September 9, 2025
PRESS RELEASE
Apple introduces Apple Watch SE 3
Apple Watch SE 3 now offers advanced health :br(l)::br(xl)::br(m):capabilities, an Always-On display, fast charging, :br(l)::br(xl)::br(m)::br(s):and more, at an incredible value
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced the next generation of Apple Watch SE, offering remarkable health, fitness, connectivity, and safety features, and the powerful capabilities of the S10 chip, at an incredible value. Apple Watch SE 3 delivers a more advanced set of health features than the previous generation — including sleep score, retrospective ovulation estimates, sleep apnea notifications, and wrist temperature sensing for richer Vitals app data — plus a robust set of fitness features to provide daily motivation. The S10 chip powers an Always-On display, the double tap and wrist flick gestures, on-device Siri, and fast charging. Apple Watch SE 3 also offers 5G cellular capabilities and a cover glass that is more durable than ever. watchOS 26 introduces a fresh look with Liquid Glass, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence, new watch faces, and more.
Apple Watch SE 3 can be pre-ordered today, with availability beginning Friday, September 19.
“Apple Watch SE offers a great way for users to start their Apple Watch journey, delivering outstanding health, fitness, safety, and connectivity features at an incredible value,” said Stan Ng, Apple’s vice president of Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing. “With even more health features, an Always-On display, and fast charging, we’re excited to see the ways Apple Watch SE 3 supports more people around the world to live a healthier and more active life.”
Always-On Display, Fast Charging, and 5G Cellular
The display on Apple Watch is central to every interaction, from viewing a notification, to taking a quick glance at workout metrics. With the S10 chip, Apple Watch SE 3 now features an Always-On display, allowing users to conveniently view the time and glance at notifications without raising their wrist or tapping the display. The cover glass is 4x more resistant to cracks than the previous generation, featuring a custom, proprietary grade of Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) glass, the toughest glass available in a smartwatch.
Even with the addition of the Always-On display, Apple Watch SE 3 offers all-day, 18-hour battery life, and also features fast charging for the first time. Apple Watch SE 3 now charges up to 2x faster than the previous generation; charging for 15 minutes can add up to eight hours of battery for daily use, and it can charge to about 80 percent in 45 minutes.
With a cellular plan, Apple Watch allows users to take calls, send messages, and even get help with emergency services when their iPhone isn’t with them.1 Apple Watch now offers 5G cellular capabilities that provide better performance with greater throughput, so music, podcasts, and apps download faster.2 The new 5G modem is more power efficient, using less battery for cellular.
Meaningful Health Insights
Building on its powerful suite of core health features, Apple Watch SE 3 introduces sleep score, which helps users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative.3 Fast charging makes it even easier for users to wear Apple Watch overnight to track their sleep, and sleep score adds to sleep insights including sleep duration, sleep stages, and other Vitals app data.
Sleep quality is influenced by several factors, such as sleep duration, bedtime consistency, how often a person wakes up, and how much time is spent in each sleep stage. With sleep score, Apple Watch helps track each of these categories to offer users a transparent and easy-to-understand metric for their overall sleep quality. After each night, sleep score provides an overall score and classification in the Sleep app on Apple Watch, plus a clear breakdown of the most critical components so users know what to prioritize to improve their sleep.
The scoring approach and prioritization algorithm of sleep score is informed by the latest guidance published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation, and World Sleep Society. Over 5 million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study were used to develop and test the scoring algorithms.
Additionally, Apple Watch SE 3 offers:
- Wrist temperature sensing, which can provide insight into overall wellbeing and adds to the other key health metrics available in the Vitals app. Apple Watch uses two temperature sensors and an advanced algorithm to compensate for the temperature of a user’s environment.
- Retrospective ovulation estimates, which use wrist temperature data to estimate the likely day of ovulation after it has occurred and improve period predictions, which can be helpful for family planning.
- Sleep apnea notifications, which alert users if they show consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea over a 30-day period. The algorithm analyzes accelerometer data to detect interruptions in regular respiratory patterns that are associated with sleep apnea.
