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Apple Watch SE revealed at Apple September Event

Looking for a new Apple Watch? The Apple Watch SE joins the company's line of smart watches.

Ozzie Mejia

September 15, 2020 10:31 AM

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There's been a lot to soak in so far for Apple's September 15 event. Among the announcements is a new model of Apple Watch called Apple Watch SE. And given that it shares a naming convention with the more affordable line of Apple iPhone, this is indeed a more affordable line of Apple Watch.

Apple Watch SE's lower price point largely comes from it being built on a less expensive recycled aluminum case. It will be designed to look more visually similar to the Series 3/4/5. The SE will run watchOS 7 and come equipped with the S5 chip, allowing it to operate twice as fast as the Series 3. There will be Cellular and Wi-Fi models available. And just because it's a budget model doesn't mean it won't come with many of the standard Apple Watch conveniences. The Apple Watch SE will also feature the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and altimeter as the Series 6. It's also compatible with all Apple Watch bands, including the new ones unveiled during today's presentation. On top of all of that, it will come with fall detection, so you don't have to worry too much about dropping it.

With the Apple Watch SE unveiled alongside Fitness+, the goal appears to be to create a more affordable device for lower-income users who are increasingly adopting budget smartwatches or other devices, like Fitbit. It's also a lower-priced entry point for anybody looking to pass a smart device along to their kids, which means it's a good thing that Family Setup is fully supported.

The Apple Watch SE will be available for $279. If you own an Apple Card, there will be a full financing plan available that will allow users to pay for their watch across 24 payments of $12 a month. The Apple Watch SE will release this Friday with pre-orders up and running on the Apple website.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?