Apple’s Glowtime event was rather devoid of Apple Watch content, with Apple only revealing the new Apple Watch Series 10 and Satin Black Apple Watch Ultra 2. What we didn’t see was a new version of the low-cost Apple Watch SE, which was rumored to come with a plastic shell. But this doesn’t mean it isn’t coming.
Mark Gurman claims that work on the budget smartwatch is “still moving forward” with sources telling the Bloomberg reporter that it could arrive sometime next year. Gurman doesn’t go into much more detail, only that Apple is having issues with cost and quality issues due to a potential switch to plastic. So anyone hoping to pick up a new Apple Watch SE will have to be patient.
The first Apple Watch SE was released back in 2020, with an updated version arriving in 2022. 2024 seemed like the obvious time for Apple to release the third generation model, but apparently that isn’t going to happen. There is still another Apple event rumored to be happening next month, but since that’s expected to focus on iPads and M4-powered Macs, it’s not really the appropriate place to be unveiling new wearables.
Gurman also notes that lack of hardware upgrades are causing issues with the Apple Watch line, and that the company may be considering switching to a two-year upgrade cycle. That could be the reason why there’s no Apple Watch Ultra 3 yet, though it doesn’t explain why the Apple Watch SE 3 is still absent.
It could just be that the manufacturing behind the Apple Watch SE 3 isn’t up to scratch yet.
Gurman previously reported on Apple switching the metal chassis to one made of premium plastic, and now claims that the manufacturing teams are having some issues with cost and quality as a result.
It’s also been claimed Apple has explored 3D printing those shells instead of using traditional molding methods, but so far the manufacturing capabilities aren’t close to being ready. Considering how slow 3D printing can be, don’t expect that to change anytime soon.
So if you’re after a particularly new Apple Watch, you’ll have to pay up for an Apple Watch Series 10 — which is set to be released on September 20. Or you can take advantage of the inevitable Apple Watch Series 9 price drops that will be happening once the newer model is released, and will no doubt be plentiful in the run up to Black Friday 2024.
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