SE 3 Test: Review & Performance

Price and availability

When buying the Apple Watch SE 3 you have six options: midnight or polar star as colors – 40 mm or 44 mm as case sizes – 5G or preferably WiFi-only. The prices are as follows:

Depending on your taste, you can also book bracelets that are made of different materials. A rubber band is included as standard. If you already use an older Apple smartwatch, you can of course exchange it.

Design & workmanship of the Watch SE 3

Okay, at first glance the Watch SE 3 cannot be distinguished from the previous model. If you want to show off an Apple Watch in 2025, you can choose the huge Apple Watch Ultra 3, which wearable expert Camila has already tested for nextpit! The SE 3, on the other hand, is available in sizes 40 mm and 44 mm; Apple sent us the 44 mm model for our test. The manufacturer doesn’t mean the diameter of the watch, but rather the vertical length when looking at it.

The housing is always made of aluminum and is painted in the colors “Polarstern” and “Midnight”. But you don’t get much out of the smartwatch’s casing. Because it is completely covered by a glass pane under which two high-quality OLED panels sit. Depending on the housing size, the display sizes also differ. What’s nice to see is that the display edges on both watches are narrow and the pixel density is 226 ppi.

Individual pixels cannot be recognized this way. The LTPO-capable OLED panels also achieve up to 1,000 nits and are easy to read even in the sunshine. Thanks to LTPO, the refresh rate drops so low when not in use that Apple offers an always-on mode. This usually shows the time permanently, which is really practical in everyday life.

We already know these properties from the previous model. What is new, however, is that Apple uses a particularly hard Ion-X glass, which, according to the manufacturer, offers four times better resistance to breakage. We haven’t tested this – otherwise there will be trouble from the manufacturer.

However, there is little trouble with the watch’s operating concept. Because we have a completely new way to interact with the smartwatch. What remains is the digital crown, which is really wonderfully precise. What’s clever, however, is that even the cheapest Apple Watch can now recognize two gestures. If we tap our thumb and middle finger together, we can switch through cards on the watch (more on that in a moment). If we shake the wrist, we delete notifications. This works well enough for Apple to use the function. An added value, with the Xiaomi Watch S4 (for testing) I used the function less often.

With a weight of only around 33 and just under 26 g respectively, both case sizes are wonderfully light. I usually wear a Withings Scanwatch Nova that weighs 132 g and have often forgotten the Apple Watch while wearing it. As standard, Apple includes a rubber strap that offers a rather unconventional closure. You first push a pin through a hole and push the remaining band through a buckle. I prefer conventional bracelets – but you can also buy them for the Watch SE 3.

Another big compliment to Apple: The Watch SE 3’s vibration motor is really awesome. After a while you can tell from the vibration which event the watch is trying to signal to you. Overall, the SE 3 is and remains a high-quality and, above all, inconspicuous smartwatch. The operation will be even better in 2025 and there are no disadvantages after several days of testing. Class!

Apple ecosystem ace

What is truly unique in the world of smartwatches is Apple’s connection between the iPhone, Apple Watch, MacBook and Co. Because Apple is always finding little tricks in how the ecosystem of devices can communicate with each other. For example, Face ID in the iPhone can unlock the Apple Watch or all devices can be muted when you activate focus mode on the MacBook.

The third generation Apple Watch SE also benefits from WatchOS 26. The new Apple Watch operating system also shines in a liquid glass design, which is modern and quite bold. However, Apple creates better readability here than on the iPhone because not as many elements in the menus are transparent.

The operation of the Apple Watch is also largely determined by apps and the “smart stacks”, which can be adapted to your own needs. Apple’s new “Smart Stacks” understand a little about what information you need on your wrist. If I’m on the move, the watch automatically shows me the route I’ve traveled via Google Maps. Or the watch suggests the camera remote control when I take a photo with my iPhone.

Before I briefly talk about the apps again, I recommend Camilla’s article with the 10 top features in WatchOS 26! And now to the apps: In my experience, there is no other smartwatch that can add so many new functions. I can find Spotify as a native app on the watch, display QR codes for packages in the DHL app, check my travel route in the DB Navigator and much more. This, and thanks to smartphone independence thanks to the 5G module, makes the Apple Watch really useful in everyday life. Other established manufacturers don’t do this nearly as well.

Technik & Tracking

Surprise: The Watch SE 3 gets the same SoC as the Watch Ultra 3 (for testing) and the Watch Series 11. This puts it on par with the more expensive models from this year in terms of performance. Compared to the previous model, Apple has also doubled the storage capacity. We get 64 GB instead of 32 GB. So we shouldn’t run out of storage for offline music, apps and the like.

The watch’s range of functions is less impressive, but solid. We get the 2nd generation heart rate sensor with temperature measurement, but without ECG and blood oxygen measurement. Plus accident and fall detection, Apple’s noise monitoring and over 25 native training modes. We can track these via GPS and get health features such as cycle tracking, mindfulness, breathing exercises and better sleep monitoring including notifications about sleep apnea.

