The Apple Watch SE has always been the sensible choice, the pared-back option for people who wanted the Apple Watch experience without the flagship price tag.
But with the launch of the SE 3, the line between affordable and premium just got seriously blurred.
Apple’s new entry-level model now offers an always-on display, wrist temperature sensing, sleep apnea alerts and gesture controls, powered by the same S10 chip as its siblings.
Suddenly, the mid-range Apple Watch Series 11 has to justify why it costs so much more, and that might be a harder sell than Apple anticipated.
The situation may leave the company in a challenging position, especially considering the fierce competition Apple faces in the smartwatch market.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is packed with health features
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 offers features such as Antioxidant Index, and Google's Pixel Watch 4 has SOS satellite communication, capable of contacting emergency services directly via geostationary satellites.
(SOS communication isn't an essential feature, but the fact that a mid-range watch such as the Pixel Watch 4 offers it is impressive.)
In comparison, the Series 11 now has a sleep score, 24-hour battery life and 5G support, which are all nice to have but definitely not essential.
Hypertension notifications is one of the headline features of the Series 11, but again, this will only affect a small percentage of Apple Watch users.
Knowing all this, is it worth getting a Series 11, or are people better off with the "best-for-most" SE 3?
SE 3 punches above its weight
At £249/$249, the SE 3 doesn’t feel “entry-level” anymore.
Features that once defined Apple’s more expensive models, like crash and fall detection, retrospective ovulation estimates, and always-on display, are now bundled into the most affordable watch in the lineup.
The Apple Watch SE 3 is a capable workout partner
The SE 3 is now powered by the S10 chip, which enables gesture control as well as optimising battery life. The SE 3 also features a speaker and microphone, as well as a temperature sensor for enhanced health tracking.
Not to mention, the watch can grant access to features such as Workout Buddy, one of the most hotly anticipated modes on the new Apple Watches.
What the Series 11 brings to the table
The Series 11 does add more advanced health tools. Its headline feature is hypertension notifications, a first for Apple, plus a new sleep score that offers a more detailed look at rest and recovery.
You also get a lens that’s twice as scratch-resistant and 5G cellular for faster data syncing. Another 'big' update is the battery life, which now stretches to 24 hours on a single charge.
The Series 11 can finally last a full day on a single charge
A giant leap for Apple – battery life's been kept at 18 hours for 10 years – but nowhere near on par with AMOLED wearables already available on the market, which often offer over a week of battery life.
And, as you can tell, most of the new Series 11 features are also available on the SE 3, making it harder to justify the extra cash for the mainline Apple Watch.
Who really needs the Series 11?
Apple may have accidentally undermined its own middle child.
For the average Apple Watch buyer, the SE 3 delivers almost everything they’ll realistically use day to day.
Unless you’re particularly focused on blood pressure monitoring or demand the latest health metrics, the Series 11 doesn’t make a compelling case for spending nearly double.
In comparison, the SE 3 has transformed from a budget-friendly compromise into a full-featured smartwatch at a price that feels almost too good to be true.
Is the Series 11 a bust? Strangely enough, it's more exciting than last year's Apple Watch Series 10, which everyone expected to be a milestone launch, but ultimately turned out to be just another step in the iterative evolution of the series.
If you sat out the last few Apple Watch generations, the Series 11 offers enough upgrades to make a move now. Sadly for Apple, the SE 3 is a much better value for money, making it a more attractive option for people to upgrade to, rather than the Series 11.
Only time will tell which Apple Watch will become the best of this generation.
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