If you’ve been waiting for an attractive Apple Watch SE 3 discount to kick off 2026, then you’re in luck as we’ve finally found a major saving worth shouting about. And it’s cheaper than what we saw during Black Friday 2025!
A decent 16% saving on Apple’s most affordable smartwatch, with prices starting at AU$337 for the smaller 40mm variant (down from AU$399), means you’re getting even better value than ever before as the SE 3 offers more than what its predecessor did at the same retail price. The larger 44mm model also gets a decent price drop, dipping from AU$449 to AU$387.
We called the SE 3 the best Apple Watch for most people in our review, and with these discounts on the table, it becomes a no-brainer for iPhone owners who have been itching to slap Apple’s wearable on their wrist.
The Apple Watch SE 3 might not have received any changes to its design when it was unveiled in September 2025, but it did get a host of internal upgrades that make it one worth serious consideration for any wearable wannabes.
Perhaps most importantly, it benefits from the same S10 chip that powers the Series 11 and Ultra 3, which means navigating through and using watchOS 26 is smooth as butter.
It’s also the first Watch SE model to get an always-on display. Previously, this was a big factor in the standard Apple Watch being recommended over the SE, as the always-on display makes glancing at the time and notifications a breeze. Now the SE 3 gets the same treatment, and it starts to become clearer why we reckon it’s the best Watch model for most people.
Another worthwhile upgrade is support for fast charging – so while battery life is still rated at up to 18 hours, recharging is less of a chore. Apple says you can go from 0% to 80% in about 45 minutes. You’ll still likely need to recharge every night, but if you forget, you should be able to get it fully juiced before you leave the house in the morning.
The Watch SE 3 also gets a new Wrist Flick feature, which lets you flick your wrist back to return to the home screen. (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
Notable feature omissions include an ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, hypertension notifications and sleep apnoea tracking – you’ll want to move up to the Watch 11 if you want those – but not everyone will need such in-depth health tracking. Perhaps you just want an Apple Watch for fitness tracking and to be an extension of your iPhone, in which case it’s easy to recommend the SE 3. Indeed, my colleague and long time Apple Watch wearer, Sharm, admits that while she loves her Watch 11, she admits the Watch SE 3 is the better choice for most people.
I’m not sure how long these Apple Watch SE 3 discounts will last, but given the fact Apple discounts of this size are rare and stocks run out real quick when it happens, I don’t expect them to last long. So get a wriggle on.
Note that I’ve called out the GPS model specifically. If you’d like the option to add cellular connectivity, you can get it from AU$427 for the 40mm size. Alternatively, the Apple Watch Series 11 is also discounted by up to 27%, depending on size.