The SE 3 is technically behind some competitors and also behind the Series 11 and the Ultra model. Measuring blood oxygen levels in particular would support sleep tracking. Because Apple has to use microphones to detect sleep apnea – this makes for an uneasy feeling when sleeping. But let’s take a closer look at the three central measurement points “heart”, “sleep” and “tracking”.

Heart rate and health

I was able to secure approval from Apple in the USA as a medical product for the Apple Watch. This is a reason for many people to get Apple Watches in case of an emergency – i.e. atrial fibrillation or noticeable changes in heart rate. The Apple Watch then warns in good time and advises users to see a doctor. The “big” watch models from Series 9 and the Ultra 2 can now also issue these warnings in the event of increased blood pressure. Completely without a swelling cuff, as can be found in the Huawei Watch D.

Together with the ECG function and a blood oxygen level measurement, the SE 3 is missing three useful functions for determining heart health. The currently cheapest Apple Watch was still very reliable when monitoring heart rate:

Here you can see the comparison to the Withings Scanwatch Nova, which in my test was able to come very close to wearing a chest strap while jogging. Slight deviations are normal here – for most people, the cheapest Apple Watch is definitely suitable for the orientation based on the heart rate zones.

What’s very interesting in the area of ​​”heart health” is that Apple has not yet placed much focus on HRV. Heart rate variability is used by trackers such as the Whoop 5.0 (for testing) as a central guide for recovery and stress during sports. Withings also delivered an update to HRV in summer 2025. Apple also records HRV, but you have to search for it a bit in the Health app. If you like, you can then pin the value on the homepage of the Health app.

Sleep tracking

Quite tiring, so many technical words! Let’s take a little nap and use the SE 3 for sleep tracking. First of all, positive: Due to its size and low weight, the Watch SE 3 is hardly noticeable when sleeping. It can also wake us up with vibrations and sounds, which means that the smartphone no longer has to be in the bedroom. Wearing the SE 3 on your wrist while sleeping also has other advantages.

The smartwatch monitors our sleep and detects sleep phases, dangerous sleep apnea and the resting heart rate. However, the SE 3 must not be in battery saving mode, otherwise it will not record sleep data. It confirmed that I had excellent sleep quality, which matched the results of my Scanwatch Nova just a few weeks ago. However, after integrating the HRV, the Scanwatch no longer finds my sleep as good – it is therefore difficult to compare it to the Apple Watch.

Tracking

What I really like about the Watch SE 3 is how the smartwatch handles sports activities. When I’m cycling or running fast, the watch asks me whether I’m currently training and want to track the activity. With a tap on my wrist, I can start a workout or mute notifications for the rest of the day. I find it more pleasant than automatic tracking, as it records a lot of nonsense in fitness apps.

When tracking, the watch shows me the current heart rate, the distance covered while running and cycling, and the current heart rate zone. I also see this information as a live notification on my iPhone and receive current statistics through my headphones. There are no wishes left unfulfilled for me here!

Overall, the Watch SE 3 is a good companion for sports and everyday life – but the smartwatch lacks tracking functions that I would expect at a price of over €200. Apple probably wants to leave room for the more expensive models here. Unfortunately, this is where the biggest drawbacks come from the “Special Edition”.

How long does the Watch SE 3 last?

I use a hybrid smartwatch in everyday life because I’m very bad at charging my devices. Accordingly, I was a little skeptical about how annoying I find the somewhat notorious battery life of the Apple Watch. Apple specifies this quite realistically at 18 hours and offers a quick charging function if the watch is empty before workouts or before sleeping. Overall, I would describe the battery of the SE 3 as “suitable for everyday use, but requires high maintenance”.

Because with an active lifestyle – we assume 1-2 workouts a day, which also includes cycling to work – we definitely have to charge the watch once a day. It takes almost exactly one hour to fully charge the smartwatch (table below) and you can’t wear the watch for that long. If you charge the watch while sleeping, you have to miss out on good sleep tracking. Anyone who charges the watch during the day should take a very long shower or have an office job.

This is less of a criticism of the SE 3, it’s more of a compromise that you have to accept with such a functional and light smartwatch. Other smartwatches with displays last longer, but they are usually heavier, can do less and are not as actively connected to the smartphone and other devices. In order to get a little closer to other smartwatches, Apple is also integrating a power saving mode.

This significantly reduces the range of functions of the watch. The watch limits heart rate measurement in the background, no longer recognizes gestures, deactivates the always-on display and also limits mobile communications and WiFi.

Noticeable: Using the Apple Watch reduces the running time of the iPhone

I would like to add a small sidenote: The constant connection between the Apple Watch and my iPhone seems to significantly reduce its battery life. I can usually get by all day with my iPhone 16 Pro, which I have capped at 80% charging capacity. Since I’ve been using the Watch SE 3, I’ve had to recharge it more often in the evening. Just so you’ve heard it!

Is the Watch SE 3 worth buying?