Apple Announces Second-Generation Apple Watch SE With S8 Chip and Crash Detection for $249

Apple today unveiled the second-generation Apple Watch SE, featuring the S8 chip, Crash Detection, and new color options at a lower $249 price point.

apple watch se 2
The second-generation Apple Watch SE offers the core Apple Watch experience at a more affordable price. The Apple Watch SE is now 20 percent faster thanks to the S8 chip, the same chip from the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. The S8 chip allows the Apple Watch SE to deliver Crash Detection, international roaming, and Low Power Mode.

The back case has been redesigned with a new, color-matched nylon composite material to reduce its weight. The second-generation Apple Watch SE is available in a refreshed series of color options, including Midnight, Starlight, and Silver.

apple watch se nylon composite back
The second-generation Apple Watch SE starts at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for the cellular model. Orders open today and it will become available on September 16.

The second-generation Apple Watch SE follows the now-discontinued first-generation model released in September 2020, which started at $279.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch SE 3
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Expected to Announce These Two to Three Products 'This Week'

Sunday October 12, 2025 7:05 am PDT by
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip. Gurman...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Preparing iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones

Saturday October 11, 2025 6:59 pm PDT by
Apple's software engineers are internally testing iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will likely be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released within the next few weeks. Last month, Apple released iOS...
10

Apple to Launch New Products Starting Next Week, Claims Dubious Leak [Updated]

Friday October 10, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Update: the Naver account appears to be referencing a speculative post on X by Vadim Yuryev, dated October 6. The original article follows. Apple will announce new products through a series of press releases beginning as soon as next week, according to a dubious claim posted on the Korean blog Naver. The Naver blog account yeux1122, which aggregates rather than originates Apple...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 18 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 6 New Features

Saturday October 11, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly a year away, a handful of new features and changes have already been rumored for the devices. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. Smaller Dynamic Island The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island, but the devices will...
Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Being Rebranded as Apple TV

Monday October 13, 2025 8:25 am PDT by
Buried in its announcement about "F1: The Movie" making its streaming debut on December 12, Apple has also announced that Apple TV+ is being rebranded as simply Apple TV. A single line near the end of the press release states "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity," though Apple's website has yet to be updated with any changes, so we're unsure on the details of the...
All AirPods 2025

Apple Reportedly Working on New AirPods Pro, AirPods 5, and H3 Chip

Sunday October 12, 2025 9:24 am PDT by
After releasing AirPods Pro 3 last month, Apple is already working on the next AirPods Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It is unclear if the new AirPods Pro would be branded as AirPods Pro 4, or if they would be considered an updated version of AirPods Pro 3. Gurman did not take a position, opting to describe them as a "new version" of the "high-end in-ear buds." AirPods Pro 2...
Tim Cook MacBook

Apple's Next CEO Identified

Wednesday October 8, 2025 12:30 pm PDT by
Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus remains the "leading contender" to become the company's next CEO, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Ternus is 50 years old, so he is still young enough to have a long run at the helm of Apple, after current CEO Tim Cook retires. He is already a key decision-maker at Apple, according to Gurman, and he appears to have a charismatic...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Apple Rumored to Launch MacBook Pro With M5 Chip Before M5 Pro and M5 Max Models

Friday October 10, 2025 1:18 pm PDT by
Apple is planning to release a base MacBook Pro with a standard M5 chip before higher-end models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, according to AppleInsider's sources with "knowledge of macOS Tahoe development and hardware testing." The report said a MacBook Pro with an M5 chip is "nearing release," and Apple has apparently been testing this model with an unreleased macOS 26.0.2 version....
10

Apple Event This October? Here's the Latest on What to Expect

Thursday October 9, 2025 7:00 am PDT by
While it is unclear if Apple will host an October event this year, or stick to press releases, rumors suggest it will announce several new products this month. The graphic for Apple's "Unleashed" event in October 2021 Below, we have recapped everything to know about a potential Apple event this October. When The table below outlines when Apple teased its October launches over the past...

Top Rated Comments

JPack Avatar
41 months ago
This is honestly the more important announcement as it's a mainstream Watch that everyone can afford, especially with an S8.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jmausmuc Avatar
41 months ago

I want to buy my wife an Apple Watch today, and I'm trying to figure out the differences between the Series 8 and the new SE. This is what I put together, but what am I missing?

-SE has no Always On Display
-SE has a smaller display?
-SE has no temperature sensor, but has most of the health features found in other Apple Watches
-SE has no fast charging?
No ECG
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisMoBro Avatar
41 months ago

SE1 is slow as heck.
Really? Doesn’t it use the same chip as the S5? I have that model and it’s lightning fast
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ekuLoN Avatar
41 months ago
S8 chip means S7 chip. Which means S6 chip based on a13 cores. That was the last real upgrade with SiP aspect
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
infinitedreams Avatar
41 months ago
So only thing new about this watch is car crash detection. Will stick with my SE 1.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
41 months ago
So back to a composite back from ceramic. That's disappointing. My S0's composite back became scuffed over time just from going on the charger.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)