Apple Watch SE 2: what we want to see
The Apple Watch SE was something new for Apple, offering buyers an affordable alternative to Apple Watch 6. As the name suggests, it wanted to do for wearables what the iPhone SE (2020) did for phones, and it largely succeeded. In fact, at the time of writing, it’s at the top of our list of best smartwatches, so we’re excited about the Apple Watch SE 2.
That said, we’re not sure if Apple is even working on a new model, or if it will be an annual release as there is only one of them so far.
But assuming an Apple Watch SE 2 is in the works, we just might see it this year, and below we’ve made some predictions about when it might launch and what it might cost, along with a list of the improvements that we want from it.
And as rumors are circulating, we’ll be including them all in this article, so check back often to stay up to date with the Apple Watch SE 2.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next affordable Apple Watch
- When is it out? Possibly September
- What does it cost? Less than the Apple Watch 7
Apple Watch SE 2 release date and price
So far, there is no news of when the Apple Watch SE 2 could be launched, but the original Apple Watch SE was announced on September 15, 2020, so chances are the Apple Watch SE 2 will land in September this year – possibly in addition to the iPhone 13 series and the Apple Watch 7.
On the downside, given that Apple has only launched one Apple Watch SE model so far, there’s not much you can do about it, so there’s a chance the Apple Watch SE 2 won’t even land this year.
There are no price rumors yet either, but the original Apple Watch SE starts at $ 279 / £ 260 / AU $ 429, with prices going up for LTE, a larger size, or different band types. Chances are that the Apple Watch SE 2 will get a similar starting price, but we are not sure for the time being.
News and leaks
We haven’t heard anything specific about the Apple Watch SE 2 yet, but Tim Cook spoke on the Outside podcast about the future of the Apple Watch, saying that “there’s still a lot of innovation to go” and “We’re in the early days. innings … think of the number of sensors in your car. And your body is probably much more important than your car. “
That suggests an ongoing focus on health and fitness for future Apple Watch models, and we expect the Apple Watch SE 2 to be included.
What we want to see
There are some major improvements we want from the Apple Watch SE 2, including the following.
1. An always visible display
The Apple Watch SE doesn’t have an always-on display, which is one of the key things it lacks compared to the Apple Watch 6.
That’s fair enough, as Apple would have liked to keep some features for its more premium wearable, but by the end of 2021, when the Apple Watch SE 2 will hopefully land, we want the always-on display to be a standard feature in the entire range.
2. A battery that lasts longer
The Apple Watch SE actually has better battery life than most Apple Watch models, but at about a day and a half, it still doesn’t fit many other wearables, nor is it really good for sleep tracking, as you’d probably want to you charge it overnight.
So for the Apple Watch SE 2, we would like to see life extended to a minimum of two days, and ideally three or more.
3. A bottom of the range price
While the Apple Watch SE has been positioned as a relatively inexpensive option in the Apple Watch range, it’s actually not the cheapest wearable that Apple sells. That’s the Apple Watch 3, which is still on sale.
To make things simpler, we would like the Apple Watch SE 2 to have the lowest price of any Apple Watch currently available, so it’s clear what the wearable’s position in the range is.
4. A wider range of colors
The Apple Watch SE is only available in gold, silver, and space gray colors, and while there’s nothing wrong with those colors, we’d like to see a wider selection available for the Apple Watch SE 2, including perhaps something a bit more flashy, like the red color in which you can get the Apple Watch 6.
You can of course get a lot more color out of the belt as we’re only talking about the body here, but we’d still like more options.
5. Blood oxygen monitoring
In addition to the always-on display, another feature that the Apple Watch SE lacks that the Apple Watch 6 has is blood oxygen monitoring.
This is a useful health monitoring feature, but probably not a big selling point for most people, so while we’d love to see it, we wouldn’t mind if Apple saves this for premium models.