Technologies

The Apple Watch SE 3 Is Missing Only 3 Health Features, but You Can Save at Least $150

If you’re debating between the Apple Watch SE 3 and Series 11, these are the health feature differences you should know about.

Now that you can get your hands on the new Apple Watches that were revealed earlier this month, you’re likely comparing the differences between all models to see which is worth your hard-earned cash. A more affordable option is the Apple Watch SE 3, which still starts at $249, the same price as the last version released three years ago. However, the third generation now has the S10 chip and WatchOS 26, giving it even more features that make it comparable to the other new watches.

If the Apple Watch’s health features are a big draw for you, then you’ll be happy to know that the SE 3 has many of the same wellness capabilities as the Series 11. There are only three differences, but those can save you at least $150. Let’s discuss that and the other features that might make the SE 3 your top Apple Watch pick.

The Apple Watch SE 3 health features

In addition to core features like heart rate notifications, fall detection, cycle tracking and crash detection, the SE 3 now includes sleep apnea notifications, sleep score and wrist temperature sensing, which allows for ovulation estimates and more detailed insights in the Vitals app.

Sleep score helps you better understand your sleep quality and how to improve it. In the SE 3’s Sleep app, you can find an overall score after each night of sleep, which provides additional insight into sleep duration and stages. The scoring approach was created with current guidance published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation and World Sleep Society, while the scoring algorithm was tested with over 5 million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study.

Thanks to the SE 3’s faster charging, it’s even more efficient to wear the watch overnight to track your sleep.

With watchOS 26, the Apple Watch SE 3 now features Workout Buddy. Powered by Apple Intelligence, this feature uses workout data to provide personalized, spoken motivation for certain workouts. The Workout app’s new layout further enhances the SE 3’s fitness experience.

The Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 11 health features

In terms of health features, the Series 11 has hypertension notifications, an ECG app and a Blood Oxygen app. However, all other core health features — such as sleep tracking and score, heart rate notifications and wrist temperature tracking — are the same.

The big difference is that the Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 with GPS and $499 with GPS and cellular, while the SE 3 starts at $249 with GPS and $299 with GPS and cellular. In other words, you can get many of the same health features on the SE 3, but for at least $150 less.

Apple Watch SE 3 battery life

The S10 chip allows the SE 3 to charge up to two times faster than the previous model in just 15 minutes, adding up to 8 hours of normal use. This gives the SE 3 an all-day, 18-hour battery life. In just 45 minutes, it can charge to about 80%.

What the S10 chip brings to the Apple Watch SE 3

Thanks to the S10 chip, you can now read the time and see your watch face without raising or tapping the watch display. The SE 3 also supports double-tap and wrist flip gestures, making it easy to control with just one hand. With double-tap, you can open Smart Stack, send a message, answer calls and more.

With on-device Siri, you can access and log health data. For instance, you can start a workout or get health-related questions answered using data from the Health app. This on-device processing is private and secure.

When your AirPods aren’t available, you can now play your media directly through the SE 3’s speaker. The S10 chip also enables voice isolation to dim background noise when on a phone or FaceTime call.

WatchOS 26 features on the Apple Watch SE 3

With watchOS 26, you get the new liquid glass design, which creates a vibrant visual experience with Smart Stack, Control Center, the Photos watch face and as you navigate in-app controls. You also get an updated watch face gallery with two new faces, Flow and Exactograph. Plus, over 20 watch faces now allow users to see a ticking seconds hand when their wrist is raised.

With Apple Intelligence, there is now live translation in Messages. When the Apple Watch is connected with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone, incoming text messages can be automatically translated into the user’s preferred language. If that language is English, the watch will suggest relevant actions based on the message’s context, such as a check-in once a friend arrives home or using Apple Cash for a gift.

When connected to a nearby iPhone, the SE 3 also has Hold Assist and Call Screening. The former alerts a user who is on hold when a live agent is available, while the latter helps people manage incoming phone calls by collecting a name and reason for the call before it rings to help them decide whether they want to pick up.

Apple Watch SE 3 design

Available in starlight and midnight (no longer silver or aluminum), the Apple Watch SE 3 is made with 100% recycled aluminum. It still comes in the 40mm and 44mm sizes. The cover glass is four times more resistant to cracks than the SE 2 and is made of Ion-X glass, the toughest glass available in a smartwatch.

As of Sept. 19, the Apple Watch SE 3 is now available for purchase.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …