Apple Watch SE in plastic: Model reportedly still to come

Many of the rumors about the Apple iPhone event last week are true, but one of the well-known rumors was wrong: The Apple Watch SE did not receive a new plastic case with a modernized interior. Instead, nothing changed for the entry-level watch, and it is now being sold starting at 249 euros. But it is apparently not going to stop there: Apple will not update the watch until next year, at least according to Mark Gurman of the financial news agency Bloomberg, who started the plastic rumor in the summer.

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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 while making 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 still on Apple's agenda, “potential for next year”. However, the company's manufacturing teams had to contend with “some cost and quality challenges” when switching to plastic. After switching to titanium, the team also has a “freer hand” with the Apple Watch Series 10. Gurman also expects the SE to have a “processor leap”, as it is currently still trapped in the 2020 SiP era.

Mixed line-up with questions

So the SE didn't get a two-year cycle with this year's keynote – which is now expected for the Ultra, which was only given a new color this year that was actually predicted for 2023. This had caused frustration among fans of Apple's best and most expensive computer watch, as it makes it harder to differentiate it from the “normal” watch.

The line-up is currently quite 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 precise sensors needed for water sports, for example. An Ultra 3 is not expected before autumn 2025. The well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also initially predicted an Ultra 3, but then dropped the idea shortly before the keynote.

(bsc)