No progress with health features, which seem like the most exciting evolution.
Who truly needs the larger screen and faster chip. Especially the former will presumably reduce battery life, something that very much matters with watches.
The company is also working on a new version of its lower-cost Apple Watch SE model, which it last updated in 2022. One idea the company has tested is swapping the aluminium shell for rigid plastic. It’s likely to lower the cost to something that could better rival Samsung’s cheapest watch, the $199 Galaxy Watch FE. The SE currently starts at $249.
Is that actually the case? I was under the impression that at least under US teenagers the iPhone usage was insanely high. And those are far from cheap, so at least there parents seem fine in spending big.
Also the cited article mentions $250 for the se watch vs $200 for the Samsung (although I guess that one might have bigger discounts). $50 difference doesn’t seem large for the “Apple tax”.
To me the plastic part would just seem like a risky gamble. Apple has the premium image and it might cheapen it. Especially on a device that is constantly visible, has skin contact and isn’t used with any case.
$250 is just for the SE. That’s the closest Apple has to a budget line, and typically has hardware a few years old. The main line is the series 9 which starts at $400, and the ultra 2 which starts at $800. Most people I know with Apple Watches have either the series line or the ultra line.
Doesn’t look great:
No progress with health features, which seem like the most exciting evolution.
Who truly needs the larger screen and faster chip. Especially the former will presumably reduce battery life, something that very much matters with watches.
That really doesn’t sound like Apple.
Apple wants the next generation. Kids love their watches. Parents don’t want to spend $500+ on a kids watch.
Is that actually the case? I was under the impression that at least under US teenagers the iPhone usage was insanely high. And those are far from cheap, so at least there parents seem fine in spending big.
Also the cited article mentions $250 for the se watch vs $200 for the Samsung (although I guess that one might have bigger discounts). $50 difference doesn’t seem large for the “Apple tax”.
To me the plastic part would just seem like a risky gamble. Apple has the premium image and it might cheapen it. Especially on a device that is constantly visible, has skin contact and isn’t used with any case.
$250 is just for the SE. That’s the closest Apple has to a budget line, and typically has hardware a few years old. The main line is the series 9 which starts at $400, and the ultra 2 which starts at $800. Most people I know with Apple Watches have either the series line or the ultra line.