Apple Watch SE 3: The $249 Game-Changer Loaded with Flagship Features

Key Facts:

• First new SE in 3 years: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch SE 3 on Sept 9, 2025 – the first update to its budget SE smartwatch line since 2022 macrumors.com. It arrives alongside the high-end Series 11 and Ultra 3 models, but targets value-conscious buyers.
• Flagship features at a budget price: For the first time, the SE series gains an Always-On display, letting users see the time and notifications without raising their wrist indiatoday.in. It’s powered by Apple’s new S10 chip for snappier performance, enabling features like on-device Siri and new gesture controls, all while starting at just $249 – the same price as the previous SE model reuters.com theverge.com.
• Faster charging & all-day battery: Despite adding Always-On display, the SE 3 still delivers ~18 hours of all-day battery life indiatoday.in. It now supports fast charging for the first time – juicing up 2× faster than its predecessor (about 80% charge in 45 minutes, or 8 hours of use from a 15-minute charge) apple.com 9to5mac.com.
• Expanded health tracking: Apple Watch SE 3 introduces advanced health features previously limited to pricier models. It can track a new Sleep Score metric each night, provide sleep apnea notifications if it detects abnormal breathing patterns, and includes a wrist temperature sensor enabling retrospective ovulation estimates for women’s health insights macrumors.com apple.com. (Like earlier SE models, it omits the ECG and blood-oxygen sensors found in flagship Apple Watches 9to5mac.com.)
• Connectivity and safety upgrades: The SE 3 now offers 5G cellular support (an upgrade from 4G) for faster data on the go apple.com. It inherits Apple’s new “double tap” gesture, letting users answer calls or navigate the watch by tapping their thumb and forefinger together, as well as a “wrist flick” to dismiss alerts one-handed apple.com. It also features the same durable Ion-X front glass as the Series 11 (4× more crack-resistant than before) apple.com theverge.com and continues to include safety tools like Fall Detection, Emergency SOS, and Crash Detection.

A Big Upgrade for Apple’s Budget Watch

Apple’s Watch SE 3 represents a major leap for Apple’s entry-level smartwatch. The SE line was first launched a few years ago to offer core Apple Watch features at a lower price, attracting many first-time smartwatch buyers and even parents who bought the affordable model for their children 9to5mac.com. Until now, these budget models often lacked the high-end perks of Apple’s flagship watches – notably, earlier SE generations had no always-on screen, no temperature or blood-oxygen sensors, and no ECG capability 9to5mac.com. Apple has now significantly closed that gap. As The Verge quipped about the new SE 3, “the SE 3 gets a lot of new trickle-down features from pricier Apple Watches.” theverge.com In other words, Apple has packed many formerly premium features into a watch that still costs just $249.

Crucially, Apple did not raise the price for these upgrades – the Watch SE 3 launches at the same $249 starting price (US) for the 40mm GPS model (44mm costs a bit more) reuters.com. Pre-orders began immediately on announcement day, with the official release slated for September 19, 2025 in the U.S. and many other countries macrumors.com. Apple offers the SE 3 in two case sizes (40mm or 44mm) and two finishes (Midnight and Starlight aluminum) macrumors.com. By keeping the price and design familiar while dramatically boosting the specs, the SE 3 is positioned as a “great way for users to start their Apple Watch journey… at an incredible value,” according to Apple’s VP of Watch marketing Stan Ng apple.com.

New Flagship-Level Features: Always-On Display, S10 Chip, and More

One of the headline additions is the Always-On display, a feature Apple Watch SE users have been asking for since it first appeared on higher-end models years ago. Apple Watch SE 3’s screen can now stay dimly lit to show the time and complications at all times indiatoday.in. This means no more blank screen – even at a glance, you can see information without raising your wrist. Notably, Apple achieved this without hurting battery life: the SE 3 still delivers the same 18-hour “all day” battery as before indiatoday.in. Apple’s efficient new S10 chip and display optimizations help maintain battery performance with the screen always on.

That S10 processor is another big upgrade under the hood. It gives the SE 3 a significant speed and capability boost over the last model’s S8 chip macrumors.com. Thanks to the S10, the watch supports features previously exclusive to the latest Series models. For instance, Siri voice requests can now be processed on-device for certain tasks, making Siri responses faster and usable even without internet for things like setting timers or logging health data apple.com. The S10 chip also enables Apple’s new one-handed gestures: users can perform a double tap (tapping index finger and thumb together twice) to trigger the primary action in an app – like answering a call or pausing a timer – without touching the screen apple.com. And if you’re viewing a notification but not ready to respond, a quick wrist flick (turning your wrist over and back) will dismiss it apple.com. These subtle additions make interacting with the watch more convenient, especially when your other hand is occupied.

