{"id":305734,"date":"2025-10-15T15:59:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/305734\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T15:59:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T15:59:17","slug":"the-best-budget-smartwatch-for-iphone-users-is-packed-with-premium-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/305734\/","title":{"rendered":"The best budget smartwatch for iPhone users is packed with premium features"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Psst! Don&#8217;t tell <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/organizations\/apple\/\" data-ylk=\"slk:Apple;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple<\/a>, but entry-level products are supposed to be limited. Less-than. Inferior to their pricier Pro counterparts. Yet we have the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/tech.yahoo.com\/computing\/article\/best-ipad-135040315.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:iPad (A16);cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iPad (A16)<\/a>, iPhone 17 and now Apple Watch SE 3, all affordable base models in their respective lineups, all ridiculously capable and undeniably good choices for most users. Scratch that: great choices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Let&#8217;s talk Watch SE 3, which still starts at $249 despite incorporating a multitude of improvements over the SE 2. In fact, it rivals the new Apple Watch Series 11 in many ways: same Apple S10 chip, an always-on screen, most of the same health features. But are you giving up anything truly important? And for someone looking to upgrade or buy their first smartwatch, is this the best pick? Here&#8217;s my Apple Watch SE 3 review.<\/p>\n<p><a data-ylk=\"aid:amazon_B0FQFW7M9H;cpos:1;itmId:$240;ll3:product-available;ll4:productoffer-auto;pid:amazon_B0FQFW7M9H;pdid:Apple Watch SE 3, GPS, 40mm;subsec:commlist;elmt:amazon;itemcost:$240;sellerN:Amazon;sec:large-product;elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;slk:$240 at Amazon;pkgt:horizontal-img;pos:1;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0FQFW7M9H&amp;siteId=us-tech&amp;pageId=pnr-product-module&amp;providerId=amazon&amp;contentUuid=9552f24f-a60d-4a84-9654-b069a7397fd8&amp;featureId=dynamic-offer&amp;itemName=Apple+Watch+SE+3%2C+GPS%2C+40mm&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;itemSourceId=B0FQFW7M9H&amp;brand=Apple&amp;categoryId=201&amp;price=239.99&amp;salePrice=239.99&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAAd-GLzvM4yXAL_iUQCuK42Ypl8MWvaasrXDWG63SBPEY&amp;spaceId=1197810144\" class=\"rapid-with-clickid group absolute size-full\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Image for the large product module\" data-aps-asin=\"B0FQFW7M9H\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"tech-p-v-276-20\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image for the large product module\" class=\"mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white object-contain @xl\/p:transition-transform @xl\/p:duration-300 @xl\/p:ease-in-out @xl\/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl\/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cf5a24c0-a865-11f0-b76f-f17d95f05389.png\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"absolute -right-0.5 bottom-0 rounded-bl-none rounded-br-lg rounded-tl-lg rounded-tr-none bg-white\/90 px-3 py-2 text-[10px]\/3 text-battleship\">Rick Broida\/Yahoo<\/p>\n<p><strong>VERDICT:<\/strong> This is the best smartwatch for most iPhone users, full stop. And the fact that it&#8217;s Apple&#8217;s most affordable model is icing on the cake.<\/p>\n<p> Pros<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mt-2 pl-6 leading-relaxed @xl\/p:text-lg\/[30px]\">\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Tons of upgraded features, same $249 starting price<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Same chip as the Series 11<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">The cellular model works with 5G networks<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Supports gestures<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Always-on display<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Cons<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mt-2 pl-6 leading-relaxed @xl\/p:text-lg\/[30px]\">\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Only two color options<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Slow to detect