Apple Watch SE 3 44mm Review: Real Wrist Photos, Size & Daily Use
The Apple Watch SE 3 has always focused on giving users the core Apple Watch experience without requiring them to pay for every premium feature.
The Apple Watch SE 3 continues that approach, but the latest generation feels much more complete than the term “entry-level Apple Watch” might suggest.
I use the 44mm Midnight aluminum model with a black Sport Band, and in this review I wanted to focus on what the watch actually feels like in everyday use — including its size, weight, display, comfort and fit on a 17.5–18 cm wrist.
Rather than relying only on product images and specifications, all of the watch photos in this article are of the actual SE 3 I use.
Quick Answer
The Apple Watch SE 3 44mm is a strong option for anyone who mainly wants an Apple Watch for everyday notifications, exercise tracking, sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, Apple Pay, calls, messages and music controls.
The 44mm model gives you a genuinely large display while remaining surprisingly light on the wrist.
It also includes an Always-On Retina display, Apple's S10 chip, wrist-temperature sensing, sleep tracking and fast charging.
In Korea, the Apple Watch SE 3 currently starts at ₩369,000.
For many users, that combination may already cover most of what they actually expect from an Apple Watch.
My Apple Watch SE 3 44mm
My watch is the 44mm Midnight aluminum case paired with a black Sport Band.
The dark case and black band make the watch look relatively understated, even though the 44mm model itself has a fairly large presence on the wrist.
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| On my 17.5–18 cm wrist, the Apple Watch SE 3 44mm has a noticeable smartwatch presence without looking oversized. Photo by Korea Daybook. |
My wrist circumference is approximately 17.5–18 cm, and I think the 44mm size works naturally at this wrist size.
The watch fills a good portion of the wrist, but the case does not look excessively large.
Size and Weight
The Apple Watch SE 3 44mm measures:
44mm tall × 38mm wide × 10.7mm thick
The GPS aluminum version weighs just 32.9g.
Apple specifies the 44mm case for wrist circumferences of approximately 140–245mm.
On paper, 44mm sounds relatively large.
But the weight changes the actual experience.
At just over 30 grams before the band, it doesn't feel particularly heavy during normal daily use.
That has been one of the things I appreciate most about it: the screen and case have a noticeable presence, but the watch itself doesn't feel cumbersome.
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| The 44mm case looks substantial from the front, but the lightweight aluminum construction keeps the SE 3 comfortable during everyday wear. Photo by Korea Daybook. |
A Large Display Without a Heavy Watch
The 44mm Apple Watch SE 3 has a 368 × 448-pixel display with a usable display area of 977mm².
It uses an Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display with brightness up to 1,000 nits.
In daily use, the large screen is one of the strongest reasons to choose the 44mm version.
Notifications are easy to read, workout information is clearly visible, and buttons and controls don't feel cramped.
For someone moving from a traditional watch, it will obviously feel larger.
But for a smartwatch, I think the 44mm SE 3 strikes a good balance between screen size and weight.
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| The 44mm SE 3 provides a large, easy-to-read display for notifications, workouts and everyday apps. Photo by Korea Daybook. |
Daily Performance
The SE 3 uses Apple's S10 chip, with a 64-bit dual-core processor, four-core Neural Engine and 64GB of storage.
In actual daily use, however, the processor specification is less important than how responsive the watch feels.
Opening apps, checking notifications, starting workouts and moving between menus all feel quick enough that I rarely think about performance.
And that's exactly what I want from a smartwatch.
A watch shouldn't constantly remind you that there is a processor inside it.
It should simply respond when you need it.
So far, the SE 3 does that well.
Health and Fitness Features
The SE 3 includes a surprisingly broad collection of health and wellness features for Apple's more affordable watch.
These include:
heart-rate monitoring, high and low heart-rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, wrist-temperature sensing, sleep tracking, sleep score and sleep-apnea notifications.
For exercise, the Apple Watch experience remains one of the SE 3's biggest strengths.
You can quickly start workouts, monitor your heart rate and activity, and review your results later on the iPhone.
For someone primarily interested in everyday fitness and wellness monitoring rather than the most advanced medical-style sensors, the SE 3 already offers a substantial feature set.
