When Apple released its latest smartwatches late last year, I was convinced that the Apple Watch SE 3 was the better buy for most users because it offered excellent value. I still stand by that, but hear me out: when the Series 11 is heavily discounted, I would recommend it over the SE 3, even if the latter was also on sale.
Like right now. The Apple Watch SE 3 is down to AU$347 for the smaller 40mm case on Amazon, which is a 13% discount, while the Apple Watch 11 currently has a starting price of AU$497 on Amazon, making it a 27% price drop.
My biggest issue with the Apple Watch 11 at launch was that I couldn’t get hypertension notifications on my wrist, but the TGA approved this feature in December 2025 and a subsequent January 2026 watchOS update rolled out the feature for Aussies to use.
The other health features you’ll get with the Series 11 that the SE 3 misses out on are blood oxygen monitoring, sleep apnoea detection and irregular heart rhythm notifications (aka the ECG feature).
Another minor addition the Series 11 gets you is 5G connectivity if you opt for the LTE version (which is also discounted by up to 21% off). This really shouldn’t be that big a deal though as smartwatches don’t need super-fast connectivity and, in any case, 5G support on smartwatches is something telcos still don’t offer in Australia, but Apple is working towards that.
Alongside all that, it offers everything you need to encourage you to exercise more, tracking a wide variety of activities that, I admit, even the SE 3 will do, but the battery life on the Series 11 exceeds the SE 3’s by 25%, which you can stretch even further by using the Low Power mode.
Our Apple Watch Series 11 review gave it a very respectable four stars out of five, calling it “a mainline Apple Watch that can go the distance.” While it offers “no major performance gains year over year,” it provides a “bigger battery” and a “more durable display that’s still vibrant and rich.” This bigger display now makes it a lot easier to use the Messages app on the Apple Watch. I personally wear the 46mm version and handwriting a message on the screen is so much easier now.
Moreover, watchOS 26 gives it a fresh feel that truly highlights its health features, especially the new Sleep Score functionality. All this makes it the best smartwatch for iPhone and quite unbeatable at this price.
If you don’t have any heart health issues, then the SE 3 will suit you just fine, but if you need a reliable health monitor, I think the Apple Watch 11 is the much better option.
