The wait for Apple Watch SE 3 goes on, though a new version of the low-cost wearable supposedly won’t be out this year.
The next model is still expected to move to a plastic casing, and offer better performance, too.
Put Apple Watch SE 3 on the calendar for next year
The last update, Apple Watch SE 2, launched in September 2022. After two years, one might think a new version is imminent but the Apple Watch Series 10 announcement on September 9 came and went with no mention of a cheaper little brother.
But a journalist known for solid sources inside Apple says the third-generation model remains on the drawing board. “I’m told that the product is still moving forward — potentially for next year,” said Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter.
Plastic? Fantastic!
Cupertino must walk a fine line with Apple Watch SE 3. As with any SE product, price is the standout feature. That limits how many other features can be added. So instead of putting in more bells and whistles, the plan seems to be to lower the cost.
The new model will reportedly use a plastic casing, possibly allowing it to come an array of bright colors. But that might have delayed the launch.
“Apple’s manufacturing teams have been running into some cost and quality challenges with the shift to plastic,” said Gurman.
That won’t be the only change. “I expect the new SE to include a processor jump. The current SE is stuck on 2020-era speeds,” said the Bloomberg reporter.
The current model uses an Apple S8 chip, which first launched in Apple Watch Series 8 in 2022. No matter what the version number says, the processor is essentially the same as the earlier S7 and even the S6 from 2020.
Apple Watch SE 3 in early or late 2025
Gurman doesn’t get more specific about an Apple Watch SE 3 aside from “next year.”
One possibility is that the device will launch in the spring along with another budget model, iPhone SE 4. But potential buyers might need to wait until autumn. The new budget wearable could come alongside Apple Watch Series 11 in 2025.
