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Apple Watch SE With Colorful Plastic Design 'Remains in Development'

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Remember the "unapologetically" plastic iPhone 5c from 2013? The next version of the lower-cost Apple Watch SE might look similar.

iPhone-5c-Yellow.jpg

In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said a new Apple Watch SE with a plastic casing "remains in development" ahead of a potential release next year. Apple has apparently faced some "cost and quality challenges" with the shift from aluminum to plastic, but he believes the project is still moving forward.

An even more affordable Apple Watch SE with a colorful plastic design could be appealing to parents who are looking to purchase an Apple Watch for their children. In the U.S., the current Apple Watch SE from 2022 starts at $249.

The next Apple Watch SE is also likely to offer a new chip with faster performance.

Article Link: Apple Watch SE With Colorful Plastic Design 'Remains in Development'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/09/15/plastic-apple-watch-se-rumor/
I prefer the build of iPhone 5c to the iPhone 5, 5s, SE 2016

I wish Apple would make some iPhone in the future with stainless steel frame with polycarbonate shell like in iPhone 5c...

I never owned an Apple Watch but it would be interesting how Apple would price it...
 
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winxmac said:
I prefer the build of iPhone 5c to the iPhone 5, 5s, SE 2016

I wish Apple would make some iPhone in the future with stainless steel frame with polycarbonate shell like in iPhone 5c...

I never owned an Apple Watch but it would be interesting how Apple would price it...
Click to expand...
How much you want to bet the new iPhone SE will have a polycarbonate frame as well? Maybe that’s why Gurman says Apple is running into quality issues during development
 
swingerofbirch said:
How expensive can aluminum be? It's used in soda cans.

I know they say it's aerospace grade, but that means a bit less these days with planes disintegrating mid-flight.
Click to expand...
Since the core concept of SE is reusing and selectively spec-bumping older devices, I also don't see how Apple would gain much on its bottomline by r&d'ing designs that use different materials.

And I have to assume the buyer also wants their AW SE to look identical to one of the $399 models, albeit an older model.

I feel a colorful plastic design would inevitably look like an Apple Watch knockoff even if the design and dimensions were identical to the flagship 41/42mm and 45/46mm models.

I've definitely spotted a lot of competing brands that mostly nail the AW look. But you immediately grasp that it's not made by Apple because of the plastic-ey materials and colors used on the case and band that Apple would never do.

An iPhone 5c-esque bright plastic Watch SE seems like a bad idea.
 
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Reactions: 75Batt
An Apple Watch that can be worn in a steam room or sauna would be nice, even if it has to be made of plastic.
 
Nice!

Plastic is a MUCH better material for the back of a phone than glass or aluminum. There's no problem getting a good radio signal through, and it's much less likely to break than glass.

I've seen FAR too many shattered iPhone backs.

Now, give me a plastic SE+.
 
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gpat said:
One iPhone "C" series would make a lot of sense as well.
Polycarbonate, LCD screen from iPhone 11, and up-to-date CPU with also USB-C.
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I don't think so.

An all-plastic iPhone that doesn't look like any mid-tier from the past isn't an iPhone anymore.

The buyer wants others to know they own an iPhone. That's a big selling point for many.

5c failed because of this. And would have failed even if it had great flagship specs as it doesn't look premium enough to be an iPhone and doesn't resemble any iPhone that was once a flagship or mid-tier.

All-plastic smartphone means "not an iPhone". Bad idea.
 
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ApplesAreSweet&Sour said:
I don't think so.

An all-plastic iPhone that doesn't look like any mid-tier from the past isn't an iPhone anymore.

The buyer wants others to know they own an iPhone. That's a big selling point for many.

5c failed because of this. And would have failed even if it had great flagship specs as it doesn't look premium enough to be an iPhone and doesn't resemble any iPhone that was once a flagship or mid-tier.

All-plastic smartphone means "not an iPhone". Bad idea.
Click to expand...

iphone 5c.jpeg


While I think it's ridiculous to "want others to know they own an iPhone", and I generally use cases that make it non-obvious what kind of phone is inside, saying that plastic is "not an iPhone" is also utterly ridiculous.

Plastic is simply a better material for a phone than aluminum or glass. And most of us know this, because we put them in plastic cases anyway.
 
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swingerofbirch said:
How expensive can aluminum be? It's used in soda cans.

I know they say it's aerospace grade, but that means a bit less these days with planes disintegrating mid-flight.
Click to expand...
its the machining which costs much more. with plastic you just need the negative form and press the liquid plastic in. with aluminium you have to cut, mill, drill, grind, glas pebble blast and anodize after that.
 
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I get the pro models now, but I would prefer a non glass back. I would prefer a good plastic back or aluminum to glass personally, but I know thats partly because of the wireless charging.

There is a market for less expensive phones. Most people really don't need a pro. I really don't in reality, but I can so I do.

Im ready for a magnesium ultra iphone.....
 
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yall please just hear me out on why this is a good idea—Apple Watches are rapidly becoming very capable health devices, and a plastic SE could come in at an incredibly low price point. given Tim Cook has said he believes Apple will be remembered most for its impact on health, I’m hard-pressed to believe they would sacrifice any health-related features for this model—while doing everything else to keep it as affordable as possible. maybe I’m dreaming but maybe Apple is aiming to put out a $99 smartwatch and that, on the heels of turning a $250 pair of earbuds into OTC hearing aids, would be amazing
 
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phenste said:
yall please just hear me out on why this is a good idea—Apple Watches are rapidly becoming very capable health devices, and a plastic SE could come in at an incredibly low price point. given Tim Cook has said he believes Apple will be remembered most for its impact on health, I’m hard-pressed to believe they would sacrifice any health-related features for this model—while doing everything else to keep it as affordable as possible. maybe I’m dreaming but maybe Apple is aiming to put out a $99 smartwatch and that, on the heels of turning a $250 pair of earbuds into OTC hearing aids, would be amazing
Click to expand...
Health device?

This thing is a phone on my wrist. The stuff of comic books. That counts for more than any health features.

And I love that I can glance at it and smack it with my palm to shut up an incoming call I know I don't want, control my lights with it, adjust the thermostat, and it's a calculator watch - take that, 5th grade math teacher who said I wouldn't always have a calculator with me.

(40+ years later, and I can confidently say he was wrong. I have, in fact, always had a calculator with me when I needed one.)
 
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