Apple has also upgraded the SE’s display protection and connectivity to match its pricier siblings. The front crystal is now made of Ion-X glass, which Apple says is far more durable – up to 4× more resistant to cracking than the previous SE’s glass apple.com. (The Verge notes it’s the same tough glass used on the Series 11, claimed to be “twice as resistant to scratches as before” on those models theverge.com.) For connectivity, the Apple Watch SE 3 offers optional 5G cellular capability on the LTE models, marking the first time Apple’s entry watch supports 5G speeds apple.com. With a 5G plan, users can stream music, download apps, and get data on the watch faster and more efficiently than 4G, and Apple even built a more power-efficient modem to preserve battery life on cellular apple.com. Of course, features like GPS, heart-rate sensing, and water resistance remain standard, as in past models.

Despite the tech upgrades, Apple Watch SE 3 maintains its slim, lightweight design and comfortable fit. It looks essentially the same as the last generation on the outside, which is intentional – Apple is reusing a proven design to keep costs low. As one tech reporter put it, the SE has always been a bit of a “parts-bin remix” of recent Apple Watch features put into a familiar, affordable package theverge.com. This year, that remix approach yields a surprisingly feature-rich gadget for the price.

Health and Fitness: Bringing Premium Wellness Features to the SE

Health tracking has been a major focus for Apple Watches, and the SE 3 significantly expands its health and wellness toolkit. It now matches many of the health capabilities of the higher-end Series 11 (minus a couple advanced sensors). Apple touts that the Watch SE 3 “delivers a more advanced set of health features than the previous generation” apple.com. New on this model is the ability to monitor overnight wrist temperature trends, which enables two notable health functions: retrospective ovulation estimates and enhanced sleep tracking.

• Wrist temperature & ovulation estimates: The watch’s temperature sensor (first introduced in 2022’s Series 8) allows it to measure slight changes in your skin temperature each night. Using this data, Apple Watch SE 3 can provide retrospective ovulation estimates, estimating when ovulation likely occurred after the fact apple.com. This can help with cycle tracking and family planning by giving wearers insight into their menstrual cycles. It’s the first time Apple’s budget watch offers this women’s health feature. (Apple still reserves the on-demand ECG and blood oxygen apps for its flagship watches, however 9to5mac.com.)
• Sleep Score and apnea detection: The SE 3 debuts Apple’s new Sleep Score feature to the entry tier. Each morning, users are now given a simple 0–100 score summarizing their sleep quality, along with a breakdown of key factors like total sleep time, consistency of bedtime, how often they woke up, and time spent in various sleep stages macrumors.com. This single metric, informed by guidelines from sleep experts, lets users easily gauge how restful their sleep was and identify areas to improve macrumors.com. Importantly, Apple has leveraged huge amounts of sleep data (5+ million nights from a study) to develop this scoring system apple.com. In addition, Apple Watch SE 3 can now issue sleep apnea notifications: if the watch’s sensors and algorithms detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea (patterns of interrupted breathing) consistently over a 30-day period, it will alert the user to seek medical advice apple.com apple.com. Since the hardware (accelerometer and microphone) was already capable of tracking respiration, this is a software-driven upgrade likely coming with watchOS 26. It could be a life-saving feature for users who don’t realize they have sleep apnea.
• Core health & safety features: The new SE naturally retains all the core health features of its predecessor. This includes continuous heart rate monitoring with high/low heart rate alerts and irregular rhythm notifications for atrial fibrillation. It supports Cycle Tracking for menstrual health (now enhanced by the temperature sensor data). It also estimates cardio fitness (VO₂ max) and tracks daily activity, calories, and workouts via the Fitness app rings. All the well-known Apple Watch safety features are here too: Fall Detection (which can auto-call emergency services if you take a hard fall), Crash Detection for car accidents, Emergency SOS calling, and the new Check In feature that lets you automatically notify friends/family if you don’t arrive at a destination in time apple.com apple.com. Apple clearly intends the SE 3 to offer a comprehensive health and safety toolset, lacking only the niche medical-grade sensors of the pricier models.

With the S10 chip and watchOS 26, the SE 3 also gains the latest fitness software enhancements. Notably, it supports Apple’s new Workout Buddy feature – an AI-powered coaching assistant that gives you real-time spoken encouragement and feedback during workouts 9to5mac.com. For example, Workout Buddy can analyze your heart rate and pace during a run and cheer you on or prompt you to push a little harder, based on your personal fitness history. This feature, powered by on-device machine learning (“Apple Intelligence”), debuts across all new 2025 watches, bringing a personalized trainer vibe to the wrist. The SE 3 can also now play music or podcasts through its built-in speaker (useful for listening to audio without headphones during a quick workout) theverge.com – another small perk that earlier SE models didn’t have.

Connectivity, Family Use, and Software

Another area the Apple Watch SE 3 shines is connectivity and family-friendly features. As mentioned, cellular-equipped SE 3 models now support 5G, which means faster data and potentially better coverage in dense areas apple.com. This makes the SE 3 an even better standalone device when you leave your iPhone behind. You could stream Apple Music or get map directions on your watch with less lag. Apple also claims the new 5G modem is more power-efficient than the last-gen 4G, mitigating battery drain apple.com.

