Apple Watch SE 3 Review: The best budget-Apple Watch so far

Apple has released a budget-Apple Watch for the first time in three years: the Apple Watch SE 3. This is what we think of the new smartwatch!

Apple Watch SE 3 Review

The popular Apple Watch SE 2 finally has a successor with a number of cool improvements: the Apple Watch SE 3. If you have an Apple Watch SE from 2022, then it is a good time to switch. We list the most important improvements for you:

The same design and a new screen function

The Apple Watch SE 3 has not changed in terms of design and size. You can still opt for a case of 40 or 44 millimeters. In addition, you can choose from the colors midnight and star light. Silver is no longer there. The housing is relatively small and thick compared to the Apple Watch Series 11, but that was already the case with the predecessor.

Furthermore, you will again get a retina screen of 1.78 inches with a resolution of 448 x 368 pixels. Yet something has changed here. The Apple Watch SE 3 has an always-on function and that is for the first time on a budget-Apple Watch. As far as we are concerned, a very big plus, because it is one of the biggest annoyances of the SE 2022.

The maximum brightness of the screen has not improved by 1000 Nits compared to the predecessor. For comparison: the screen of the Apple Watch Series 11 has a maximum brightness of 2000 Nits and can therefore be read a lot in direct sunlight. Finally, the screen is made of ION-X-Glas, which is 4 times as resistant to cracks as that of the previous generation. We therefore do not worry about damage, the screen is still free of scratches.

A fast chip and more storage space

The new Apple Watch SE 3 runs on the super-fast S10 chip, which is also in the Apple Watch Series 11, with a 4-core Neural Engine which ensures an even smoother user experience. So you don’t have to buy more expensive Apple Watch for the speed. In practice, cover new SE does not feel slow at any time. It is therefore quite a step when we look at the predecessor, because it still runs on an S8 chip.

You may think that you don’t need a lot of storage space on your Apple Watch. That changes when, for example, you save music, which you can listen to without iPhone offline. Handy for when you exercise and prefer not to take your iPhone with you. The Apple Watch SE from 2022 has 32 GB of storage space. With 64 GB, the new Apple Watch SE 3 has no less than twice as much storage space. We are very satisfied with this, in practice we have not needed that much storage space.

Charging faster

With a maximum of 18 hours, the battery life of the Apple Watch SE 3 lags a little behind that of the more expensive models (for example, the Apple Watch Series 11 gets no less than 24 hours). And compared to the predecessor, the battery life of the SE 3 remained the same (18 hours). But that does not mean that nothing has changed in energy management.

The Apple Watch SE 3 now supports fast charging: in 45 minutes you go from 0 to 80 percent. That is still not as fast as the Apple Watch Series 11, because it does 80 percent in just half an hour. Yet it is a lot of progress compared to the Apple Watch SE 2022. Forget your Apple Watch SE 3 before you go to bed? Charging eight minutes is enough to be able to track eight hours of sleep again.

Health functions

The new Apple Watch SE 3 has the same sensors as the Apple Watch SE 2022 (gear meter, gyroscope, heart rate monitor, barometer, altimeter and compass), with one extra sensor. He also has a sensor to measure your body temperature. Functions such as sleep score, accident detection and fall detection are also supported by the new Apple Watch. Moreover, the SE 3 also supports sleep apnea detection (in contrast to its predecessor).

Although the most important health features are covered with this, there are also a number that are missing. For example, you have to do it without the new high blood pressure detection of Watchos 26. The ECG app and the saturation app are also not available on the Apple Watch SE 3. If you find these health functions important, then you better look at the Apple Watch Series 11.

The newest gestures

The new SE also supports the handy gesture function ‘Tap Double’, with which you can operate the Apple Watch with one hand. Handy if you don’t both have your hands free. And the newest gesture ‘fast wrist movement’ is also supported. That way you quickly and easily close notifications that appear on the screen without having to use your other hand. Below you can see how that works.

Conclusion

The Apple Watch SE 3 is without a doubt a fast and solid Apple Watch, and that for a relatively low price. Compared to the predecessor, many things have been improved (Always-on screen, fast S10 chip, more storage space, fast loading, a sensor for measuring your body temperature and sleep apnea detection). Compared to the Apple Watch Series 11 you have to make a few concessions (blood pressure detection, ECG app, saturation app, charging even faster, longer battery life, larger screen), but you also save a lot of money.

If you just want a good Apple Watch with only the most important functions for which you don’t have to pay the main prize, then the Apple Watch SE 3 is definitely an excellent choice!

Buy Apple Watch SE 3

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