walks<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Not compatible with Android phones<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a data-ylk=\"aid:amazon_B0FQFW7M9H;cpos:1;itmId:$240;ll3:product-available;ll4:productoffer-auto;pid:amazon_B0FQFW7M9H;pdid:Apple Watch SE 3, GPS, 40mm;subsec:commlist;elmt:amazon;itemcost:$240;sellerN:Amazon;pos:3;sec:large-product;elm:affiliate_link;itc:0;pkgt:horizontal-cta-1;slk:$240 at Amazon;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&amp;itemId=amazon_B0FQFW7M9H&amp;siteId=us-tech&amp;pageId=pnr-product-module&amp;providerId=amazon&amp;contentUuid=9552f24f-a60d-4a84-9654-b069a7397fd8&amp;featureId=dynamic-offer&amp;itemName=Apple+Watch+SE+3%2C+GPS%2C+40mm&amp;merchantName=Amazon&amp;itemSourceId=B0FQFW7M9H&amp;brand=Apple&amp;categoryId=201&amp;price=239.99&amp;salePrice=239.99&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsInN0b3JlSWQiOiI2NmVhNTY3YS1jOTg3LTRjMmUtYTJmZi0wMjkwNGVmZGU2ZWEiLCJsYW5kaW5nVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYW1hem9uLmNvbS9kcC9CMEZRRlc3TTlIP3RhZz10ZWNoLTIwJmxpbmtDb2RlPW9naSZ0aD0xJnBzYz0xIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI5NTUyZjI0Zi1hNjBkLTRhODQtOTY1NC1iMDY5YTczOTdmZDgiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vZHAvQjBGUUZXN005SD90YWc9eWxlMDEtMjAmbGlua0NvZGU9b2dpJnRoPTEmcHNjPTEiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLXRlY2giLCJwYWdlSWQiOiJwbnItcHJvZHVjdC1tb2R1bGUiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJkeW5hbWljLW9mZmVyIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAd-GLzvM4yXAL_iUQCuK42Ypl8MWvaasrXDWG63SBPEY&amp;spaceId=1197810144\" class=\"peer clear-right box-border block w-full min-w-60 rounded-[40px] px-7 text-center hover:no-underline hover:opacity-100 active:opacity-60 @xl\/p:w-9\/12 rapid-with-clickid commerce-cta-btn-primary bg-article-ui-button py-3 font-semibold leading-5 text-article-ui-button-label hover:bg-article-ui-button-hover hover:text-grey-hair active:bg-article-ui-button-hover active:text-grey-hair peer-[&amp;]:mt-3 dark:bg-white dark:text-batcave dark:hover:bg-bob dark:focus:bg-bob dark:active:bg-bob\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-aps-asin=\"B0FQFW7M9H\" data-aps-asc-tag=\"tech-p-v-276-20\">$240 at Amazon<\/a>How much does the Apple Watch SE 3 cost?<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">As noted above, the baseline Watch SE 3 starts at $249. That&#8217;s for the 40mm display; an extra $30 buys you the 44mm model. Obviously a measly 4mm isn&#8217;t much, but if you can swing the extra cash, you&#8217;ll never regret choosing the larger screen. (That&#8217;s especially true for those of us with aging eyes.)<\/p>\n<p>Do you need cellular?<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Next decision: GPS-only or <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon Canada;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=63045c63-8df1-46e8-bdd0-1716edf6ace5&amp;itemId=amazon_B0FQFFRPYG&amp;siteId=us-tech&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=9552f24f-a60d-4a84-9654-b069a7397fd8&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon+Canada&amp;linkText=GPS%2BCellular&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAARcxi9zd2TqqK6hYLReoyWiCy2gfsTcE-RhRJNMdansw&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-Smartwatch-Midnight-Aluminum-Always%2Fdp%2FB0FQFFRPYG%2F&amp;spaceId=1197810144\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:GPS+Cellular;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon Canada;elmt:;cpos:2;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">GPS+Cellular<\/a>. The latter, which adds $50 to the price of any Watch model, gives you the option of adding cell service, effectively turning the SE into a standalone phone. You could then make or take calls, send or receive text messages and so on, even when your iPhone is nowhere nearby. The GPS-only SE can do those things as well, but only when it&#8217;s in Bluetooth range of your phone or connected to a Wi-Fi network.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">To me the cellular option falls under &#8220;nice to have,&#8221; as I&#8217;m rarely separated from my phone. I&#8217;d almost never use it, yet I&#8217;d be paying an extra monthly charge to my phone carrier. (A watch plan typically runs $10-15 per month.) On the other hand, if you&#8217;re a hiker, runner, paddleboarder or the like and don&#8217;t want to have to carry your phone on these excursions, definitely consider the GPS+Cellular model. And I&#8217;m happy to report the SE 3 supports 5G networks; the SE 2 was limited to 4G. That means it should work in more places than its predecessor.