Apple Watch SE: Apple’s Latest Low-Cost Watch – Everything You Need to Know

Alongside the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple in September 2022 introduced a new version of the lower-cost Apple Watch SE for those who are looking for a more affordable, fitness-focused Apple Watch option that has all of the essential Apple Watch functionality at a lower price point.

The second-generation Apple Watch SE is almost identical to the Series 6, and it does not feature the new design that was introduced with the Series 7. It also lacks some health sensors, and it does not include ECG, blood oxygen, or temperature sensing functionality as those health features require hardware components that Apple did not include in the Apple Watch SE in order to keep costs down.

When it comes to design and features, the Apple Watch SE is something of a mix between the previous-generation SE and the Series 8 models. The Apple Watch SE is available in 40mm and 44mm size options, and it has the same design as the Apple Watch Series 4, 5, and 6 models. It has the same S8 SiP dual-core processor that’s in the Apple Watch Series 8, which has not been updated since the Series 6. Still, it offers performance improvements over the original Apple Watch SE, which had an S5 chip.

All Apple Watch SE models are aluminum and this model can’t be purchased with a stainless steel or titanium casing. Casing colors include Midnight, Starlight, and Silver, but Apple did add a new matching back case made from a nylon composite material so the Apple Watch SE is even lighter than before. The Apple Watch SE is compatible with all Apple Watch bands.

The Apple Watch SE has a Retina LTPO OLED display with 1000 nits brightness, but it does not have the same Always-On functionality that is available with the Apple Watch Series 8.

The Apple Watch SE includes a Haptic Digital Crown for navigating through the operating system, and Ion-X glass protects the display. It has the same speaker and microphone as the prior-generation SE, which are optimized for phone calls, Siri, and Walkie-Talkie.

The Apple Watch SE is water resistant to 50 meters and supports Apple Pay with skin authentication much like prior models, and though it lacks ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, it has the same optical heart rate sensor, gyroscope, and accelerometer so it can monitor steps taken, calories burned, stairs climbed, and heart rate, plus it can track sleep, look out for falls with fall detection, make emergency calls with SOS, check orientation with the compass, and watch out for overly loud sounds with sound detection features.

Apple sells both LTE + GPS and GPS only Apple Watch SE models, so there is an option to use the new low-cost Apple Watch with cellular plans. Since it supports LTE, it can be used with Family Setup. Family Setup allows multiple Apple Watches to be paired with and managed by a single iPhone, so a family member without an iPhone can use an Apple Watch. Apple envisions this feature being used for children and elderly adults who need assistance.

The Apple Watch SE and Series 8 offer the same 18-hour battery life, but the Apple Watch Series 8 can charge much faster with just eight minutes of charging providing up to eight hours of sleep tracking time. The Apple Watch SE can take advantage of the new Low Power Mode to extend battery life even further at the cost of disabling certain features.

A new Crash Detection feature, which is also in the Series 8, uses an updated gyroscope and accelerometer along with an advanced sensor-fusion algorithm to detect severe car crashes and alert emergency services. When a crash occurs, the Apple Watch checks in with the user and if no response is received within a 10-second countdown, emergency responders are contacted.

The Apple Watch SE is priced starting at $249 for the 40mm model and $279 for the 44mm model, so it is more affordable than the prior-generation model. The Apple Watch SE is being sold alongside the more expensive Apple Watch Series 8 and the high-end Apple Watch Ultra.

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