Apple Watch SE Design, Features, Specs & Price: Rumor & Leak Roundup
In the last few months, there's been an increase in the rumors suggesting more than one new Apple Watch is coming. Since the version currently for sale is the Series 5, the Watch Series 6 will almost certainly be next in line. However, a second and new smartwatch is also expected to arrive, the Apple Watch SE. Here's a recap on what the rumors and leaks say this new smartwatch will offer, as well as why Apple is planning to launch two new wearables at the same time.
Watch Series 5 is the most recent and advanced smartwatch currently offered by Apple. It includes the market-leading electrocardiogram (ECG), an always-on display, and is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes. The base model includes Wi-Fi and there's also a Wi-Fi plus cellular model as well. While it is a smartwatch first, fitness tracking features are not lacking. Besides the Series 5, Apple offers a low-cost Series 3 option, although it is much older. The display is smaller, and all of the components are out of date, when compared to modern smartwatches. It’s not a bad device, but being two generations behind makes the $199 purchase decision that much harder.
The Watch SE has yet to be referenced by Apple. However, there have been enough rumors from sources that have proven correct on Apple's plans to give weight to the suggestion that it is a real product. Apple used the SE branding on its smallest iPhone several years ago and the iPhone SE was revived this year as a modern and cheaper version to open up the iPhone experience to even more shoppers. To keep costs low, the 2020 iPhone SE makes use of the body and some components that were developed for the iPhone 8. If the Apple Watch SE rumors are correct, it too will be based on a previous-generation smartwatch, with the price set significantly lower than the next flagship, Watch Series 6.
What everyone wants to know is the price and specifications. Of course, those are the most closely guarded secrets and although a few details have been leaked, nothing's for certain until Apple makes the announcement. Most recently, Apple leaker Jon Prosser shared some information via Twitter about the design. This rumor did not include a source, but made a reasonable claim that the Apple Watch SE would be based on the Series 4 design, albeit without the ECG feature. Even though this was the most significant feature ever added to the Apple Watch, it makes sense to remove premium tech from a budget model.
The Series 4 screen is 30-percent larger than the Series 3, so if Watch SE is based on Series 4 then that will provide a nice improvement over the older budget model. The Apple Watch SE is also expected to follow previous models by being available in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm, although that might not necessarily be the case. According to a recent Komiya’s Tweet, the processor will be the new S6, the successor to the current S5. Prices will probably match those of the Series 3, which is likely to be removed from Apple’s store. If prices are the same, the Apple Watch SE will cost $199 for the Wi-Fi version and $299 for a Wi-Fi plus cellular option, if one's made available.
There has been some confusion among leakers about the names of the new Apple smartwatches. While most initially described the budget model as the Watch SE and the full-featured model as the Series 6, Prosser recently tweeted that the names may be Watch Series 6 and Watch Series 6 Pro. This repeats the naming convention used for the top-end iPhone models, rather than that of the less expensive options. In contrast, Komiya claims the Watch SE is a separate smartwatch altogether, based on the Series 3 design, implying that the Watch Series 6 Pro would require something special to earn the Pro branding. The latter of which seems like a more reasonable suggestion than Apple simply tagging Pro to the end of an otherwise normal update to the Series 5. While most of the information here is subject to change or being wrong, Apple's next event is now only a matter of days away.