The development of a plastic version of the Apple Watch SE is reported to be in “serious jeopardy”.
The rumoured cheaper plastic Apple Watch SE version, a kid-friendly option, has been hit with various production snags, reported Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
“The design team doesn’t like the look, and the operations team is finding it difficult to make the casing materially cheaper than the current aluminum chassis,” said Gurman in his Power On newsletter.
The development of Apple Watch SE as a kid-friendly model comes as new research data shows that the smartwatch segment that saw considerable growth last year was the kids’ segment, according to data released by Counterpoint Research.
In January this year, Samsung announced that it had collaborated with Google to introduce a new kid-friendly Wear OS software experience called “Galaxy Watch for Kids”.
Apple released the second generation Apple Watch SE more than two years ago, which means that a refresh should be very much on the cards for the brand.
The smartwatch segment has been struggling with overall global smartwatch shipments dropping 7% year-on-year in 2024, its first-ever decline, according to Counterpoint.
It attributed the downturn “primarily to a decline in Apple’s shipments” as the basic smartwatch segment “saw lower upgrades amid a slowdown.”
Still, Apple remained the top-selling smartwatch brand in 2024, although its shipments dropped 19% and it held a 22% market share, compared to a 25% grip in 2023.
Apart from the Apple Watch SE, ChannelNews reported the company is reportedly developing new Apple Watch models with built-in cameras, paving the way for AI-driven wearable technology.
The addition of cameras aligns with Apple’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence across its devices. The new Visual Intelligence feature, which debuted on iPhones, allows users to scan objects, landmarks, or even text for instant AI-powered analysis.
