Apple Watch SE still tipped to be fantastic in plastic

If you were hoping to see a cheaper Apple Watch at the Apple Watch 10 event last week you'll have been disappointed: the Apple Watch SE 3, the next generation of Apple's most affordable smartwatch, was nowhere to be seen. However it is real, it is still coming and when it arrives it'll apparently be fantastic and plastic.

That's according to Bloomberg, which says that the Apple Watch SE 3 has unfortunately been delayed a little bit: the same plastic case that's intended to make the SE 3 more affordable and more child-friendly has apparently run into some issues. But now that the Watch Series 10 is done, dusted and heading to people's wrists, Apple's watchmakers can give it their full attention.

Why is the Apple Watch SE 3 launch date delayed?

It's only very slightly later than anticipated; the current model, the Apple Watch SE 2, launched in September 2022 and was expected to be on a two-year upgrade cycle. According to Bloomberg's sources the plan is now to launch the third generation Apple Watch SE in early 2025.

The problems that have caused the delays are apparently "cost and quality challenges" around the shift from metal to plastic; the current model has the familiar aluminium casing that we've seen on every generation of Apple Watch since the very first one. 

This isn't the first time Apple has swapped aluminium for plastic: the iPhone 5C of the mid-aughts was "unapologetically plastic", but was a relative failure (albeit one that still topped the UK smartphone sales charts) and hasn't been repeated. The iPhone 6 and first generation iPhone SE went back to aluminium. 

However, that was likely to be more about marketing than manufacturing, because in the US in particular the "unapologetically plastic" tagline was typically used to mock the phone rather than celebrate it, which isn't ideal for a premium brand like the iPhone. The Watch SE doesn't carry the same branding baggage, especially if as rumoured it's going to be marketed at least in part as a wearable for kids.