Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 23
Apple Upgrades $249 Watch SE 3 With S10 Chip and Always-On Display
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 23

Apple Upgrades $249 Watch SE 3 With S10 Chip and Always-On Display

3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jun 23

Summary

  • $249 Apple Watch SE 3 gets Apple’s S10 chip, an always-on display, fast charging and added health tools, marking a bigger jump from the SE 2 than Apple’s pricier recent watch updates.
  • The budget model now shares several Series 11 features, including heart-rate alerts, crash and fall detection, sleep tracking, temperature sensing and retrospective ovulation estimates, narrowing the gap between Apple’s entry and standard watches.
  • $399 Series 11 still keeps higher-end advantages in battery life, brighter 2,000-nit display, ECG, Blood Oxygen, hypertension notifications and premium case options, positioning it as the better fit for users wanting deeper health tracking.
  • Prime Day discounts have pushed the SE 3 to $199, the Series 11 to $279 and the Ultra 3 to $649, sharpening Apple’s pitch to first-time buyers and cost-conscious upgraders.

Insights

With new software making older models obsolete, what is the true long-term value of buying a new Apple Watch today?
As smartwatches become medical tools, how can hospitals bridge the costly data gap to actually use patient health information?