More up in the air post-iPhone 16 launch event
The Apple Watch is hugely popular and might be about to grow even more so as rumours begin to circulate about the upcoming refresh of the budget-friendly SE range.
Here’s all we know so far about the pricing, release date and features of the Apple Watch SE (3rd gen).
When will the Apple Watch SE 3 be released?
There’s no official date of when the next generation of Apple Watch SE will arrive, of course, but Apple has been consistent with the launch windows of its previous two generations. Here’s when they made their debuts:
- Apple Watch SE (1st gen) – September 15, 2020
- Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) – September 16, 2022
It made sense then that the 3rd generation model would arrive in September 2024 at the iPhone 16 launch event, alongside the anticipated Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.
However, we only saw the Series 10 and a new Black Titanium model of the Ultra 2 so the wait goes on for a new generation of SE smartwatch.
It could get a smaller, non-launch event with a keynote unveiling but we’ll have to wait and see.
What Apple did do alongside the Series 10 launch was relaunch the Watch SE 2. It confused us at first as it went up for preorder with the same release date but it turns out that it is due to new bands.
How much will the Apple Watch SE 3 cost?
Again, we haven’t had any confirmed details about pricing from Apple since the product doesn’t officially exist yet. So, we need to look to the previous generations for some guidance. Here’s how the baseline models lined up:
Apple Watch SE (1st gen)
- Apple Watch SE (1st Gen, GPS, 40mm) – $279/£269
- Apple Watch SE (1st Gen, GPS+Cellular, 40mm) – $329/£319
- Apple Watch SE (1st Gen, GPS, 44mm) – $309/£299
- Apple Watch SE (1st Gen, GPS+Cellular, 44mm) – $359/£349
Apple Watch SE (2nd gen)
- Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen, GPS, 40mm) – $249/£219
- Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen, GPS+Cellular, 40mm) – $279/£289
- Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen, GPS, 44mm) – $299/£289
- Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen, GPS+Cellular, 44mm) – $329/£319
The UK pricing was actually a little higher at launch, but this seemed to be linked to the high inflation and distribution issues caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The prices have dropped to the current figures now, perhaps illustrating a correction in the market.
We can’t see Apple raising these asking prices much, as it wouldn’t want to get too close to the more premium models. So, we’d expect the Apple Watch (3rd gen) to come in at very similar levels to the second generation model it replaces.
What new features will we see in the Apple Watch SE 3?
As you’ve probably surmised, Apple is keeping tight-lipped about what we might see in the next generation of its Watch.
Some rumours and leaks have already surfaced though, along with some pretty obvious upgrades that usually mark the release of a new model. Here’s what we think you should expect with the Apple Watch SE (3rd gen).
Faster processor
This one isn’t difficult, as Apple always brings a new generation chipset to its upgraded devices.
The Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) currently employs an S8 SiP (System in Package), and it seems likely that the newer model could be blessed with the S9 SiP that’s found in the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
While the relevant upgrades to those models move to the S10 SiP. The S9 would deliver improved performance over the S8, thanks to having 60% more transistors built-in, being able to process machine-learning tasks up to twice as fast as its predecessor, and GPU performance that’s boosted by around 30%.
Apple
Larger displays
Another strong rumour is that Apple will move the design of the Apple Watch SE (3rd gen) to one the same as the Apple Watch 7.
The reason for this is that it will enable the platform to move from the 40/44mm display sizes to the larger 41/45mm that was introduced with the Watch 7.
In real-terms, this would give the increased panels around 20% more space for information and those Mickey Mouse watch faces.
Health upgrades
One area where the SE models lag behind the premium models is in the areas of fitness tracking. While the main versions come with ECG, SpO2 tracking and a temperature sensor, the SE range doesn’t have any of these.
It had been speculated quite widely that the SpO2 feature might make its way to the Watch SE 3, but that is now in doubt, after Apple became embroiled in an argument with a company called Misimo which asserted that the technology violated its patents.
This resulted in the watches with the feature onboard having to be removed from shelves initially and now come (in the US) with the feature disabled.
Due to this ongoing disagreement, it’s uncertain whether Apple will press on with introducing the feature to the new SE model.
That’s all we’ve seen so far regarding the Apple Watch SE (3rd gen), but we’ll keep updating this article as more information comes to light. In the meantime, you can read our guide to the best smartwatches as well as the Macworld roundup of the best Apple Watch deals to see if you can find the right smartwatch for you at a price that suits.
