Cut-price watch offers most of what makes the Series 11 great, including an always-on screen, watchOS 26 and wrist-flick gesture
Apple’s entry level Watch SE has been updated with almost everything from its excellent mid-range Series 11 but costs about 40% less, making it the bargain of iPhone smartwatches.
The new Watch SE 3 costs from £219 (€269/$249/A$399), making it one of the cheapest brand-new fully fledged smartwatches available for the iPhone and undercutting the £369 Series 11 and the top-of-the-line £749 Apple Watch Ultra 3.
The Watch SE line is updated only every few years and has been good value but was missing some crucial things that make Apple’s other watches great. The Watch SE 3’s biggest upgrade is an always-on display, which brings it up to par with the Series line, allowing you to see the time and notifications at a glance without having to twist your wrist to turn the screen on.
The SE 3 has the older Apple Watch design from 2020’s Series 6 with smaller screens, larger bezels and a choice of 40mm or 44mm case sizes compared with the current Series watches. The screen is also not quite as bright as the more expensive watches, but that is noticeable only in bright direct sunlight. It is still sharp and good looking.
