Apple Watch SE in plastic: model allegedly still to come
According to a report, the Apple Watch SE is supposed to stand out more from the manufacturer's other computer watches. But that won't happen this year.
Woman with an Apple Watch.
(Image: mpohodzhay / Shutterstock.com)
Many of the rumors about last week's Apple iPhone event were true, but the rumor cooks were wrong about one thing: The Apple Watch SE did not receive a new plastic case with a modernized interior. Instead, nothing has changed with the entry-level watch, which will continue to be sold from 249 euros. But that is allegedly not the end of the story: Apple will, at least according to Mark Gurman from the financial news agency Bloomberg, who once started the plastic rumor in the summer, not update until next year.
Problems with production?
"A new Apple Watch SE with a plastic case remains in development," he writes. "The idea is to lower the price by using a cheaper material and at the same time make the device more child-friendly. This could be a good time: schools in the US and elsewhere are banning children from using cell phones, and Apple is positioning its smartwatch as an alternative."
The product is therefore still on Apple's agenda, "potentially for next year". However, the company's production teams are facing "some cost and quality challenges" when switching to plastic. After switching to titanium for the Apple Watch Series 10, the team will have a "freer hand". Gurman also expects the SE to receive a "processor leap", as it is currently still trapped in the 2020 SiP era.
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Mixed line-up with questions
So the SE did not get a two-year cycle with this year's keynote – which is now assumed for the Ultra, which was only equipped with a new color this year, which was actually predicted for 2023. This had caused frustration among fans of Apple's best and most expensive computer watch, as it makes it more difficult to differentiate it from the "normal" Watch.
The current line-up is rather confusing: the Series 10 has the largest and most modern screen of all Apple Watch models, which is also easier to read from the side. However, it lacks the more precise sensors for water sports, for example. An Ultra 3 is now not expected before fall 2025. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had also initially tipped an Ultra 3, but then abandoned the idea shortly before the keynote.
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