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The Apple Watch Series 3 will not receive any more major updates, including watchOS 9.
AP
- The Apple Watch Series 3 won’t be getting watchOS 9, but Apple is still selling it.
- We can’t recommend the Series 3 because of this, and security updates are next to be dropped.
- Instead, we’d recommend the $279 Apple Watch SE as an affordable, simple Apple smartwatch.
Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS)$279.00 FROM APPLE$249.00 FROM AMAZONOriginally $279.00 | Save 11%
The $199 Apple Watch Series 3 is the most affordable model you can buy, and it’s still available from Apple. This is in spite of the fact that it won’t support watchOS 9, the upcoming latest version of Apple’s smartwatch interface.
This means the Apple Watch Series 3 won’t get the latest features included with watchOS 9, like new watch faces, more metrics in the Workout app, and improvements to sleep insights.
Even if you’re looking for a simple, affordable Apple Watch, we stopped recommending the Series 3 last year because its tiny storage made updating to new versions of watchOS a chore. We often needed to uninstall apps and delete music from the Series 3 just to install updates.
There’s also the inevitability that Apple will cease Watch Series 3 security updates, but it’s unclear when. Apple usually patches security flaws on older devices, even those without the latest operating system, so we should expect the same for the Apple Watch Series 3. However, Apple hasn’t issued a security update to the original Apple Watch or the Series 2 since December 2020.
Which Apple Watch should you buy instead of the Series 3?
The Apple Watch SE looks nearly identical next to the Series 3, but will be supported for much longer.
Apple
The next best affordable option for a simple smartwatch from Apple is the Apple Watch SE.
The Apple Watch SE starts at $279, which is $80 more than the Series 3. For that extra $80, you get a significantly better smartwatch.
You get a larger display with slimmer bezels, Apple’s second-generation heart rate sensor, a processor that’s twice as fast, and 32GB of storage compared to just 8GB. You’ll also get all the latest features coming with watchOS 9.
Apple Watch Series 3 vs SE specifications
|
Specifications |
Apple Watch Series 3 |
Apple Watch SE |
|
Display |
38mm, 42mm Retina OLED |
40mm, 44mm Retina OLED |
|
Always-on display |
No |
No |
|
Processor |
S3 |
S5 |
|
Battery life and charging |
Up to 18 hours, USB-A magnetic charging cable |
Up to 18 hours, USB-C magnetic charging cable |
|
Fitness and health sensors |
GPS, altimeter, first-gen heart rate sensor, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notification, emergency SOS |
GPS, compass, always-on altimeter, second-gen heart rate sensor, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notification, international emergency calling, emergency SOS, fall detection |
|
Water resistance |
Up to 50 meters |
Up to 50 meters |
|
Cellular connectivity |
No |
Yes (optional) |
|
Storage |
8GB |
32GB |
|
Price |
$199 starting |
$279 starting |
Read our full Apple Watch SE review here.
Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS)$279.00 FROM APPLE$249.00 FROM AMAZONOriginally $279.00 | Save 11%
