Earlier this year, I typed up an open letter to Apple, giving the company my unsolicited (but completely free of charge!) suggestions on what it could do to improve its entry-level smartwatch, the Apple Watch SE. Now that the iPhone event has concluded I wanted to see if anyone over in 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 also didn't think the watch needed to have every last health sensor. But on-board Siri would be nice. The Apple Watch SE 3 has some of what I asked for, but not everything. Still, at the same $250, this is looking like a pretty tempting budget smartwatch.
The screen is still small but the processor is top of the line
I compared the display on the SE Gen 2 to my old Apple Watch Series 4 and they were about the same size. It's usable, but after wearing the Series 10, or even the Series 9 for a while, the screen feels dinky. Down to the pixel, the size on the SE 3 is the exact same on the Apple Watch SE gen 2, with a 759 square millimeter display area. Sigh.
The Apple Watch SE second generation (Amy Skorheim for Engadget)
But! The same S10 chip that's going into the new Series 11 will ship inside the Apple Watch SE 3, too. That means the budget smartwatch will be able to handle watchOS 26 features like Workout Buddy and Live Translation, just like its pricier siblings (an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone still needs to be nearby, as it does with the other wearables).
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That new chip will also enable the useful double tap gesture as well as the new wrist flick move that dismisses notifications — something I find surprisingly useful as an inveterate notification-clearer. You also get on-board processing of Siri requests. No more excessive tapping just to start a timer. Both the gesture and Siri support are things I'd hoped a new SE would have. So, yay!
The Apple Watch SE 3 can give you a sleep score, just like its pricier siblings (Apple)
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