Apple Watch SE hands-on: A faster watch at a lower price

This story is part of Focus iPhone 2022CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice on Apple’s most popular product.

Apple’s new $249 Apple Watch SE made its debut during Apple’s Far Out event on Wednesday, bringing a new, lower-cost Apple Watch to replace the 2020 version. The Apple Watch SE includes the new feature for detecting car accidents, which is also being sold Apple Watch Series 8, with Apple promising the watch will run 20% faster than the previous SE. The Apple Watch SE will be available for pre-order on Wednesday and will be released next Friday, September 16th. In addition to the Series 8, the new Watch SE debuted alongside the robust $799 price tag Apple Watch Ultra.

The starting price of $249 for the new SE is lower than the $279 price for the 2020 model, and the cellular version of the Apple Watch SE starts at $299. The watch is available in three aluminum models in the colors Silver, Midnight and Starlight.

One of the biggest changes in the new Apple Watch SE is the new S8 processor, which is the same chip in the Series 8 and Ultra models. In the short time I’ve had with the new Apple Watch SE, scrolling through the app selector screen and other user interface elements felt fast and smooth. But the bigger benefit is that the SE’s new processor likely means it’ll support new software features for a long time to come. The previous-generation Apple Watch SE, by comparison, runs on the same chip as the somewhat dated Series 5.

Car crash detection is the other big update for the SE and Apple’s other new smartwatches. It uses new gyroscopes and accelerometers in the watches to detect accidents and notify emergency services and contacts within 10 seconds if the user doesn’t respond.

The Apple Watch SE looks generally the same as its predecessor. With the screen off, I could barely tell it apart from the Series 7 strapped to my wrist. But if you look closely when you turn the watch over, you’ll notice a subtle change. The finish around the new SE’s sensors has been updated to better match the color of the watch. It’s a nice touch, but since it’s on the bottom of the watch I’m not sure how noticeable it will be.

The Apple Watch SE also gets a new power saving mode, along with every other Apple Watch from Series 4 and up. The new mode switches back certain functions, such as B. Heart rate readings in the background to save battery life. While it doesn’t look like Apple has increased the SE’s battery life, hopefully the power saving mode should address some of our criticisms of the Apple Watch’s battery life.

The new Apple Watch SE will include support for Watch OS 9supports the new exercise and sleep tracking features planned for the upcoming OS update.

Apple/Sarah Lord/CNET

Pre-order your 2022 Apple Watch SE directly from Apple for $249. You also get three months of Apple Fitness Plus with your purchase.

The Watch SE appears to be replacing the Apple Watch Series 3 as the most affordable watch in Apple’s lineup, like the Series 3 will not support WatchOS 9. The Apple Watch Series 3 stayed on the market for five years at $199, so with the Watch SE it seems Apple is raising the entry price point for its line of watches, but with a watch that packs the essentials and can run the most up-to-date software .

Scott Stein contributed to this report.