Affordable Plastic Casing for Apple Watch SE; Apple Watch Series 10 Health Features Delayed

Apple is set to launch a new plastic-cased Apple Watch SE, while the Apple Watch Series 10 will see delays in health features, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Cost-Saving Plastic Casing for Apple Watch SE

A new plastic-cased Apple Watch SE is in the works, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today.

Gurman brought up Apple's development of a ‌Apple Watch SE‌ with a hard plastic case instead of anodized aluminum in this past weekend's "Power On" newsletter (via MacRumors). He speculated that this could be one strategy Apple has in the works to lower the price of the Apple Watch SE.

In comparison to Samsung's Galaxy Watch FE, which is their most affordable offering, the current ‌Apple Watch SE‌ retails at $249.

In 2013, Apple issued the iPhone 5C, which was essentially a repackaged iPhone 5, with a plastic case that was "unapologetically" used. A rainbow of eye-catching hues was on offer for the polycarbonate exterior.

Some people thought the price was too costly for what they saw as an inferior product, while others thought the plastic housing was a step down from the opulent metal finishes of earlier generations. Therefore, the gadget was met with mixed reviews.

According to another Apple Watch report, the Series 10 will have a bigger screen and a new chip. However, the device may not get any new health monitoring tools.

"Unlikely to look much different" from its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 10 will be slimmer, according to Gurman. Also, the Apple Watch Ultra isn't getting a redesign anytime soon.

Series 10 to Feature Larger Screens

The upcoming Apple Watch "Series" models will keep coming in two sizes of shell, coded "N217" and "N218," and they'll have bigger screens. A screen size comparable to the Apple Watch Ultra will be available in one of the variants.

It would appear that a new processor, after last year's S9 chip, will be featured in both the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. There are presently no plans to bring "the full initiative" to the Apple Watch, and while this could "lay the groundwork for some AI enhancements down the road," it will not run Apple Intelligence.

Even though the Apple Watch's hypertension and sleep apnea detection features were supposed to be released in 2024, according to Gurman, the "effort hasn't gone smoothly" and "Apple has run into some serious snags."

Health Features Delayed for Apple Watch Series 10

Apple may delay the hypertension detection feature until next year due to concerns about its integration with the updated design and its lack of reliability during testing.

Additionally, the sleep apnea detection feature is now facing challenges as it is dependent on blood oxygen saturation. Unfortunately, due to an ongoing legal issue with Masimo, Apple Watches in the US are unable to measure this at this time.

According to Gurman, there is a chance that Apple may find a solution to the dispute with Masimo by September. Alternatively, Apple could consider using the blood oxygen sensor for unrelated purposes. Another option would be for the business to publicize the sleep apnea detection feature but delay its release.

Some reports have suggested that Apple is still exploring the possibility of 3D-printed cases for some Apple Watch models. This might lead to faster production with less material needed.

With the original Apple Watch launched in 2014 and released in 2015, Gurman claims it is still unclear if Apple would sell new watches in the same year or wait until next year to reveal them as special anniversary editions.