Apple is n’t very quick to update its lower cost products , but there ’s one model which gravely needs its care : the Apple Watch SE . The companionship ’s willingness to let the SE pine for several years is now affecting its bottom line , and when the Apple Watch Series 11 arrives later on this yr , an Apple Watch SE 3 want to be there alongside it .

Hitting where it hurts

In 2024 dispatch of Apple Watch model declined by 19 % equate to 2023,according to Counterpoint Research , and a quote in the report put forward , “ The slowdown of the exist Apple Watch SE card and the lack of new SE mannequin contributed to the decline . ” While the entire smartwatch industry slow down over the same period , Apple see the largest fall in shipments , which show to something being askew with its current intersection range .

TheApple Watch SEfirst arrived at the end of 2020 , and the second generationApple Watch SE 2came at the end of 2022 . Two models is n’t enough to fully establish a trend for release date , but logically the Apple Watch SE 3 should have arrived at the goal of 2024 with theApple Watch Series 10 . But here we are in March 2025 , and no such smartwatch has come along .

2024 was an left twelvemonth for the Apple Watch . WhileI bed the Apple Watch Series 10 , especially in titanium , I ’ll include it ’s not the biggest step forward in engineering — at least to the fooling beholder — but at least a new modelwasreleased . TheApple follow Ultra 2only receiveda color update , rather than a new model entirely . With only one truthful new fashion model in it , Apple ’s smartwatch kitchen range lamentably lack life , and the Apple Watch SE 2 wait awfully old next to the Series 10 and Ultra 2 .

How old?

The Apple Watch SE 2 is based on an old Apple Watch design . This entail a 40 mm or 44 mm grammatical case size , a little sieve with larger bezels and half the brightness of the Apple Watch Series 10 , and the dual - core S8 central processor inside . There are fewer features in ecumenical , such as no always - on screen , ECG , or physical structure temperature sensor , but these are to be require considering it be less than the Series 10 , and Apple has to tempt you into upgrading somehow .

When theApple Watch Series 9came out , there was still a serious case for the Apple Watch SE 2 if you did n’t want the always - on screen or ECG . Because the 10.7 mm font heaviness was indistinguishable between the two , you really only had to forgive the bezel size on the design front . This is much harder to do when you put the Series 10 next to the SE 2 . The Apple Watch Series 10 is 9.7 millimetre thick , and the decrease really note on the wrist , plus the sieve ’s larger size and low bezel are very obvious .

If nothing else , the Series 10 shows how far Apple has progressed with the Apple Watch ’s hardware . Some may have been disappointed the 10th day of remembrance of the Apple Watchwasn’t observe in an iPhone 10 - style way , but few can deny the refinements it did make have considerably improve how the top Apple Watch looks and wear . regrettably , it also highlights the SE 2 ’s age .

The SE curse?

The Apple Watch SE 2 is n’t the only SE product Apple has left on the shelf for too long . The first of 2024 was dominated by expectation for the Apple iPhone SE 3 , which finally arrived as theiPhone 16e . TheiPhone SE ( 2022)came out in early 2022 , and like the Apple Watch SE 2 , was ill in indigence of an update . The iPhone 16e may not meet some of the higher expectations , but it has brought the design ( and the name ) in - course with the balance of Apple ’s current range .

fresh products , even when they are n’t to every tech eccentric ’s taste , drive sales . The iPhone 16e can happily live in the kitchen stove for another two years , when if it ’s sensible , Apple can replace it with an iPhone 17e . Very few normal hoi polloi will look at the iPhone 16e and recollect “ it ’s erstwhile ” and cash in one’s chips it by , but I do recollect even those not plugged into the existence of technical school will see a working Apple Watch SE 2 and not think it ’s let on a bit .

We should n’t expect an Apple Watch SE 3 to take the Series 10 ’s case and screen , but if it contract the Series 10 ’s case it would sufficiently advance the design . I ’d get it on to see an always - on screen on a future SE , but it ’s seems highly unlikely Apple will take a top selling point of its more expensive smartwatch and stick it on the cheapest . The screen and the more advanced wellness technical school classify the two , and in many grammatical case the SE model is a great purchase for a lot of masses . But at the here and now , it ’s being held back because no - one should be buying a smartwatch first infix two - and - a - one-half days ago .

Bring on the Apple Watch Series 10e

Apple unremarkably introduce new smartwatches with its new iPhone models , therefore we can expect the Apple Watch Series 11 to derive with theiPhone 17series . There ’s very footling discussion about an Apple Watch SE 3 at this distributor point , outside of story an SE 3 smartwatch will comelater this year with a redesignalong with the expected new CPU . compare to the amount of rumors that swirled around the Apple iPhone SE 3 foryearsahead of its expiration , it ’s practically silence .

The iPhone 16e took a long time to arrive , so it ’s hardly a shock the Apple Watch SE 2 was n’t updated at the end of 2024 . Apple ’s big fortune come at the end of 2025 , when it should declare the update and even a new name — Apple Watch Series 10e perhaps — alongside the Series 11 , the Ultra 3 , and a master of ceremonies of new iPhone models including the already extensively discussediPhone 17 Air . It ’ll be an event to look forrader to , but it also means the Apple Watch SE 2 still has to sit , unloved , on the ledge for another six months .

And no , you plausibly should n’t buy one . Buy the Apple Watch Series 10 instead . It’sfantastic .