<\/p>\n<p>Watch SE 3 color options<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">On the flipside, the SE 2 was available in three colors; the SE 3 limits you to just Midnight Aluminum or Starlight Aluminum. That&#8217;s disappointing, but you can jazz up any Apple Watch by swapping out wristbands. (I&#8217;m partial to <a data-i13n=\"elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon Canada;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=63045c63-8df1-46e8-bdd0-1716edf6ace5&amp;itemId=amazon_B0DM87ZTLK&amp;siteId=us-tech&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=9552f24f-a60d-4a84-9654-b069a7397fd8&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon+Canada&amp;linkText=magnetic+bands+like+these&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1Rhc2lrYXItQ29tcGF0aWJsZS1SZXBsYWNlbWVudC1XcmlzdGJhbmQtQmxhY2stR3JleS9kcC9CMERNODdaVExLLz90YWc9dGVjaC0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiOTU1MmYyNGYtYTYwZC00YTg0LTk2NTQtYjA2OWE3Mzk3ZmQ4Iiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL1Rhc2lrYXItQ29tcGF0aWJsZS1SZXBsYWNlbWVudC1XcmlzdGJhbmQtQmxhY2stR3JleS9kcC9CMERNODdaVExLLyIsImR5bmFtaWNDZW50cmFsVHJhY2tpbmdJZCI6dHJ1ZSwic2l0ZUlkIjoidXMtdGVjaCIsInBhZ2VJZCI6IjFwLWF1dG9saW5rIiwiZmVhdHVyZUlkIjoidGV4dC1saW5rIn0&amp;signature=AQAAAUaW8KClLXt6hCXgHXNj5kihkr5S0sil8A0pD_ml5azv&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FTasikar-Compatible-Replacement-Wristband-Black-Grey%2Fdp%2FB0DM87ZTLK%2F&amp;spaceId=1197810144\" class=\"link  rapid-with-clickid etailiffa-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:magnetic bands like these;elm:affiliate_link;sellerN:Amazon Canada;elmt:;cpos:3;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">magnetic bands like these<\/a>, which are a breeze to put on and take off and look snazzy to boot.)<\/p>\n<p>How hard is it to set up and use the Apple Watch SE 3?<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Setup couldn&#8217;t be much easier, especially if you&#8217;re upgrading from an earlier model. As with AirPods, you just bring the watch close to your iPhone, then follow the onscreen prompts that appear. I did have to wait for a software update to download and install, which took well over half an hour, but otherwise it was smooth sailing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The watch charges via an included magnetic dock; Apple estimates just 45 minutes to go from zero to 80%, a significant improvement over the SE 2.<\/p>\n<p><a data-ylk=\"ct:story;elm:img;itc:0;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=63045c63-8df1-46e8-bdd0-1716edf6ace5&amp;itemId=amazon_B0FQFFRPYG&amp;siteId=us-tech&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=9552f24f-a60d-4a84-9654-b069a7397fd8&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon+Canada&amp;linkText=As+on+Apple+Watch+models%2C+the+SE+3%27s+default+app+view+is+a+disorganized+mess.+Good+luck+deciphering+all+the+icons.+%28Example%3A+Which+of+the+two+running-man+icons+do+I+want%3F%29+%28Rick+Broida%2FYahoo%29&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAARcxi9zd2TqqK6hYLReoyWiCy2gfsTcE-RhRJNMdansw&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-Smartwatch-Midnight-Aluminum-Always%2Fdp%2FB0FQFFRPYG%2F\" class=\"stretched-box\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img alt=\"A photo showing the Apple Watch's default app view, a cluster of disorganized, hard-to-interpret icons.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/5abad4b0-0361-11f0-9c9e-83ab9b5d4be7.jpeg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As on Apple Watch models, the SE 3&#8217;s default app view is a disorganized mess. Good luck deciphering all the icons. (Example: Which of the two running-man icons do I want?) (Rick Broida\/Yahoo)<\/p>\n<p>Same old interface<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">As for the interface, well, not much has changed \u2014 and I continue to have mixed feelings about it. It&#8217;s not that an Apple Watch is hard to use, but rather that there&#8217;s a lot to remember. For example, there&#8217;s the Crown, which rotates to control things like brightness and volume but is also a button. There&#8217;s the button below the crown; it brings up a menu with a lot of icons, some of which are pretty cryptic. (Curiously, there are no text labels unless you go into the edit menu to decide which icons should actually be displayed on this menu.