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We liked the Apple Watch SE 3 so much when we reviewed it that we gave it runner-up in our Product of the Year awards under the Value Wearable category. Why? Because it delivers most of the same features as the latest Series 11, but at a far lower price. And this Amazon Spring Deal Days offer reduces the price even further, with the price of the GPS and cellular model reduced to a bargain £260 from £289.
If you’ve ever fancied trying an Apple Watch with cellular connectivity, but have always been put off by the price premium, now’s your chance to dip your toe in the water, with a price that’s over £100 less than the Series 11 with the same connectivity.
Why opt for the cellular Apple Watch SE 3?
But why choose the cellular version in the first place? Well, apart from the fact that it’s only £40 more expensive than the regular model normally is right now, it adds a boatload of extra capabilities and features.
For starters, it means you can go out on a run or a bike ride without your phone and still stay in touch. You can send and receive messages, and make and take phone calls completely independently of your iPhone.
It also lets you stream music and podcasts directly to your watch without the need to transfer media over to the watch in advance. You can use the navigation features of Apple Maps on your watch without having to have your phone nearby, and call Siri into action at any point, too, for a completely hands-free experience.
Essentially, the cellular version of the Apple Watch turns it into an iPhone strapped to your wrist, and for £26 this is quite frankly a ludicrously good deal.
What’s the difference between the Watch SE 3 and Watch Series 11?
On top of that, the Apple Watch SE 3 doesn’t give much away to the Series 11 when it comes to features. It’s a tiny bit chunkier and the screen is ever-so-slightly smaller and dimmer, but that doesn’t make much of a difference when it comes to comfort and readability.
It also lacks the Series 11’s ECG, water temperature, depth gauge, blood oxygen (SpO2) and “precision find” features, and there are no hypertension notifications, either.
However, the vast majority of other features are present, certainly those that rely on a cellular connection to work their best. And we found the Apple Watch SE 3 was a pretty accurate workout companion when we tested it as well.
Are there any reasons you shouldn’t buy an Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS + cellular)?
It almost goes without saying that there’s no point buying an Apple Watch if you’re an Android phone owner, but there are other reasons you might want to think about purchasing a different wearable. If you’re not a fan of charging your watch every day, I’d advise choosing a Garmin or Coros or a Huawei smartwatch instead.
However, if that doesn’t bother you, then I’d jump on this deal right away. It’s the cheapest the GPS and cellular variant of the SE 3 has been since launch, and I can’t imagine the price will drop this low again for a while.