Updated September 3
• The Apple Watch SE 3 may be even more affordable than its predecessors, matching Samsung's new budget-minded Galaxy Watch FE.
• Apple has a product event scheduled for September 9.
• The Apple Watch SE 3 is likely switching from metal to all-plastic.
• The Apple Watch SE 3 may not come out this year.
You might think it would be time for an Apple Watch SE 3, given how Apple didn't come out with a new budget-friendly watch last year. But there just hasn't been that much information about the latest version of the Apple Watch SE, even if we are expecting an announcement sooner rather than later.
So far, the Apple Watch SE is on a two-year cadence of updates. The first model came out in 2020, followed by the Apple Watch SE (2022) two years later. Sure enough, it's now two years since that second edition arrived, which puts us on track for an Apple Watch SE 3.
Should a new SE model appear this year, it would also line up with the 10th anniversary of the original Apple Watch, which Apple unveiled at a September 2014 product event, even if it didn't start selling the watch until the following spring. With an Apple product event on the books for next week, it would mean the Apple Watch SE 3 appears alongside the rumored Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
The second-generation Apple Watch SE (2022) is not only one of the best Apple Watches but also one of the best smartwatches due to its value. But the new model would face greater competition than before. Samsung just revealed its lower-cost Galaxy Watch FE watch in June for $199 featuring BioActive health monitoring and the latest Wear OS updates.
So will Apple stick to a two-year pattern and combat Samsung with a worthy Apple Watch SE successor this fall? Here's everything we know so far about the Apple Watch SE 3, including predictions for price, design, features and its overall outlook.
Apple Watch SE 3 Cheat Sheet: Biggest rumors
- Release date prediction: September 2024
- Price prediction: $199 to $249 and up
- Design: Same basic design as the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch SE (2022), though potentially slightly larger
- Display: More durable display, same screen as the 2022
- Chip: S9 chip
- Features: Possible, ECG tracking and AI-driven health/fitness tracking
- Software: watchOS 11
Apple Watch SE 3: Price and release date
An early report on the Apple Watch SE 3 indicated that the smartwatch would arrive in 2024. More or less, this means we can expect to to see the wallet-friendly watch at Apple's fall product event, which is set for September 9. The only other potential release date this year, would come later in the fall when Apple launches it's new lineup of MacBooks and Macs, though we doubt that will happen.
As for price, the current SE model starts $249 for the 40mm size and $279 for the 44mm variant.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims that Apple may release the SE at even lower price, which would be a nice surprise. The lower price may come from some design decisions Apple is reportedly making with the new watch — more on that below.
Apple Watch SE 3: Design and Display
One big change that Apple might make with the SE 3 is moving from a partially metal body to an all-plastic version. Allegedly, Apple is toying with the idea in an attempt to reduce costs and speed up production.
The 2022 models already changed the case to a nylon composite plastic, but the shell remained aluminum. The change would make the device less environmentally friendly, though, and Apple has been pushing to increase the sustainability of its products.
The only other Apple Watch SE 3 report we've seen comes from analyst David Hsieh of Omdia who claims that Apple might make the SE 3 watches bigger. According to Hsieh, the SE 3 might have similar size options as the Apple Watch 8, meaning it's moving up from 40mm and 44mm to 41mm and 45mm. That would match the size of smartwatches from other manufacturers including the recently released Google Pixel Watch 3. Hsieh's report dates back to January 2023, though, so it may no longer be in line with Apple's plans.
A bigger iPhone SE would mean about 20% more screen real estate on the display. We've seen no display reports for the SE 3, but the 2022 model features an OLED screen with a Retina display, something we don't see changing.
Apple Watch SE 3: Specs and features
Again, there has been a dearth of information about the Apple Watch SE, but we expect it will launch with at least the S9 chip. If Apple is being generous, perhaps the S10, rumored to launch with the Apple Watch 10, which is also tagged for a release at Apple's September 9 event.
Briefly, we have no word on the SE 3's potential battery but the 2022 version had a 245 mAh battery that lasted about 18 hours. We expect at a minimum a bigger battery with some software optimization to maybe crack the 24-hour mark.
The Apple Watch 7 introduced fast charging to Apple's watch lineup, but the SE 2 did not get that feature. We imagine the third-generation SE watch will probably get fast charging.
The Apple Watch SE 3 will more than likely bring features from the Watch 8 and Watch 9 but it's unclear what ones. The SE watches have focused on essential health tracking, with more advanced tracking slated for the flagship watches. We're not sure what Apple will consider essential between 2022 and now, though we could see ECG tracking finally make its way into the SE, something that has been available in the main series since 2018.
As for software, it's most likely the SE 3 will launch with watchOS 11, the software update currently in beta.
Apple Watch SE 3: Outlook
The Apple Watch SE 3 will be a much-upgraded version from the 2022 model — it's just unclear to what extent Apple will make changes, particularly if it hopes to sell the new version at a lower cost than before.
Right now the biggest question is whether the Apple Watch SE 3 is part of Apple's immediate plans. Clearly, the Apple Watch 10 will be a big part of the company's September 9 launch event, and there are enough Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors out there to make us think that's gearing up for a release in short order. Apple Watch SE 3 information is a little harder to come by.
We'll find out what Apple's plans are soon enough, as we get closer to that September 12 launch date.
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