siri AI comes with it; Audio Intelligence doesn’t, because it needs S11. For safety it has Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, noise monitoring and Backtrack, and Apple Pay and GymKit are built in.
Price
SE 3 started at $249 in the US when it went on sale on 19 September 2025, and that’s still its starting price. Apple’s education pricing has shown $229, a program price rather than a new list price. Offers change, so check the current price before you buy.
Compare this watch3
Each one puts it against a single rival.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Apple Support — Apple Watch SE 3 tech specs (125094) — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Newsroom — Apple introduces Apple Watch SE 3 — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — Apple Watch SE 3 product page, with its Series 12 comparison — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple — Guidelines for Using Apple Trademarks and Copyrights — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy SE 3 or Series 12?
SE 3 if $249 is your budget and you can skip ECG and Blood Oxygen. Series 12, from $399, adds those plus hypertension notifications, readiness, a 2,000-nit screen, the S11 chip and up to 24 hours of battery.
Does SE 3 have ECG or Blood Oxygen?
No. Apple's ECG app excludes every SE, and SE 3 has no Blood Oxygen app; neither is coming in an update. It also misses hypertension notifications and the readiness score.
Does SE 3 get watchOS 27 and Siri AI?
Yes. It gets watchOS 27, which needs an iPhone on iOS 27, and Apple lists Siri AI for it. Audio Intelligence needs the S11 chip, so it stays on Series 12 and Ultra 4.
Can kids use SE 3 without their own iPhone?
Yes, with a cellular model. Apple Watch For Your Kids works on cellular SE 3 models, managed from a parent's iPhone, though not every feature is available.
Is SE 3 swimproof?
Yes. It's water resistant to 50m under ISO 22810:2010, for shallow-water swimming but not scuba diving, waterskiing or high-velocity water. It has no depth gauge; Series 12 adds one rated to 6m for snorkeling.
Does SE 3 track sleep?
Yes. The Sleep app tracks sleep stages and gives you a Sleep score, and sleep apnea notifications work where Apple offers them, for ages 18 and up. A quick 8-minute charge covers up to 8 hours of sleep tracking.
Is $249 what I'll pay?
Not always. $249 is Apple's US starting price, and cellular models, other bands and AppleCare cost more.
Official product page: Apple Watch SE 3. Tech specs: Apple Watch SE 3 specs.