New reports suggest that the Apple Watch SE 3 is still in “active development” and will have a new case.
According to Mark Gurman’s “Power On” newsletter on Bloomberg, “a new Apple Watch SE with a plastic case is still in development,” with the company aiming to lower the price of the wearable by using this more affordable material. Gurman also expects this new SE to feature a new chip, but did not say if it will be the S10 chip currently found in the Apple Watch Series 10, which is due to be available on Friday (September 20).
There were rumors that the Apple Watch SE 3 would be announced at Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event on September 9, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 10 and introduced a new Satin Black finish for the existing Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The current SE model is available from 2022, but it doesn’t have an EKG to help measure your heart’s electrical activity, nor does it have an always-on screen. A plastic case could lower the price of the SE while introducing features like EKG at a more affordable price.
Still, the current Apple Watch SE remains a great buy, especially as a Christmas gift for anyone new to Apple wearables.
How much could the price of Apple Watch SE 3 drop?
The Apple Watch SE has always been positioned as the cheaper model in the entire Watch line. It’s an entry point for anyone looking to explore the benefits of the Apple Watch for the first time, especially to see if it can help with their health and fitness. At $249 / £219, it’s good value, but the SE faces stiff competition from wearables like Fitbit’s Versa 4, which includes ECG heart rate and sleep tracking for $199.
The material switch from aluminum to plastic could be a key step to help bring the price of the Apple Watch SE 3 down, potentially below $199 – maybe even as low as $149. If Apple manages to incorporate EKG and sleep tracking into this new model, the effort could make the Apple Watch SE 3 a very exciting purchase for someone on a budget.