Here's everything we currently know about the Apple Watch SE 3

Anticipated Improvements on Apple Watch SE 3

Earlier this year, research firm Omdia reported that the third-generation Apple Watch SE will have the same size as the Apple Watch Series 8. The Series 8 and Series 9 Apple Watches share the same screen size, featuring a slightly rounder and larger case design compared to the Series 6 to accommodate a larger, slimmer display.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the third-generation Apple Watch SE will adopt the design of the Apple Watch Series 7, as well as larger case and screen sizes. This means it will offer users the options of 41mm and 45mm, compared to the current 40mm and 44mm of the ‌Apple Watch SE‌, providing nearly 20% more display area.

The second generation of the ‌Apple Watch SE‌ used the S8 chip, based on A13 Bionic, delivering similar performance to the previous S6 and S7 chips. It's highly likely that the third-generation model will be upgraded to the S9 chip based on the A15 Bionic.

The S9 chip contains over 60% more transistors to deliver 30% faster performance compared to the S8 chip of the ‌Apple Watch SE‌. It also features a double-speed four-core Neural Engine. These improvements allow for faster and more reliable Siri responses on the device, as well as access to health and fitness data. Spell-check accuracy is also improved by 25% thanks to the processor.

The second-generation ‌Apple Watch SE‌ featured the second-generation optical heart sensor from Apple. It's known that the company introduced the third-generation optical heart sensor on the Series 6 in 2020, so there's a high possibility that the 2024 lineup of Apple Watch SE, including the affordable Apple Watch SE 3, will receive an upgrade in this aspect.

Fast charging capability was introduced on the Apple Watch Series 7, enabling up to 80% charge in approximately 45 minutes. This feature was omitted from the second-generation ‌Apple Watch SE‌, but it seems like this is a feature that Apple may ultimately decide to incorporate into the third generation of this product line.

What features will remain unchanged on the Apple Watch SE 3?

‌Apple Watch SE‌ 2 utilized a rear casing made of composite nylon in matching colors to reduce costs. This design is likely to continue on its successor model.

Additionally, the blood oxygen sensor and ECG app, as well as body temperature sensing functionality, may not appear on the third-generation Apple Watch SE. Both the first and second-generation ‌Apple Watch SE‌ models have shed many premium features for a more affordable price, and a similar strategy is likely to be applied by Apple to the third-generation model.

If it adopts any new health features from the main Apple Watch line, the highest likelihood is ECG since this feature first appeared on the Apple Watch series 4 launched in 2018.

Similarly, ‌Apple Watch SE‌ has never possessed an Ultra Wideband chip, so there's a possibility that Apple will equip the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for the Apple Watch SE 3.

Release Date

It is known that the first two generations of the Apple Watch SE were launched in September 2020 and September 2022. Therefore, many sources currently suggest that the Apple Watch SE 3 will appear around the fall of 2024.