Apple Watch SE 3 review — Features, specs & buying guide

✨Excellent value for price 

The Apple Watch SE 3 is a budget-friendly Apple Watch with the new S10 chip, an Always-On Retina display, and improved health features like a temperature sensor and sleep scoring. It runs on watchOS 10 and includes safety tools like fall and crash detection. Despite a lack of ECG and blood oxygen sensors, and its 18-hour battery life being average, the performance and features are excellent for the price. 

Back Market rigorously vets sellers and products, so the refurbished items guarantee premium functionality.  Overall, buying the SE 3 on Back Market is a great way to get advanced Apple Watch features while saving money and helping the environment.   

Why you can trust this list 

Back Market is the world’s leading marketplace for certified refurbished tech. Back Market has sold over 30 million devices and helped avoid roughly 1.6 million tons of CO₂ emissions through reuse. Every device is carefully vetted through rigorous quality checks to make sure the various products are restored to premium functionality.  

Back Market boasts 373,000+ verified customer reviews, with a 4.3/5 average. The company is also a certified B-Corp and meets high social and environmental standards. This track record and transparency is why you can trust this expert review and our other recommendations. 

"What a great experience! Your website is easy to navigate, the selection of refurbished watches is pretty impressive, your prices are lower than most places I checked, delivery was really fast and, best of all, I love my new Apple Watch!” —Teri R. 

Bottom Line 

❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤 4/5: Excellent value 

The Apple Watch SE 3 brings flagship features (Always-On display, crash detection, and sleep and temperature sensing) to a mid-range price. Our review covers its complete specs, pros and cons, and shopping advice.  Learn about key points like battery life and missing ECG/SpO₂ support, and we also compare prices and highlight how to score the best deals. In summary, the SE 3 is a great value watch, and buying it refurbished can save you money while being eco-friendly. 

Apple Watch SE 3 specs 

Differences in the display 

The Apple Watch SE 3 adds an Always-On Retina OLED screen, which the SE 2 didn’t have, so you can see the time and notifications without raising your wrist. Both models keep the same case sizes (40mm and 44mm), and the peak brightness remains the same around 1000 nits, but the SE 3 uses tougher Ion X glass for improved crack resistance. 

  ✨Key takeaway: An Always-On display and stronger glass make the SE 3 noticeably more usable and tougher than the SE 2. 

Processor, performance, and storage 

The SE 3 runs on Apple’s S10 chip, which is significantly faster and more responsive than the S8 chip in the SE 2. The storage also doubles from 32GB in SE 2 to 64GB in SE 3, giving you more room for apps, music, and offline content.  

✨Key takeaway: A faster chip and more storage space translate into real-world speed and future-proofing over the SE 2. 

Health, sensors, and safety features 

The SE 3 introduces a wrist temperature sensor, Sleep Score, and improved crash detection — features that were not available on the SE 2. Core sensors like the optical heart rate monitor and activity tracking remain, but the SE 3 still doesn’t include ECG or blood oxygen monitoring, which are reserved for higher-tier models. For everyday safety and improved sleep insights, the SE 3 is a clear step up from the SE 2, while advanced medical metrics remain absent. 

✨Key takeaway: The SE 3 adds practical health and safety tools beyond the SE 2, but it doesn’t add ECG or blood oxygen sensing. 

Battery, charging, and connectivity 

Battery life is similar across the SE 3 and SE 2 at about 18 hours of normal use, so you can expect to get one full day out of it between charges. The SE 3 supports faster charging, around 80% quicker than the older model, which helps if you need a quick boost. Cellular models now support newer network capabilities, while GPS-only options remain available. 

✨Key takeaway: Charging speed and improved network support are the main wins here, while battery life stays largely unchanged. 

Size, build, and design 

Externally, the SE 3 looks and feels much like the SE 2. It keeps an aluminum case, and the same overall dimensions with a 40mm and a 44mm size available. The color choices have shifted toward modern finishes, but there’s no stainless steel or premium material option in the SE line. 

