The Apple Watch SE has been around for two generations now, serving as a lower-specced alternative to the Apple Watch, something that’s more affordable but almost just as good at the Apple Watch’s core tasks. Now, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reports that might soon be changing.
In his Power On newsletter, the reporter said that the next Apple Watch SE could be getting a design overhaul. Starting with the third generation Apple Watch SE, which will launch alongside the iPhone 16, Apple could be changing the watch’s shell from aluminum to hard plastic, complete with a suite of new color options. Think of the iPhone 5c but for Apple Watches.
Gurman actually first started talking about a plastic Apple Watch SE in last month’s Power On, but now he’s given a clearer idea about the reason behind the change.
Seemingly, it’s designed to make the Apple Watch more kid-friendly. The hard-shell plastic will certainly make it more rugged, and hopefully more lightweight as well. Apple might be hoping that this will make the Apple Watch SE a viable alternative to a phone for kids who are too young to have a proper slab. Parents could set up an Apple Watch SE data plan for their kids, who could then use the watch for phone calls and messages. Meanwhile, parents could be at ease thanks to the watch’s location tracking features.
Gurman didn’t give any word on pricing, although Apple could take this opportunity to drop the watch’s price down to $199 (from the current starting price of $249). Alternately, the company could keep the same price point, but add more features, like an always-on display or larger screen.
We won’t know for sure until the Apple holds its iPhone 16 announcement event, but this looks like good way to inject life into the Apple Watch SE. The new colorways and lightweight form factor might even appeal to an audience that’s just beyond kids—right now, the only way to inject a splash of color into your Apple Watch SE is with a colorful band.