Apple this year has come up with two Apple Watch models for consumers of different market segments. While Apple Watch Series 8 is what the brand is positioning as its best offering in the entire watch collection, Apple Watch SE is where things get interesting. It is modern and yet affordable which makes it a perfect catch amongst all its competitors. Apple Watch SE price starts at Rs 29,900, which is quite a masses-friendly range considering the other options available in the Indian market. Here’s a quick Apple Watch SE review to understand the product in detail.
The watch is currently available in three colour options without any materials or finishes exceptions in any of them. The three colours are Space Grey, Silver, and Gold. Apart from this, the Apple Watch SE can be purchased in three size variants. The smaller 40mm variant with a standard Sport Band is priced at Rs. 29,900, the slightly bigger variant on the other hand is priced at Rs. 32,900. The prices mentioned here are for the GPS only Apple Watch versions. To have LTE connectivity in-built into the Apple Watch SE, the same two size variants would cost Rs. 33,900 and Rs. 36,900 respectively. Apple also offers a lot of strap options for users to choose from and buy separately. This includes Apple’s new Solo Loop.
Apple Watch SE box includes Apple Watch SE (aluminium), Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable and Strap. An important item, an actual wall adapter for charging the Apple Watch, is missing from the box and it appears the brand assumes that everyone has a spare charger at home.
Before we move forward with a detailed description of Apple Watch SE features that are worth talking about, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons.
Pros
- Affordability! It is a factor that can’t and shouldn’t be ignored especially when the product checks basics and most used feature boxes
- Performance is the same as the Apple Watch Series 8, which is touted to be the company’s best product available in the market
- The feature of car-crash detection for additional safety is a high-end feature. Getting it at this price point works great in favour of the Apple Watch SE
Cons
- No always-on display. This could be a reason to downvote if you look at the product from a tech expert’s perspective.
- There is no QWERTY keyboard also, which can make typing or signalling on the watch a little bit difficult
- Most new features found in this model are already available in other older models. So, there is no reason to upgrade to it
Now, let’s take a deeper look at the specifications of the Apple Watch SE.
We have to talk about the design when it comes to smartwatches. And while Apple as a brand is not known for too much innovation and deviation from its original designs, it’s always interesting to look at its range of products to notice what the company has changed, if it did at all. On the design front, the Apple Watch SE looks more or less the same as previous Apple Watches, as anyone would have expected. This one again comes in a square shape and aluminium casing with a digital crown and a button on the right side. The Apple Watch SE’s retina LTPO OLED display with 1000nits brightness is big and the border rims are quite thin. The display has Ion-X strengthened glass on top in order to keep it safe from getting scratched at every encounter.
The watch comes with Apple’s S5 SiP (System-in-Package) and Bluetooth 5 along with WiFi for connectivity. It has GPS and GNSS for positioning as well as LTE connectivity on cellular models. For cellular connectivity, Apple Watch SE is supported by all three main carriers in India i.e. Airtel, Jio and Vi.
Similar to its iPhone, Apple has always been up to date when it comes to the software of its wearable. The Apple Watch SE runs on WatchOS 7 and sports most of the features of the latest Apple Watch Series 6. Although the blood oxygen tracker of Series 6 is missing from the Apple Watch SE. The ECG sensor that the company provided in Series 4 and the now discounted Series 5 is also not there in the SE model. The different work trackers available in Watch SE include swimming tracking technology and water resistance up to 50 mm.
One thing to be noted is that Apple Watches are only compatible with iPhones including iPhone SE and no other devices whatsoever. Setting up the Apple Watch SE is easy and only required users to use the Watch app on their iPhones to scan the code from the display. The 32 GB of storage allows users to install a lot of apps and music easily on their Apple Watch SE.
Contrary to what usually is the apprehension regarding the battery life of an Apple Watch, the Apple Watch SE battery life is supported by a rather decent battery. The watch can smoothly last a day and a half on a single charge, which is appreciative when compared to other watches available in the market. However, if you are using the LTE connectivity function, the runtime may differ for different users. Full charging of the device takes around over two hours. This is slower than the charging capabilities of the Apple Watch Series 6.
On the whole, Apple has done a great job with SE. If you are looking for a smartwatch that does all the basics, looks stylish and is not really harsh on your pocket then Apple Watch SE fits the bill like no other out there. Those who already have an Apple Watch might not find many reasons to switch, but those looking for one at an affordable price shouldn’t let this one slip.
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