✨Key takeaway: If you want a new look, the SE 3 is not a reinvention. It is simply an internal and screen-focused upgrade over the SE 2. 

Pros and cons of the Apple Watch SE 3 

Features and benefits 

The Apple Watch SE 3 throws many of the most modern features into an affordable package. It also comes with an Always-On Retina display, so you can glance at the time or other notifications without lifting your wrist.  

Under the hood, the new S10 processor gives you snappy performance, with on-watch Siri and double-tap gestures for control. The SE 3 adds valuable health and safety tools, including a wrist temperature sensor and Sleep Score in watchOS 10, plus Crash Detection and International SOS. It tracks workouts and heart rate, even detecting high and low heart rates.  

“Best SE update ever. I am surprised they included this many features” —redditor977 

✨Key takeaway: Despite its extensive feature set, the SE 3 is incredibly well priced. So, you get nearly all the core Apple Watch benefits like fitness tracking, connectivity, and safety at a fraction of the cost of the higher-end models. 

Shopping tips 

When shopping for the Apple Watch SE 3, there are a few things that'll save you money, like research and timing. Here are a few things to consider: 

• Make sure to check Back Market listings regularly. New devices are added all the time, and you don’t have to wait for special deals — our prices are great year-round.  

• Compare listings by condition, like “Good,” “Very Good,” or “Excellent”, to balance price vs. wear.  

• Use filters (size, color, GPS vs. Cellular) to find your exact configuration.  

• Read seller ratings and buyer reviews on Back Market for reassurance.  

• Don’t forget to take advantage of the 12-month warranty and free 30-day returns, which make these refurbished devices low risk.  

• Think about holiday sales (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) and trade-in bonuses if you’re planning on selling your old watch.  

Subscribing to Back Market emails or newsletters can also alert you to extra discounts.  

By shopping smart, and maybe even trading in old tech for credit, you can get an SE 3 at an even better price.     ✨Key takeaway: Check listings for promotional and seasonal deals, find the best fit for you, and enjoy your 12-month warranty. 

Is refurbishing the way to go? 

Buying the Apple Watch SE 3 refurbished can be a smart choice for savings and sustainability. Refurbished units cost significantly less than new ones, often 15% to 50% less, while still offering you premium functionality.     Back Market devices are professionally refurbished, meaning each watch is inspected and tested by professionals. Any defective parts are replaced, so the device is restored to premium functionality. You still get a 12-month warranty and 30-day return period for peace of mind. Also, choosing refurbished extends a product’s life and reduces e-waste.  

Buying refurbished from Back Market means you get to enjoy all the SE 3’s features and Apple’s ecosystem at a lower cost and with environmental benefits. 

Why not trade in your old tech? 

Instead of tossing your old device, you could use Back Market’s trade-in program to offset the cost of your new Apple Watch. Fill out some information about your device on the Trade-in page and get an instant quote from our refurbishers.  

The process is simple:  

1. Accept the offer. 

2. Ship your device to us for free. 

3. You’ll receive a bank deposit once the refurbisher verifies its condition.  

Payouts typically arrive within five business days of approval, so you get to trade your old electronics in for actual cash rather than letting them gather dust.  

Back Market handles the data wipe and gives you a prepaid shipping label, so the trade-in process is as easy and secure as possible. 

Comparing prices 

*Back Market prices taken at the date of publication — these are subject to change. 

Final thoughts on the Apple Watch SE 3 

The Apple Watch SE 3 offers much of what makes Apple Watches great, like a bright display, robust fitness and safety features, and smooth performance, all at a budget-friendly price. The Always-On screen and added health sensors are just a couple of the welcome improvements. The main compromises you have to make are the missing blood oxygen and ECG features, and only having an aluminum case, but that’s expected at this price point.  

For most users, the SE 3 is an excellent value for its price. Buying refurbished from Back Market can improve that value even more. You’ll save money, get the same tech quality under strict inspection, and help reduce waste.  

At the end of the day, the SE 3 is an ideal middle-ground watch, and buying refurbished can make it even more attractive for shoppers concerned with prices.