We don't have too much longer to wait until Apple's "Awe Dropping" September event, which will see the unveiling of new iPhones and new Apple Watch models, including the Apple Watch SE.
The Apple Watch SE is overdue for an update, and there could be some useful changes coming to Apple's most affordable watch.
Design
Apple could update the Apple Watch SE with 1.6-inch and 1.8-inch display sizes. It's possible Apple is planning to transition to the Apple Watch Series 7 design for the Apple Watch SE, which would see it made available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
The current Apple Watch SE comes in the older 40mm and 44mm size options.
With the Series 7, Apple also changed the design of the Apple Watch, introducing a slimmer casing and smaller bezels.
S11 Chip
The next-generation Apple Watch SE should get the same S11 chip as the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch Ultra.
The S11 is essentially the same as the S9 and the S10, but it will be a major improvement over the S8 chip that's in the current Apple Watch SE. Performance should be quicker and the SE 3 should be more responsive.
With the S11, the Apple Watch SE 3 could get features like on-device Siri processing, support for double tap gestures, and more storage.
Possible Health Features
The Apple Watch SE has fewer health features than Apple's flagship Apple Watch models. It doesn't have the ECG app, and there's no blood oxygen monitoring, for example. If there are new health features in the Series 11 and the Ultra 3, it's unlikely the functionality will make it to the Apple Watch SE 3.
The Apple Watch SE supports core features like heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and respiratory rate tracking. It already has the hardware needed for sleep apnea detection, so Apple could add that as a option.
Apple could also upgrade the optical heart sensor to the third-generation version that was initially introduced in the Apple Watch Series 7. The current Apple Watch SE is still using the second-generation sensor.
Plastic Casing Rumors
Back in mid-2024, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was working on a new Apple Watch SE with a colorful plastic casing. The device would have been reminiscent of the iPhone 5c, an iPhone that used a colorful plastic material instead of aluminum.
As of this year, Gurman says that Apple might have scrapped the plan for a plastic Apple Watch. The design team supposedly didn't like the look of the device, and the materials team was struggling to make it cheaper than the current aluminum casing.
The Apple Watch SE may continue to use the same old aluminum case as a result.
Price
We've heard no rumors of a price increase for the Apple Watch SE, and Apple probably wants to keep the device affordable.
The current 40mm version is priced starting at $249, and the 44mm model is priced starting at $279. The Apple Watch SE Series 3 could have the same price points.
Apple has been marketing the Apple Watch SE to parents who get the device for their children, and raising the price would impact Apple's efforts to market the device to kids.
Launch Timing
Apple will debut the Apple Watch SE 3 at its September 9 iPhone event. Pre-orders for the watch could follow on September 12, and a launch could come on September 19.