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Speaking of cryptic, the default app view arranges tiny icons in a weirdly random grid; I&#8217;ve always had trouble finding the one I&#8217;m looking for and remembering which icon is for which app. (Many look alike, especially as third-party apps get added.) Thankfully, you can switch to an alphabetical list view that I find much easier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">I suspect new users may also struggle with basic navigation of the interface, like when to swipe down versus up (one brings you to notifications, the other to a &#8220;smart stack&#8221; of &#8220;live activities,&#8221; a.k.a. widgets). And when you&#8217;re tracking, say, a run, it&#8217;s not always evident how to navigate to other areas of the interface and then get back to the tracking screen. (The fact that Apple has frequently changed the interface and even what the buttons do over the past few years adds to the frustration.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The iPhone Watch app provides access to various settings, and like the iPhone&#8217;s own Settings app, the number of options here can feel overwhelming. Again, I won&#8217;t say difficult; there&#8217;s just a learning curve. Newcomers should definitely peruse the Apple Watch User Guide, which is conveniently accessible from within the Watch app.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s new (or improved) in the Apple Watch SE 3?<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">All Apple Watches make a great wearable extension of your iPhone; I love being able to read (and reply to) text messages right from my wrist, rather than having to pull out my phone. I love being able to find my phone with just a tap on the watch (think: reverse AirTag). And I love all the health-related stats, reminders and so on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">So what&#8217;s different in the Watch SE 3? Here&#8217;s a rundown of the changes I consider most important, and most likely to matter if you&#8217;re thinking about upgrading:<\/p>\n<p>Always-on<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">While I&#8217;ve never minded having to raise my wrist to get the screen to light up, I know many users have wished for an always-on option: When idle, the screen retreats to a dimmed, but still visible, mode so you can always see the time, date, etc. This is the first Watch SE model to include that.<\/p>\n<p><a data-ylk=\"ct:story;elm:img;itc:0;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=63045c63-8df1-46e8-bdd0-1716edf6ace5&amp;itemId=amazon_B0FQFFRPYG&amp;siteId=us-tech&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=9552f24f-a60d-4a84-9654-b069a7397fd8&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon+Canada&amp;linkText=The+Watch+SE+3+has+an+always-on+option%2C+meaning+the+screen+will+continue+to+show+the+date+and+time+even+when+inactive.+%28Rick+Broida%2FYahoo%29&amp;custData=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&amp;signature=AQAAARcxi9zd2TqqK6hYLReoyWiCy2gfsTcE-RhRJNMdansw&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-Smartwatch-Midnight-Aluminum-Always%2Fdp%2FB0FQFFRPYG%2F\" class=\"stretched-box\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img alt=\"A photo of the Watch SE 3's always-on display, which shows a dimmed date and time.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/78fcd9e0-a867-11f0-bbfb-561a44578b22.jpeg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Watch SE 3 has an always-on option, meaning the screen will continue to show the date and time even when inactive. (Rick Broida\/Yahoo)<\/p>\n<p>Battery life<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Although it&#8217;s still estimated at 18 hours, same as the SE 2, Apple claims you can get up to 32 hours of operation in low-power mode. (There was no such estimate offered for the SE 2.) And I already mentioned the significantly faster charging; if you want to wear the watch overnight for sleep-tracking, a mere eight minutes on the charger before bed is enough to buy you eight hours&#8217; worth of operation.<\/p>\n<p>Cellular<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">As noted above, if you choose a GPS+Cellular model, you&#8217;ll have the option of 5G service. While that&#8217;s typically more significant for data speeds, which aren&#8217;t really a factor on a smartwatch, it should also ensure the best possible call quality.