![\"Apple](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cf4cd671-f777-4ae7-a023-e0a68f004af8-1-201-a.jpg\")
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The Apple Watch SE 3 (left), Apple Watch Ultra 3 (middle), Apple Watch Series 11 (right).<\/p>\n
Nina Raemont\/ZDNET<\/p>\n
Follow ZDNET:\u00a0Add us as a preferred source<\/a>\u00a0on Google.<\/p>\n Apple released three new smartwatches<\/a> this month, and while they may look similar, their differences are stark. I’ve tested all three to get a sense of which watches work best for different people.\u00a0<\/p>\n I’ve even included one Apple Watch model from 2024 that, thanks to some retroactive updates through WatchOS 26<\/a>, is a worthy contender for purchase this year. Here’s the breakdown.<\/p>\n 1. Who should buy the Apple Watch SE 3? The Apple Watch SE 3<\/a> is an entry-level smartwatch built for beginners. They may be unsure whether they’ll really use a smartwatch day in and day out and don’t want to splurge on a pricier model just yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n The device still packs many upgrades and, despite its affordable price, comes with many of the upgrades that the other watches in the lineup include. In many ways, the SE 3 takes the specs of last year’s Series 10 and implements them in this affordable smartwatch — an 18-hour battery life, Sleep Apnea Detection, and its latest chip, the S10.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also: I compared every Apple Watch in 2025 – here’s why I recommend this model the most<\/a><\/p>\n The screen is the smallest out of the lineup, and communicating through text can be annoying with only a letter-drawing feature or speak-to-text available.\u00a0<\/p>\n Best features18-hour battery lifeSleep Apnea Detection\u00a0Sleep ScoresApple’s latest S10 chipWhat Apple Watch SE 3 doesn’t have\u00a0Hypertension Detection, blood oxygen monitoring, ECG \u00a0The Series 11’s 24-hour battery life\u00a0The brightest display (only 1,000 nits)Who is the Apple Watch SE 3 best for?<\/p>\n First-time smartwatch users, kids and teens, budget-conscious shoppers, people who want to monitor sleep and activity (but not monitor more advanced metrics like hypertension, blood oxygen, or by-the-minute heart rate data).\u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Who should buy the Apple Watch Series 11? Apple’s flagship smartwatch has the second-longest battery life out of the lineup (and it’s $400 less than the Ultra 3 with the longest battery life). I see the Series 11 as the Apple Watch that power users with older models would upgrade to. \u00a0<\/p>\n As someone with a smaller wrist, the Series 11 and SE 3 are perfect sizes for my wrist, while the Ultra 3 took up too much surface area and weighed my arm down. For this reason, I’d recommend the Series 11 over the Ultra 3 to women.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nina Raemont\/ZDNET<\/p>\n
Nina Raemont\/ZDNET<\/p>\n