Apple announced the Watch SE 2 at its 'Far Out' event on Sept. 7. Users can already pre-order it, and it will be available to buy in the coming days.
Apple announced the Watch SE 2 at its 'Far Out' event on Sept. 7, and the device will be available for purchase in the coming days. The new Watch SE is an upgrade to the original Apple Watch SE that was released back in 2020 and came with many of the core Apple Watch features that make it an exciting proposition. Alongside the Apple Watch SE (2022), the company also announced the Watch Series 8 with enhanced features and new sensors and the rugged Watch Ultra aimed at the outdoorsy types. Alongside the three new Apple Watch models, Apple also announced the iPhone 14 and the AirPods Pro 2 at its latest event.
For everything that Apple announced at its event this week, several products remained MIA. That includes new M2-powered iPad Pros, MacBooks and a revamped Mac mini, all of which are expected to be announced next month. As for the next-gen AirPods Max, the next-gen Apple TV box and the rumored HomePod with a FaceTime camera and Apple TV functionality, there's no confirmed timeframe for their launch yet. Finally, there was no mention of Apple's long-rumored AR/VR headset at this week's event either, but rumors suggest that Apple could announce the so-called 'Reality Pro' headset next January.
Related: Everything Apple Announced At The "Far Out" Event
The Apple Watch SE 2 is the company's second-generation entry-level smartwatch model that comes in two sizes and two connectivity options. The Watch SE (2022) comes in 40mm and 44mm aluminum cases in GPS and cellular variants. While the GPS model is priced at $249 and $279 for the two sizes, the cellular models are priced a tad higher, coming in at $299 and $329, respectively. Color options include midnight, starlight and silver. The Apple Watch SE can be pre-ordered immediately, but it will only be available from Sept. 16.
In terms of features, the Apple Watch SE is powered by the S8 SiP dual-core processor, which also powers the Watch Series 8 and Watch Ultra. In addition, it will support the Watch Series 8's crash detection feature and international roaming when paired with a roaming plan active on an iPhone. The new SE also retains some features of the original SE, including an optical heart rate sensor, fall detection, emergency SOS and sleep tracking. It also has a Retina OLED display and offers water resistance up to 50 meters.
However, for all its similarities with the Watch Series 8, the Watch SE 2 misses out on a few features that make the Series 8 so lucrative. Most notably, it doesn't have ECG nor the new temperature sensor that will allow Watch Series 8 users to track their ovulation cycles. It also misses out on fast charging and always-on-display, the latter being one of the highlight features of the Watch Series 8. Nevertheless, despite the cost-cutting measures, the Watch SE 2 is still one of the more exciting smartwatches at its price point and will likely be a hit with buyers looking for an Apple Watch on a budget.
Kishalaya has almost a decade's worth of experience in tech journalism, having written thousands of news, guides, features, and reviews for multiple American, Canadian, and Indian blogs. As a senior writer at ScreenRant, he covers everything from consumer electronics to artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies to virtual reality, and electric vehicles to space. Entertainment to him means 90s sitcoms, such as Fresh Prince, Home Improvement, Seinfeld, Friends, That 70s Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. He loves dogs, sports, and pizza (in that order) and can listen to The Doors, Def Leppard, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses all day long. He also loves watching cheesy 90s sci-fi/disaster movies like Independence Day, Armageddon, Twister, Volcano, Dante's Peak, etc.