Apple Reportedly Developing Apple Watch SE With Plastic Casing

Apple is developing a new version of the low-cost Apple Watch SE with a plastic casing, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today claimed.

apple watch se 2022
Writing in this weekend's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman mentioned Apple's work on an Apple Watch SE that features a rigid plastic casing in lieu of anodized aluminum. He postulated that this may be one technique Apple may be planning to use to bring the cost of the Apple Watch SE down. The current Apple Watch SE sells for $249, but Samsung's cheapest rival watch, the Galaxy Watch FE, sells for $199.

Apple famously released the iPhone 5C with an "unapologetically" plastic casing in 2013, which was effectively a rehoused version of the ‌iPhone‌ 5. The polycarbonate exterior was available in various vibrant color options. The device was somewhat controversial because critics argued that the plastic casing was a step down from the luxurious metal finishes of previous models and some consumers felt that the device's price point was still too high for what was perceived as an inferior product.

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

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro is Vulnerable to Scratching, But Not Where You Might Think

Tuesday September 23, 2025 2:18 pm PDT by
Early reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air are more vulnerable to scratches and scuffs, primarily due to damage spotted at Apple Stores. Apple customers have discovered that the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models Apple has out for display at its retail locations have scratching in the area of the MagSafe charger. Those devices are handled by hundreds to thousands of...

Top Rated Comments

Joshuaorange Avatar
16 months ago
The plastic casing was perfect at that price point and it was a great phone. Lots of kids had them. They were very tough and could be dropped without causing damage most of the time. Plastic is a far better choice than aluminum for things that bounce off the ground.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joshuaorange Avatar
16 months ago

Plastic cases are much better than metal ones for antenna reception. Besides being much lighter as well. And not getting so hot to the wrist touch…

And Apple should do other changes to the Watch as well to boost sales; unless for the Apple Watch Ultra: truly standalone (not requiring any other device to setup and use, albeit Mac dependency could be acceptable, but not iPhone or iPad dependency) and built-in camera, ideally telescopic rotating retractable camera inside the watch crown. Until that happens, the only alternative are Android watches. A shame for Apple!
A camera in a watch is even more useless than a camera in a tablet.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
16 months ago
I'd be fine with that.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
16 months ago
Unapologetically time to increase the price of the aluminium models
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
16 months ago

Really? You have insights into Apple pricing plans you’d like to share?
No need. Years of experience with Apple.

Latest example: Non-Leather Case being charged for the same price even though the new material is much cheaper and basically falls apart by just looking at it
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
16 months ago
Unapologetically… compromised?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)