<\/p>\n<p>Durability<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">As someone who has managed to scratch just about every Apple Watch he&#8217;s ever owned, I&#8217;m glad to see Apple touting a 4X improvement in crack-resistance over the Watch SE 2. (Actually, I don&#8217;t know if that will help against scratches or not; time will tell.)<\/p>\n<p>Gestures<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Another first for the SE lineup: gestures. Now you can flick your wrist to immediately dismiss whatever&#8217;s onscreen and return to the watch face. There&#8217;s also double-tap: Tap your thumb and index finger twice to answer a call or reply to a text message. If the watch is idle, the double-tap brings up SmartStack (a scrolling list of widgets).<\/p>\n<p>Built-in Siri<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">In previous Watch SE models, using Siri required your phone (or a Wi-Fi network) to be nearby. Now, you can perform all kinds of Siri-powered tasks \u2014 take a note, start a workout, show the current weather and so on \u2014 without an internet connection. That&#8217;s quite handy.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s not improved in the Apple Watch SE 3?<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Remember that all those updates pile on top of an already-great predecessor. But there are a few areas that still have room for improvement \u2014 or, at least, haven&#8217;t improved in any meaningful ways.<\/p>\n<p>Health features<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Apple had already set the health bar pretty high with the SE 2: heart-rate monitoring (including AFIB detection), sleep tracking, even noise-monitoring to help protect your ears. And of course you can track just about every exercise known to man (including, most important to me, pickleball). The SE 3 adds a few minor amenities \u2014 nightly wrist-temperature tracking, sleep-apnea notifications, ovulation estimates \u2014 but that&#8217;s about it. If you want echocardiogram (ECG), blood-oxygen sensing or hypertension notifications, you&#8217;ll need something from the Watch Series, er, series. (All three of those features are available on the Series 10 and 11, while the first two actually date all the way back to the Series 4 and 6, respectively.)<\/p>\n<p>Performance<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Apple loves to tout faster chips in nearly all its new products, and the SE 3&#8217;s S10 processor certainly sounds better on paper than the SE 2&#8217;s S8. But nothing about the predecessor ever seemed slow. And what would? I&#8217;m not streaming videos on the thing or playing Roblox. True, the new chip allows for features like on-watch Siri and wrist gestures, but those have nothing to do with performance. Obviously it&#8217;s always good to have the latest and greatest brain in your electronics; just don&#8217;t expect the watch to be &#8220;faster&#8221; somehow. It&#8217;s really not.<\/p>\n<p>Walk detection<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">One longstanding complaint I have with all Apple Watches: They&#8217;re inexplicably slow to auto-detect walks, either outdoors or on a treadmill. Usually I don&#8217;t get notified until at least 10 minutes in \u2014 and very often it&#8217;s at least 10 minutes after I&#8217;m done before it asks if I&#8217;m done. This can lead to skewed data on both ends of the activity. Why doesn&#8217;t Apple let me adjust walk-detection to kick in sooner?<\/p>\n<p><a data-ylk=\"ct:story;elm:img;itc:0;\" href=\"https:\/\/shopping.yahoo.com\/rdlw?merchantId=63045c63-8df1-46e8-bdd0-1716edf6ace5&amp;itemId=amazon_B0FQFFRPYG&amp;siteId=us-tech&amp;pageId=1p-autolink&amp;contentUuid=9552f24f-a60d-4a84-9654-b069a7397fd8&amp;featureId=text-link&amp;merchantName=Amazon+Canada&amp;linkText=The+Watch+SE+3+offers+some+lovely%2C+stylish+faces%2C+but+there%27s+still+no+marketplace+so+you+can+choose+from+thousands+instead+of+just+a+couple+dozen.