Does the Apple Watch SE 2 support 5G? Does it accept eSIM?

In September 2022, the Cupertino firm further expanded the great Apple Watch family. The company introduced an all-new Apple Watch Ultra, in addition to the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE 2. The first caters to extreme athletes, while the second includes all of the features average users expect to find on an Apple Watch. Meanwhile, the SE 2 variant misses out on some recent technologies and has a budget-friendly price tag.

Many Apple Watch users leave their iPhones at home when heading out to jog. After all, they can track their exercise and play music through this tiny wearable. Though, some people are also concerned about missing important calls or texts. This begs the question: does the lower-end Apple Watch SE 2 support 5G and eSIM? Let’s unpack!

XDA VIDEO OF THE DAY

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

The Apple Watch SE 2 supports 4G through eSIM

To take advantage of carrier services without relying on your iPhone, you must get the cellular-enabled Apple Watch SE 2. The base model only connects to Wi-Fi networks, and it doesn’t support SMS, calls, and mobile data natively. Though, even the cellular model of this smartwatch doesn’t support 5G. In fact, as of 2022, no Apple Watch is compatible with 5G. This wearable has a tiny battery, and 5G consumes a lot of power. That’s not to mention that 4G/LTE is fast enough to execute smartwatch tasks smoothly. You simply don’t need 5G on an Apple Watch.

Expectedly, when you want to add a carrier plan to your Apple Watch SE 2, you will need to rely on the eSIM technology. No Apple Watch ever released includes a Nano-SIM tray. So those interested in leaving their phones behind will need to make sure their carriers support eSIM connections on the Apple Watch. A wise idea would be checking your carrier’s support webpage or contacting them to ensure it’s compatible before getting the Apple Watch SE 2. And make you sure you pick the Wi-Fi + Cellular Apple Watch variant when buying it from the retailer’s website.

Apple Watch SE 2

$219

$249

Save $30

The Apple Watch SE 2 misses out on some inessential features available on higher-end models, such as an Always-On display, fast charging, and ECG. But it’s still the perfect wearable for those on a limited budget.

$219 at Amazon