Wearing a smartwatch every day is a bit like having a quiet assistant strapped to your wrist. It nudges you to stand, tracks your runs, reminds you to breathe, and sometimes even helps you cut down on-screen time. The new Apple Watch SE 3 has played that role for me over the past few weeks.

Apple’s more premium Watch Series 11 and rugged Watch Ultra 3 may grab the spotlight with their advanced health sensors and features, but the Watch SE 3 isn’t short-changed either. Despite it being the most affordable in the lineup, with a sticker price of Rs 25,900 in India. The list of upgrades is both long and notable, so much so that we can go on a limb and say, the Watch SE 3 is the Apple Watch most people should buy in 2025.

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Design and build

The Apple Watch SE 3 doesn’t attempt to reinvent Apple’s design language, and that is okay. The familiar square dial, minimalistic frame, and lightweight aluminium body strike a fine balance between comfort and durability. It sits comfortably on the wrist all day without ever feeling intrusive. You can get it in a choice of 40mm and 44mm. The latter - we have for review - feels more practical (though it is nice that Apple has an option for people with smaller wrists even at its low asking price).

With the extra screen real estate, notifications, workouts, and widgets don’t feel cramped. The bezels on the SE remain on the thicker side compared to the newer Series 11, but the black watch faces blend nicely with the borders, making them far less noticeable. Apple gives plenty of watch faces in its Watch app, all of which are attractive and fun.