14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this month, Apple officially took the wraps off the Apple Watch Series 6, the smartwatch that the company describes as “the most advanced Apple Watch yet.”
‘ And truth be told, it really is, at least as far as the bundled capabilities are concerned, as it comes with a blood oxygen sensor, an ECG app, and the Always-On Retina display that was already available on the Apple Watch.
But at the same time, Apple has also announced the all-new Apple Watch SE, a surprising device that everybody knew it was coming but which the Cupertino-based tech giant still praised a lot during the digital event.
While many believe that a cheaper Apple Watch model actually compromises Apple’s image of a premium device maker, it really isn’t, and the company has found a clever approach to make it happen. All for a purpose that we’re going to discuss today.
First and foremost, let’s have a look at the specs.
Apple Watch SE features the same display as the Apple Watch Series 6 and comes with latest-gen features like fall detection, a compass, and an always-on altimeter. It doesn’t have a blood oxygen sensor and ECG support, and it’s also offered in two different sizes, namely 44mm and 40mm.
The SE is only available with an aluminum case and is sold in silver, space gray, and gold.
“Watch SE has an optical heart sensor for measuring your heart rate and heart rhythm. The Digital Crown provides haptic feedback when you turn it. The S5 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor is up to two times faster than the S3 in Apple Watch Series 3. The always-on altimeter detects your elevation in real time,” Apple explains.
Apple Watch SE costs $279 with GPS, while the cellular version is available from $329. For comparison, Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $399 and at $499 for the cellular model.
And this is exactly what makes the Apple Watch SE a smart product.
A cheaper Apple Watch that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the latest-generation model but which instead comes with a smaller price tag allows Apple to target customers who don’t necessarily want to pay a premium for a smartwatch.
And let’s be honest about it. Not everybody wants a blood oxygen sensor, not everybody wants an ECG app, and not everybody wants to spend nearly $500 on a smartwatch. Many iPhone users want just the essential feature package that allows them to keep an eye on their activity and get notifications on their wrists, as well as things like Apple Pay and other features.
Apple Watch SE allows Apple to make sure that it increases its market share and consolidates its leading spot even in a price range that where companies like Fitbit have until now been more active in.
At this point, it’s pretty clear that the purpose of the Apple Watch SE is very similar to the one of the iPhone SE: allow customers to get a new-generation Apple product without spending a small fortune for it.
Needless to say, those who want to get an Apple Watch also need an iPhone, so in the long term, Apple could actually hope to attract more Android users.
All in all, Apple Watch SE is a clever product that lands just at the right time. With the Apple Watch Series 6 coming with the typical premium price tag, many customers might choose the SE instead, and for Apple, this is fine nonetheless.
It’ll be interesting to see how the SE performs in the long term, but at this point, buying this model if you’re not interested in the best of the best just makes sense.