Lower-cost Apple Watch SE is just around the corner - what we know
Apple Watch is by far the finest smartwatches on the block. With all sorts of health features and a design to vouch for, it is pretty much a deal. Currently, only Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch Series 3 are available on the market. While the former is a top of the line offering, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the more affordable version with somewhat dated design.This year, Apple is rumored to be working on the Series 6, which will be the finest watch yet. What's for the masses – you can argue Apple doesn't care much, however, the Cupertino giant is likely to also release an Apple Watch SE on the lines of iPhone SE (2020) with an older design and innards to impress, but it may only land sometime early next year.
The update
With the reports now emerging that Apple could be planning to unveil a lower-cost Apple Watch SE, those who have in the past been unable to afford an Apple Watch for its price may have a more valid reason to put their money where their mouth is. The reports have surfaced by way of a regular source of Apple leaks, Komiya, who tweeted that a less expensive variant of the Apple Watch could be on its way sometime in the beginning of next year.
A similar disclosure was also made by Apple RUMORs (LEAKs), a relatively newer Apple leaker, earlier this year. Avid leaker Jon Prosser also believes a "more affordable Apple Watch is on the way." His claim is one of the few replies to the public Q&A session on Twitter. Prosser is one of the most reliable Apple leakers with a 78-percent accuracy, which solidifies the claim that a less-expensive Apple Watch may really be in the works.
Does Apple need a low-cost Watch?
The supposed leaks may or may not be for real, it's very early now to draw a conclusion, but these do give us food for thought. What could be Apple's course of action with respect to the smartwatch – rumors suggest of an Apple Watch SE, which will likely arrive as a replacement for the affordable Apple Watch Series 3. The newcomer will have a similar design to the Series 3 but will pack some of the features lined-up for the forthcoming Apple Watch Series 6.
If a thought creeps up about the absurdity of such a move, it may be fitting to reflect on what Apple managed to achieve with the iPhone SE that comes with a pretty dated form factor but the power to match the top-notch in the line-up. Apple Watch SE, if it lands, will intend to do to the Apple Watch what the iPhone SE did to the iPhone – make it powerful and desirable – yet roll it out for an affordable price to reach a fairly larger consumer base.
Apple generally conducts an iPhone launch event in early September, expectedly when the Apple Watch Series 6 should have arrived this year alongside the anticipated iPhones. Now that the Cupertino tech company has confirmed a delay in iPhone launch by a few weeks, understandably the watch may be delayed too – it could now come sometime in October instead.
The premium edition of the Apple wearable is not expected to deviate much from the line of design the company has been following but it will come with a range of features to make it a must-have – if you can afford, that is. Rumored features for the Apple Watch includes a longer battery life (specifications not revealed), an S6 chip, sleep tracking support, pulse oximetry for oxygen saturation monitoring, blood pressure monitor, and a rare mental health abnormalities detection feature, which is largely debated for its likeliness on a wearable.
Apple Watch Series 5 presently starts at $399 for the GPS variant and $499 for the cellular model. Generally, Apple has followed this pricing trend for a few years and it wouldn't be surprising if Apple Watch Series 6 comes for the same price tag. The other version on the shelves, the Apple Watch Series 3 starts at $199 for GPS and $299 for cellular. When the Apple Watch Series 6 arrives, the pricing for both the exciting watches could be slashed or maybe one of the models is discontinued.
Considering a watch model that could possibly have some features of the planned premium watch for half its price, does fuel the idea of an affordable watch that pushes the dated Series 3 out of contention and presents a similar form factor with refreshed features. The lowest cost Apple watch on the market, the Series 3 is almost three years old now. Apple Watch SE is going to be a worthy replacement for the Series 3 at a similar price point and design – it will be the inside of this watch that should actually change the game in its favor and find takers.
The features to expect
Expected to cost the same as the Apple Watch Series 3, the Apple Watch SE will not roll out with a fresh design but will have specs to impress. It could herald an era of affordable smartwatches from Cupertino's assembly lines and expand into a segment of buyers who want the Apple Watch but don't want to spend a fortune to adorn one on the wrist.
According to Komiya's information, Apple Watch SE may come in a 42mm variant, in a design influenced by the Series 3 suggesting that it will be an aluminum model with the Digital Crown for haptic feedback. The leak has it that the Apple Watch SE will be powered by the S6 processor – that will debut with the Apple Watch Series 6. It will come with W4 wireless pairing chip for better wireless connectivity, 16GB of storage, and Bluetooth 5.0. Additionally, this affordable Apple Watch slated for March 2021 will have a cellular version, allowing international SOS calling, and as previously rumored, a falling over detection feature.