Apple Watch SE 3 has an always-on display and the S10 chip

After three years, the Apple Watch SE is finally getting a refresh. The company showed off the Apple Watch SE 3, the latest version of its budget-friendly wearable during its big iPhone 17 event. The third-generation Apple Watch SE is the first of Apple's budget-friendly watches to come with an always-on display and support for 5G Other notable upgrades include Apple's S10 chip and new health-tracking features. Despite rumors that Apple may be changing the form factor for its entry-level watch, the Apple Watch SE 3's design is largely unchanged from the last generation. It comes with an aluminum case, which will be available in two colors ("midnight" and "starlight") and come in 40mm and 44mm sizes. But even though the display size isn't changing, Apple has upgraded its cover glass, with the new display being "four times more resistant to cracks" than the SE 2. Advertisement Advertisement The third-gen Apple Watch SE also adds some significant new health-tracking capabilities that bring it more in line with other recent versions of the Apple Watch. There are two onboard temperature sensors, which allows it to deliver temperature data to the Health app. It also powers new cycle tracking features, with ovulation estimates and improved period predictions. On the sleep tracking side, it adds sleep apnea notifications and sleep quality scores, which provides insights about the quality of your sleep. Apple It also charges two times faster than the previous generation with just 15 minutes of charging providing up to eight hours of battery life, according to Apple. One aspect Apple isn't changing is the price. The third-generation Apple Watch SE starts at $249 for the 40 mm version. It's available for pre-order today and will ship September 19. Developing... Apple's "Awe dropping" event is happening now. The company has announced the iPhone 17, iPhone Air and AirPods Pro 3 (with live translation and a heart rate sensor). Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 11, the Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 are all now official, too. Still to come, we expect Apple to unveil the new iPhone 17 Pro models as well as a final release date for iOS 26. Stay with Engadget for live coverage of the iPhone 17 launch. You can watch the Apple iPhone 17 event live on YouTube, too.