+%28Rick+Broida%2FYahoo%29&amp;custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0FwcGxlLVNtYXJ0d2F0Y2gtTWlkbmlnaHQtQWx1bWludW0tQWx3YXlzL2RwL0IwRlFGRlJQWUcvP3RhZz10ZWNoLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiI5NTUyZjI0Zi1hNjBkLTRhODQtOTY1NC1iMDY5YTczOTdmZDgiLCJvcmlnaW5hbFVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFtYXpvbi5jb20vQXBwbGUtU21hcnR3YXRjaC1NaWRuaWdodC1BbHVtaW51bS1BbHdheXMvZHAvQjBGUUZGUlBZRy8iLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLXRlY2giLCJwYWdlSWQiOiIxcC1hdXRvbGluayIsImZlYXR1cmVJZCI6InRleHQtbGluayJ9&amp;signature=AQAAARcxi9zd2TqqK6hYLReoyWiCy2gfsTcE-RhRJNMdansw&amp;gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FApple-Smartwatch-Midnight-Aluminum-Always%2Fdp%2FB0FQFFRPYG%2F\" class=\"stretched-box\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img alt=\"A photo of the Watch SE 3 on its side, displaying one of the available Pride-themed faces.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"544\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"fig-image-round\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ed8cc950-a867-11f0-ab3f-6fefccc79df3.jpeg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Watch SE 3 offers some lovely, stylish faces, but there&#8217;s still no marketplace so you can choose from thousands instead of just a couple dozen. (Rick Broida\/Yahoo)<\/p>\n<p>Watch-face selection<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Apple still doesn&#8217;t have a marketplace for watch faces; you&#8217;re stuck with the company&#8217;s couple dozen offerings. They&#8217;re nice, but when I look at the dizzying array available for, say, <a data-i13n=\"cpos:4;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/tech.yahoo.com\/phones\/review\/amazfit-active-2-review-142045479.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Amazfit watches;cpos:4;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazfit watches<\/a>, I find myself wanting more and better choices. (Yes, you can use any photo as a customized background, but even that has some limits.)<\/p>\n<p>Still iPhone-only<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Just for the record, Android phone owners are still persona-non-grata when it comes to Apple Watch ownership. It needs an iPhone, and only an iPhone \u2014 though Apple does, thankfully, allow you to <a data-i13n=\"cpos:5;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/guide\/iphone\/set-up-a-childs-device-iphfd0b65920\/ios\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:set it up for children;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">set it up for children<\/a> in your family group who don&#8217;t have their own phone.<\/p>\n<p>Should you buy the Apple Watch SE 3?<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">This is without question that best Apple Watch for most users, as it offers nearly everything you&#8217;d want from the product at a price that&#8217;s quite reasonable \u2014 even if you pay a little extra for the larger model, which is definitely my pick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Should you consider the <a data-i13n=\"cpos:6;pos:1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/wearables\/apple-watch-se-3-vs-apple-watch-series-11-how-do-they-compare-120140064.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Apple Watch Series 11;cpos:6;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple Watch Series 11<\/a> instead? Beyond some cosmetic niceties \u2014 a bigger, brighter and more scratch-resistant screen and a thinner body with more color options \u2014 the aforementioned extra health features (ECG, blood-oxygen and hypertension monitoring) are the major feature step-ups. For day-to-day use, the big Series 11 improvement is better battery life: It can last about 24 hours on a charge, though to be honest I don&#8217;t see a huge advantage there if you dock your watch every night anyway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Like I said at the start, it&#8217;s almost as though Apple made its entry-level watch too good. But that&#8217;s good news for you; whether you&#8217;re buying your first one or upgrading from an older model, this gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up recommendation from me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Psst! Don&#8217;t tell Apple, but entry-level products are supposed to be limited. Less-than. Inferior to their pricier Pro&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":305735,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[239,4124,705,158,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-305734","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-apple","9":"tag-apple-watch","10":"tag-gadgets","11":"tag-technology","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115379016538700622","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}