These features add to the core set of health features available on Apple Watch SE 3, including heart health notifications, Cycle Tracking, and cardio fitness, plus safety features like Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Check In.4
Fitness Tracking and Motivation
Apple Watch offers daily fitness motivation, along with powerful insights into workouts, training, and more, across a variety of activities. The Activity app encourages users to close their three Activity rings — Move, Exercise, and Stand — by hitting personal, customizable daily goals. Users can also track a wide range of workouts with validated custom heart rate and calorie algorithms using the Workout app; stay motivated with Activity challenges and sharing; keep an eye on their progress with weekly summaries and trends; and monitor key fitness metrics like training load, cardio fitness, and cardio recovery.
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch SE 3 features Workout Buddy, a first-of-its-kind fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that analyzes a user’s workout data and fitness history to deliver personalized, spoken motivation throughout their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.5 Workout Buddy will be available starting in English across some of the most popular workout types, and is available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.
Additionally, the new layout of the Workout app makes it easier to customize workouts with Workout Views, custom workouts, Pacer, Race Route, and more. Apple Watch users can now conveniently view and create workouts in the Fitness app on iPhone, including custom workouts, and then easily access them in the Workout app on Apple Watch.
To add inspiration, users can set up music and podcasts right in the Workout app to automatically play when they start a workout. For convenience, Apple Music can now select the best music for a user’s workout based on the workout type and their personal tastes, or users can see suggestions for music or podcasts based on what they’ve recently listened to during that particular workout type.6
S10 Chip Brings On-Device Siri, One-Handed Gestures, Voice Isolation, and Media Playback
In addition to an Always-On display, the power of the S10 chip allows for faster on-device Siri, now with the ability to access and log health data. For requests that do not require information from the internet, such as starting a workout or setting a timer, results are delivered more quickly and with more reliable responses. On-device processing is private and secure, and now Siri can be used to access data from the Health app for health- and fitness-related queries.7
The S10 chip also brings the double tap and wrist flick gestures to Apple Watch SE 3, allowing users to do even more on Apple Watch with one hand. With the double tap gesture, users can simply tap their thumb and index finger together twice to select the primary action in a wide variety of apps and notifications, including opening the Smart Stack, answering and ending calls, viewing and sending a message, pausing or ending a timer, snoozing an alarm, and more. When a user raises their wrist to check a notification or call but isn’t ready to respond, the new wrist flick gesture allows them to quickly turn their wrist over and back to dismiss the notification.
Apple Watch SE 3 allows users to play media, like music or podcasts, directly through its speaker. For Phone or FaceTime audio calls, the S10 chip also powers Voice Isolation to suppress background noise, so a user’s voice sounds crisp and clear on the other end of the line — even in noisy environments.
Apple Watch For Your Kids
Apple Watch For Your Kids brings the connectivity, fitness, health, and safety features of Apple Watch to kids who do not have their own iPhone, so parents can have peace of mind while their kids gain more independence.8
Apple Watch For Your Kids makes it possible for parents to reach their child and identify their location via Find My, while kids also have access to powerful safety tools like Emergency SOS.9 Kids can also connect with family and friends through phone calls and messages, stay motivated to reach personalized Activity goals, express themselves through Memoji, download apps from the App Store, and enjoy features that give them more independence like Maps, Siri, and Alarms.
Featuring a cover glass made of the toughest glass in the industry, the ability to play media directly through the speakers, 5G cellular, and fast charging, Apple Watch SE 3 is an excellent option for Apple Watch For Your Kids. Apple Watch SE 3 can be set up with Apple Watch For Your Kids through a parent’s iPhone, and kids using Apple Watch For Your Kids will have their own Apple Account and phone number.
Featuring watchOS 26
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch SE 3 offers a fresh look, additional intelligence, and more personalized ways to stay active, healthy, and connected, including:
- A gorgeous new software design with Liquid Glass, enabling a vibrant and expressive experience across the Photos watch face, Smart Stack widgets, Smart Stack hints, notifications, Control Center, and in-app controls and navigation.
- A redesigned watch face gallery with two new watch faces: Flow, which uses Liquid Glass numerals that beautifully refract swirls of color that also respond to the movement of a user’s wrist, and Exactograph, a modern reinterpretation of a traditional regulator clock that separates the hours, minutes, and seconds for precise timekeeping. In addition, over 20 watch faces are updated so users can see a ticking seconds hand without raising their wrist.
- Smart Stack hints, proactive prompts that provide actionable, immediately useful suggestions based on contextual data, sensor data, and data from a user’s routine.
- Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence, allowing incoming texts to be automatically translated into a user’s preferred language, right on their wrist, when Apple Watch is paired with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone.10 Additionally, for users whose device language is set to English, Apple Watch will intelligently suggest relevant actions using the context of a conversation in the Messages app, like starting a Check In when a friend asks a user to share when they arrive home, or using Apple Cash11 when a user is asked to contribute to a group gift.12
- The Notes app, which allows users to create or access notes right on their wrist.
- Hold Assist and Call Screening, which come to the Phone app when iPhone is nearby.13 When a user is waiting for a live agent, Hold Assist recognizes once a live agent is available and notifies the user to return to the call. Call Screening helps users manage incoming phone calls from unknown numbers more efficiently by collecting a name and reason for the call before their phone rings, so they can make an informed decision on whether to pick up, decline the call, or ask for more information.
Lineup
Apple Watch SE 3 is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes in midnight and starlight aluminum cases.
Apple Watch SE 3 and the Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. Apple Watch SE 3 is made with 40 percent recycled content, including 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery and 100 percent recycled aluminum in the case. It is manufactured with 100 percent renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the supply chain. Apple Watch SE 3 is designed to be durable and repairable, and also offers industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled.
Apple 2030 goes beyond products — today, Apple is carbon neutral for its global corporate operations, and all Apple facilities run on 100 percent renewable electricity, including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence. Collectively, these efforts have reduced Apple’s global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent since 2015.
Pricing and Availability
- Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., and more than 50 other countries and regions can pre-order Apple Watch SE 3 today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
- Apple Watch SE 3 starts at $249 (U.S.).
- watchOS 26 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) or later, and all Apple Watch Ultra models on Monday, September 15, and requires iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26. Not all features are available on all devices or in all regions. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.
- Apple Intelligence is available in beta. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
- New subscribers may get three months of Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music with the purchase of Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, or Apple Watch Ultra 3. Offer and services availability varies by region. See apple.com/promo for details.
- AppleCare delivers exceptional service and support, with flexible options for Apple users. Customers can choose AppleCare+ to cover their new Apple Watch, or in the U.S., AppleCare One to protect multiple products in one simple plan. Both plans include coverage for accidents like drops and spills, theft and loss protection on eligible products, battery replacement service, and 24/7 support from Apple Experts. For more information, visit apple.com/applecare.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.
- Wireless service plan required for cellular service. Contact your service provider for more details. Connection may vary based on network availability. Check apple.com/watch/cellular for participating wireless carriers and eligibility. See support.apple.com/HT207578 for additional setup instructions.
- 5G is available in select markets and through select carriers. Speeds vary based on site conditions and carrier. For details on 5G support, see apple.com/watch/cellular.
- Sleep score is available with watchOS 26 for Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) or later, and all Apple Watch Ultra models, paired with iPhone 11 or later, running iOS 26.
- Health features shown may require prior setup. Age and health condition restrictions may apply. Compatible hardware and software required.
- Workout Buddy requires an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby and Bluetooth headphones with device and Siri language set to English. Apple Intelligence is available in beta. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115.
- An Apple Music subscription is required for automatic music selection.
- Siri requests related to Health app data are available in English (U.S.) and Mandarin Chinese (China mainland).
- Not all features will be available if the Apple Watch is set up through Apple Watch For Your Kids. Check support.apple.com/109036 for details. Wireless service plan required for cellular service. Check apple.com/watch/cellular for participating wireless carriers and eligibility.
- Emergency SOS requires a cellular connection or Wi-Fi calling with an internet connection from Apple Watch or a nearby iPhone. Cellular models of Apple Watch can be used to make an emergency call in many locations, provided that cellular service is available. Some cellular networks may not accept an emergency call from Apple Watch if Apple Watch isn’t activated, isn’t compatible with or configured to operate on a particular cellular network, or isn’t set up for cellular service, or if the cellular network does not support emergency calling over IMS. See support.apple.com/108374 and apple.com/watch/cellular for more information.
- Live Translation in Messages is available in Chinese (simplified), English (UK, U.S.), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain) on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.
- Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.
- Updates to Smart Replies will be available on Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later.
- Hold Assist requires iPhone nearby, and is available in English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Mexico, Spain, U.S.). Call Screening requires iPhone nearby and is available in Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK, U.S.), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (South Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Macao, Taiwan), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, U.S.).
Press Contacts
Clare Varellas
Apple
cvarellas@apple.com
Nikki Rothberg
Apple
nrothberg@apple.com
Apple Media Helpline
media.help@apple.com
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