The third iteration of the Apple Watch SE could reportedly be launched as a smartphone alternative for kids. The Apple Watch SE 3 is rumored to ditch the aluminum body for rigid plastic, a decision supposedly taken to keep the smartwatch"s price down.
However, there could be another reason behind this move. According to Bloomberg"s Mark Gurman in his Power On Newsletter, by using plastic, not only will Apple be able to keep the price below $200, but it could also market the product suited for children and as an alternative to smartphones for young kids.
The use of plastic will also help Apple differentiate the Apple Watch SE from the regular Apple Watch models. Additionally, Gurman notes that if the target audience for the Apple Watch SE 3 is going to be young kids, then thanks to the plastic casing, Apple will be able to play with colors and offer the watch in more vivid kid-friendly colors.
A kid"s watch coming from a brand like Apple is a good proposition. But it isn"t clear how marketing the next iteration of the Apple Watch SE as a phone replacement for youngsters is a smart idea.
The first Apple Watch SE was introduced back in September 2020. Almost two years later, Apple launched the second generation Apple Watch SE. The second-generation Apple Watch SE wasn"t easy to differentiate from the regular Apple Watch model, released in the same year, which was also the case with the first-generation Apple Watch SE.
The only difference between the Watch SE and the regular Apple watches was that the SE model lacked some of the health features. As for the upcoming model, one differentiator could be the plastic casing. Besides, it could feature a 1.61-inch display and be powered by an updated S9 chip. What kid-friendly features it would include are still tightly under wraps.