PRESS RELEASE
16 September 2020
Apple Watch SE: The ultimate combination of design, function, and value
Featuring the largest Apple Watch display, fall detection, advanced fitness features, and Family Setup with watchOS 7
Cupertino, California — Apple today announced Apple Watch SE, packing the essential features of Apple Watch into a modern design customers love — all at a more affordable price. The largest and most advanced Retina display allows customers to easily see more details and the information that matters most, right on their wrist. Apple Watch SE features the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as Apple Watch Series 6, and with the latest motion sensors and microphone, it offers robust health and safety capabilities including fall detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, and the Noise app.
With watchOS 7, users can take advantage of powerful new features including Family Setup, which allows kids or older family members without an iPhone to enjoy Apple Watch, plus sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, and new workouts. Apple Watch SE is available in three beautiful case finishes made of 100 percent recycled aluminium, and compatible with all Apple Watch bands including the new Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop.
“Apple Watch SE combines elements of the Series 6 design with the most essential features of Apple Watch, all at a more affordable price,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We’re excited to offer another great option to help customers stay connected, be more active, and keep an eye on their health.”
Design and Performance
Apple Watch SE features a stunning Retina display, with thin borders and curved corners, that is 30 percent larger than Series 3. The interface allows for large and easy-to-read app icons and fonts, while complications are precise and informative. A variety of new watch faces are optimised for the display, so customers can easily view notifications, text messages, workout metrics, and more.
With the S5 System in Package (SiP) and dual-core processor, Apple Watch SE delivers incredibly fast performance, up to two times faster than Apple Watch Series 3. The Digital Crown with haptic feedback generates incremental clicks with an extraordinary mechanical feel as it is rotated. Apple Watch SE features the latest speaker and microphone, which are optimised for better sound quality for phone calls, Siri, and Walkie-Talkie,1 along with Bluetooth 5.0.
Advanced Fitness Features
The next-generation always-on altimeter provides real-time elevation all day long by using a new, more power-efficient barometric altimeter, along with GPS and nearby Wi-Fi networks. This feature allows for the detection of small elevation changes above ground level, up and down to the measurement of 1 foot, and can be shown as a new watch face complication or workout metric.
The built-in compass provides users with better directions and compass headings, in addition to incline, elevation, and latitude and longitude. Users can add one of three new Compass complications to their watch face, and developers can take advantage of compass information in their apps to create rich experiences.
Health and Safety
With Emergency SOS on Apple Watch, customers can quickly and easily call for help and alert emergency services with just a push of a button. For added personal safety while traveling, users with cellular models of Apple Watch SE can complete international calls to emergency services,2 regardless of where the device was originally purchased or if the cellular plan has been activated.
Fall detection uses a custom algorithm and the latest accelerometer and gyroscope in Apple Watch SE to detect when a user falls. By analysing wrist trajectory and impact acceleration, Apple Watch sends the user an alert after a hard fall, which can be dismissed or used to initiate a call to emergency services. If the watch senses immobility for approximately 60 seconds after the fall, it will automatically call emergency services and play an audio message that provides the user’s location as latitude and longitude coordinates, in addition to sending a message to emergency contacts.
To provide enhanced insights into hearing health, Apple Watch SE utilises the latest-generation microphone to measure ambient sound levels in a user’s environment. Apple Watch SE sends a notification if the decibel level of surrounding sound has risen to a point that it could cause damage, and users can check noise levels at any time through the Noise app or Noise watch face complication.
watchOS 7
With watchOS 7, customers can take personalisation to the next level with seven new watch face options, including Stripes, Chronograph Pro, GMT, and Artist, while curating, discovering, and sharing new watch face configurations with others. New health and fitness features, including low-range VO2 Max, sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, and new workout types, can help users better understand overall well-being. Conveniently accessible on the wrist, Maps includes cycling directions and Siri offers language translation.
Family Setup and Optimised Features for the Entire Family
Family Setup3 in watchOS 7 extends Apple Watch to the entire family by allowing kids and older family members of the household who do not have an iPhone to benefit from the connectivity, safety, and fitness features of Apple Watch. Kids can take advantage of communication and personalisation capabilities, access Emergency SOS at any time, enjoy an Activity rings experience that has been optimised just for them, and utilise a new mode called Schooltime, which can help them stay focused and attentive while learning at home or in the classroom.
watchOS 7 also offers optimised features for older adults, starting with a simplified onboarding and configuration process, along with a refreshed X-Large face that shows the time and a rich complication at a glance. Older adults can also benefit from a new Health Checklist in the Health app on iPhone, which offers the ability to track whether health features like fall detection have been enabled in one centralised view.
Pricing and Availability
- Apple Watch SE (GPS) starts at $279 and Apple Watch SE (GPS + Cellular) starts at $329.
- Apple Watch SE (GPS) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and 27 other countries and regions.
- Apple Watch SE (GPS + Cellular) is available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18, in the US, Puerto Rico, and 21 other countries and regions. For carrier availability, visit apple.com/watch/cellular.
- New Apple Watch bands are available to order today from apple.com and in the Apple Store app, with availability beginning Friday, September 18. Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop in PRODUCT(RED) will be available in late October. Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop are compatible with Apple Watch Series 4 and later.
- watchOS 7 will be available for Apple Watch Series 3 and later on September 16, and requires iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14. Not all features are available on all devices.
- When customers buy directly from Apple, Apple Watch Studio gives them the exclusive opportunity to pick their preferred case and band combination to create a look that is uniquely their own.
- Customers looking for convenient, contactless service are able to find many of the same shopping and support services from apple.com. Customers can chat with an Apple Specialist and get shopping help, choose monthly financing options, trade in eligible devices, and get Genius support and no-contact delivery. In-store pickup is also available. Customers are encouraged to check apple.com/retail for more information on the health and safety measures in place, and the services available at their local store.
- Customers can trade in their eligible device for an Apple Gift Card or credit toward their purchase. If the device is not eligible for credit, Apple will recycle it for free.4
- Customers can extend their limited warranty with AppleCare+ and get accidental damage coverage and 24/7 priority access to technical support.
- Customers who buy Apple Watch directly from Apple can enjoy a free Online Personal Session with an Apple Specialist to help them explore and discover all the amazing things they can do with their Apple Watch.5
- In line with Apple’s commitment to the environment, the Apple Watch SE case is made from 100 percent recycled aluminium. In addition, Apple is removing the AC adapter that could become electronic waste from Apple Watch SE packaging, and helping its Apple Watch manufacturing partners transition to renewable energy.
To see all of the latest announcements and photos from today’s keynote event, check out the wrap-up on Apple Newsroom.
To see all of the latest announcements and photos from today’s keynote event, check out the wrap-up on Apple Newsroom.
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Images of Apple Watch SE
- Not available in all countries.
- Not available in all countries.
- Requires cellular models of Apple Watch Series 4 or later, or Apple Watch SE. Not all features will be available if Apple Watch is set up through Family Setup. Wireless service plan required for cellular service. Contact your service provider for more details. Check apple.com/watch/cellular for participating wireless carriers and eligibility.
- Trade-in values vary based on the condition, year, and configuration of your trade-in device, and may also vary between online and in-store trade-in. You must be at least 18 years old. Offer may not be available in all countries. In-store trade-in requires presentation of a valid government-issued photo ID (local law may require saving this information). Additional terms from Apple or Apple’s trade-in partners may apply.
- In most countries.