The inclusion of 5G also enhances Family Setup scenarios. Apple has been marketing the Apple Watch SE as an ideal choice for parents who want to give kids an Apple Watch without an iPhone 9to5mac.com. Using Apple’s “Apple Watch for Kids” feature (Family Setup), a parent can pair an SE 3 to their own iPhone and then give the watch to a child who doesn’t have a phone. The child gets their own number and can make calls, send texts, use Siri, share their location via Find My, and more – all under the parent’s supervision apple.com apple.com. The SE 3 is well-suited for this role: it has the essential communication and safety features, a durable design (now with even tougher glass), and fast charging (useful for kids who might forget to charge until the morning). Apple specifically noted that with its 5G connectivity, robust glass, and fast charging, the SE 3 is “an excellent option for Apple Watch for your kids.” apple.com Keeping the price low was also key to this use-case – as one report put it, the SE line combines features from older and newer Apple Watches “at a more accessible price point” so parents can justify it as a starter device indiatoday.in.

On the software side, Apple Watch SE 3 runs watchOS 26 out of the box (launching for all supported watches on Sept 15). This brings the new “Liquid Glass” UI design to the watch, refreshing the look of menus and panels with translucent effects apple.com. It also adds the Smart Stack widgets, enhanced cycling workout tracking, mental health features (like mood logging), and more. The SE 3 supports virtually all of watchOS 26’s features – only a few things tied to hardware (like ECG or Blood Oxygen app) are absent. Apple has ensured even its entry model delivers the full Apple Watch experience in daily use, from Apple Pay and Maps to Siri and the huge library of third-party apps.

Price and Availability

The Apple Watch SE 3 is priced from $249 in the U.S. for the GPS-only version (40mm), maintaining the affordable pricing of the SE line reuters.com. The larger 44mm size typically costs $30 more ($279), and adding 5G cellular capability is an extra charge as well. By holding the line on price despite the added features, Apple clearly wants to keep the SE 3 as an attractive entry-point into the Apple Watch ecosystem. “Apple did not raise the price on watch models either,” Reuters noted, with the SE 3 staying at $249 and the higher models (Series 11 at $399, Ultra 3 at $799) also priced like last year reuters.com.

Pre-orders for the SE 3 began on September 9 right after Apple’s event, and shipping starts September 19, 2025 in the initial launch countries macrumors.com. Apple’s website and Apple Store app are taking orders, and the watch will also be sold through authorized retailers. The timing aligns with the release of Apple’s new iPhones, making mid-September a big launch window for the company.

At $249, the SE 3 significantly undercuts the flagship Apple Watch models while now offering a feature set that covers most of what the average user would want in a smartwatch. Reviewers are already pointing out that the value proposition is stronger than ever. “The new version brings it much closer to Apple’s premium offerings,” one early report observed, highlighting how features like Always-On display, temperature sensing, and 5G make the SE 3 feel far less compromised than previous SE generations indiatoday.in. For those who don’t need an ECG or the absolute best display, the SE 3 delivers an experience very similar to the top-of-the-line Apple Watches at roughly half the price.

Conclusion

In summary, the Apple Watch SE 3 is a notable leap forward for Apple’s affordable smartwatch category. It inherits many of the flagship features – from an Always-On screen to advanced health tracking and ultra-fast charging – that were once reserved for much more expensive models. By doing so without a price hike, Apple has made the SE 3 a particularly compelling option for budget-minded buyers, first-time smartwatch users, and families. It emphasizes Apple’s strategy of trickling down technology to broaden its user base. As Apple’s Stan Ng put it, the SE 3 delivers “outstanding health, fitness, safety, and connectivity features at an incredible value” apple.com, aiming to help more people “live a healthier and more active life.” Whether you’re someone who held off on the earlier SE due to missing features, or you’re shopping for a durable smartwatch for your kid or elderly parent, the Apple Watch SE 3 makes a strong case as one of the best-value smartwatches of 2025. It’s Apple’s way of saying you can get a full Apple Watch experience for $249 – and now, that experience is richer than ever before.

Sources:

• Apple Newsroom – “Apple introduces Apple Watch SE 3” (Press Release, Sep 9, 2025) apple.com apple.com
• MacRumors – “Apple Watch SE 3 Announced With Always-On Display, Fast Charging, and More” macrumors.com macrumors.com
• The Verge – “Apple announces new entry-level $249 Apple Watch SE 3 with always-on display” theverge.com theverge.com
• 9to5Mac – “Apple Watch SE 3 announced, with S10 chip and always-on display” 9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com
• India Today – “Apple unveils Watch Series 11, affordable Watch SE 3 and premium Ultra 3” indiatoday.in indiatoday.in
• Reuters – “Apple launches slimmer iPhone Air, new iPhone 17” (Event coverage, Sep 9, 2025) reuters.com reuters.com