For years, the lower-priced Apple Watch SE was considered the “starter” Apple Watch. It was solid, but you lost out on enough functionality that the Series watch seemed like a better all-around buy. Now the gap between the two models is narrowing, and the SE 3 is a better watch than ever at the same $249 price.
Let’s start with some upgraded features, made possible due to its S10 chip. On the SE 3, you can now use hand gestures to control menus and take certain actions. When a text pops up, you can double-tap with a finger to initiate a reply, dictate a response back using voice transcription, then double-tap again to send the text off—no navigating of a tiny screen required. It might be my single favorite upgrade to the SE, and it made it annoying to go back to my older model.
The SE 3 now also has Always On capability, allowing you to see the time without having to raise your wrist to activate the screen. It can charge twice as fast as the previous SE, Apple says, allowing you to add 8 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes or go from dead to 80 percent battery in about 45 minutes. (Remember that fast charging requires an Apple USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable.)
On the health and fitness front, the SE 3 can now also detect potential sleep apnea, as well as measure wrist temperature for better vitals data and more accurate cycle tracking, all features previously unavailable on the SE.
These upgrades don’t constitute a total overhaul, but they add up to a noticeably nicer user experience and fill in some of the SE’s previous gaps. Which then raises an obvious question: Why would anyone spend an extra $150 on the Series 11? Well, a few reasons.
The Series 11 still has a bigger, brighter screen, without the machine-strapped-to-your-wrist feel of the Ultra 3. That extra screen size can help you read small text more easily, even in bright light, or navigate the display.
