Looking for Apple Watch 3 offers? You are not the only one. Searches topped before Christmas

Apple's new mid-range Apple Watch SE has confused a lot of buyers because of the small price difference as it sits just about $80 above the retail price of the older Apple Watch 3. Searches for Apple Watch 3 on Google topped just before Christmas, according to the search giant's own Trends tool.

Needless to say, the Watch SE offers a great set of features that users might miss the several-years old Watch 3. But with holiday season discount offers, is Apple Watch 3 still a bad choice? Here's how both the wearable devices stack up.

Larger bezels

Apple Watch 3 features the older, boxier design with larger bezels compared to Apple Watch SE, which features the same physical design as the Series 4, Series 5, and Apple Watch 6. This means the device gets slimmer bezels with rounded display corners.

Battery life

Both Apple Watch 3 and SE provide an almost similar battery backup of about 18 hours but actual battery life may vary slightly. This means you would need to charge your watch at the end of every day no matter which one you buy.

Performance

Performance is a major stand-out point for Apple Watch SE which features the newer S5 processor compared with the dual-core S3 processor in Watch 3. This can make a significant difference if you are a heavy user but if you are not, Apple Watch 3 is still one of the best smartwatches on the market.

Cellular

The Apple Watch Series 3 is not available with cellular connectivity so if cellular is a must for you, Apple Watch SE is a no-brainer.

Holiday season offers

The price of Apple Watch 3 has dropped to $179, making it very attractive as the price difference is now $100. If you are looking to enter the Apple Watch ecosystem and are not a heavy user, it is a great choice. But Apple Watch SE is a better choice for those who have the $100 to spare as it provides more internal storage, a bigger display, and better performance. For heavy users, however, Apple Watch 6 is better suited as it is fully-loaded with useful features like Always-On Display.