Looks like Apple is focussing on cutting costs as the Apple Watch SE 3 is set to ditch aluminum for hard plastic.
Apple Probably Looking to Drop Apple Watch SE 3 Price by Switching from Aluminum to Rigid Plastic
There are two parts to this news – the first one is, there is going to be an Apple Watch SE 3 which is fantastic news in itself. It’s glad to see Apple committing to the cheaper version of the Apple Watch, allowing people to hop onboard the wearable bandwagon without spending too much money.
Secondly, Apple is going to make the switch to rigid plastic for the Apple Watch SE 3 in order to bring the cost down. The revelation was made in Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter. The newsletter doesn’t go into detail about release date or anything else. It only talks about the move to a rigid plastic design.
Given how easy it is for aluminum to get scratched and bruised up, switching to hard plastic is going to be an interesting choice. I’ll be blown away if Apple manages to make this device tougher than the current model.
Keep one thing in mind, when Apple launched the second-generation Apple Watch SE in 2022, the company ditch the aluminum back for a cheaper composite material. Believing this is the first time Apple is going to pull off such a thing isn’t new. In fact, if you really want to take a trip down memory lane, Apple did do a plastic iPhone with the iPhone 5c. It wasn’t a success, but it was one of the best-feeling phones the company had done in a long time.
Gut feeling tells me this Apple Watch could probably see an announcement later this year alongside the new iPhone 16 lineup. Also expect the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