What the SE 3 Does Not Include
There are still reasons why the SE sits below Apple's higher-end watches.
For example, the SE 3 does not include ECG functionality, and it lacks some of the additional premium health and outdoor sensors found higher in the Apple Watch range.
Whether that matters depends heavily on how you plan to use the watch.
If your priorities are:
daily activity tracking, running or gym workouts, sleep monitoring, heart-rate tracking, notifications, Apple Pay and communication,
the SE 3 already handles those core tasks.
That is why I think it makes more sense to evaluate the SE 3 based on what you personally use rather than simply looking at which features are missing.
Battery Life
Apple rates the SE 3 for up to 18 hours of normal use.
With Low Power Mode enabled, Apple rates it for up to 32 hours.
It also supports fast charging, with approximately 80% charge in around 45 minutes under Apple's specified conditions.
Those are Apple's official battery figures rather than my own controlled battery test.
In everyday use, charging habits will depend on how heavily you use workouts, GPS, Always-On display and sleep tracking.
If you want to wear the watch overnight, it makes sense to find a regular charging window — for example, while showering or getting ready in the morning.
Comfort on a 17.5–18 cm Wrist
Fit is one of the things that specification sheets cannot really show.
My wrist measures approximately 17.5–18 cm, and the 44mm SE 3 sits comfortably without the case visibly extending beyond the sides of my wrist.
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| The Apple Watch SE 3 44mm fits comfortably on a 17.5–18 cm wrist and remains light enough for all-day wear. Photo by Korea Daybook. |
I would describe the look as clearly smartwatch-sized rather than traditional-watch-sized.
If you like your watch to have a noticeable presence, the 44mm size works particularly well.
The lightweight aluminum case also helps prevent the watch from feeling top-heavy.
Midnight Aluminum With a Black Sport Band
The combination I chose is relatively simple:
Midnight aluminum case + black Sport Band
I like this combination because it works with both sportswear and everyday casual clothing.
The dark case also visually reduces the apparent size of the watch compared with a brighter metal finish.
PHOTO 5 – case and band detail
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| The Midnight aluminum case paired with a black Sport Band gives the SE 3 a simple and understated look. Photo by Korea Daybook. |
For someone buying one Apple Watch to use for workouts, daily errands and normal everyday wear, this is an easy combination to live with.
What I Like Most About the SE 3
After using the 44mm model, the strongest points for me are not complicated.
The display is large.
The watch is light.
Performance feels fast.
The health and fitness features cover most everyday needs.
And despite being Apple's more affordable watch, it doesn't feel dramatically compromised during normal use.
That's probably the key point.
Most of the time, you're interacting with notifications, workouts, timers, messages, music controls and activity information.
For those tasks, the SE 3 feels like a proper Apple Watch rather than a stripped-down substitute.
Who Is the Apple Watch SE 3 44mm For?
I think the 44mm SE 3 makes the most sense for someone who wants:
a large Apple Watch display, lightweight construction, workout and activity tracking, sleep monitoring, heart-rate monitoring, Apple Pay, notifications and communication features without paying for every premium sensor.
The 44mm size is particularly worth considering if you have a medium-to-larger wrist or simply prefer a larger smartwatch display.
If your wrist is around 17.5–18 cm, these photos should give you a reasonably good idea of the real-world proportions.
Final Thoughts
The Apple Watch SE 3 44mm may be positioned as Apple's more affordable watch, but in everyday use it doesn't feel particularly basic.
Its biggest strengths are actually very straightforward:
a large screen, low weight, responsive performance and a strong set of everyday health and fitness features.
For my 17.5–18 cm wrist, the 44mm model feels well proportioned and remains comfortable enough for all-day wear.
If you don't specifically need the advanced sensors available on Apple's higher-end watches, the SE 3 gives you a large portion of the everyday Apple Watch experience at a lower price.
And that is probably the strongest argument for it.
Interested in the Apple Watch SE 3?
Check the latest case sizes, colors, bands and pricing on Apple's official Korean online store.
Buy Apple Watch SE 3 from Apple Korea
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