According to the latest report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), Apple Watch Ultra models outsell the affordable Apple Watch SE. Despite a premium price tag and niche market, the Apple Watch Ultra manages to reap more sales than the SE. I feel one of the possible reasons for poor Apple Watch SE sales is the lack of features.
The Cupertino tech giant didn’t add enough features to justify the upgrade. There’s not a huge price difference between the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch SE. By spending an extra $120, a user can enjoy a better display and advanced health-tracking features which aren’t available in the SE.
A new report from Mark Gurman suggests that Apple will launch the Apple Watch SE 3 with a plastic shell to cut down the production costs and put the retail price somewhere around $200. The lower-cost plastic material allows for a richer gamut of color selection and gives Apple the liberty to onboard additional features if they wish to. In this article, I’ve penned down 5 features Apple Watch SE 3 should have to be a substantial upgrade. Let’s move along!
1. Always-On Display
While the Apple Watch SE is affordable and versatile, there’s a major missing with that smartwatch- an Always-On Display. When the Apple Watch SE screen is not in use, you’ll see a big, completely dark expanse that has nothing. It not only limits functionality but is also frustrating when you can’t see the time at a glance. I personally find it damn annoying when I have to either keep touching the screen or raise my wrist to check the time. The Always-On Display looks more modern and attractive, and its absence might hurt a smartwatch fan.
Well, an Always-On Display on the Apple Watch SE isn’t too much to ask for, given the fact that Apple has offered this feature since the launch of the Apple Watch Series 5 in 2019. Now that it’s been 5 years, it’s high time for Apple to offer an upgraded display on the upcoming Apple Watch SE model.
2. A QWERTY Keyboard
The Apple Watch SE display has ample space for comfortably reading news headlines or notifications but lacks a larger display found on the Apple Watch Series 9 or Series 8 models. Although this is completely fine and won’t make much difference to everyone, you might miss the on-screen QWERTY keyboard if you’ve ever used it in the past. On the Apple Watch SE 2, you can scribble words or use Dictation to transform your letters or speech into digital text.
A QWERTY keyboard gives the freedom to quickly respond to texts when you’re away from your iPhone. It’s worth knowing that Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 which also comes in the 40mm display option and a similar price tag, has a digital keyboard. With the upcoming Apple Watch SE, I wish Apple also finds a way to incorporate a digital keyboard on the 40mm option.
3. Double-tap Feature
Last year, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 arrived with a new gesture-based feature called “Double Tap” that allows you to control various functions of your smartwatch by pinching your thumb and index finger. You can easily use Double Tap on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 to trigger the shutter button in the Camera app, turn off alarms, accept or end calls, and other stuff.
While there are ways to get the Double Tap feature on the Apple Watch SE 2, the functionality is limited. On SE, you can only use the Double Tap feature when prompted. For instance, you can hang up the call when you see a blue “End call” prompt on your Watch SE. On the flip side, the Apple Watch Series 9 Double Tap feature lets you do a lot more stuff. This feature not only looks futuristic but also brings a lot of conveniences. I wish Apple could add the native double-tap functionality to the upcoming Apple Watch SE 3.
4. More Health Tracking features
Let’s face it. One of the major disappointments with the SE models is the lack of health monitoring features. While the Apple Watch SE 2 can track your workouts, has a heart rate sensor, and comes with fall detection & noise monitoring, it isn’t the best smartwatch for fitness and health tracking.
Specifically speaking, three useful trackers and sensors- Electrocardiogram (ECG), blood oxygen sensing, and temperature sensing are missing in the SE models. These features help you give deeper insights into your health and overall well-being. The blood oxygen works with sleep tracking and the temperature sensing helps in ovulation tracking by taking temperature readings every five seconds while you sleep overnight.
We know Apple has cut down ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensing features to make the SE model affordable. But, this might be a major deal breaker for people who want to keep an eye on their respiratory and cardiac health so they can share that data with their doctors. Now that the Cupertino tech giant is planning to switch to plastic shells to cut down costs, it should add all the advanced health tracking features to make the Apple Watch SE 3 a substantial upgrade.
5. Fast Charging Support
Last but not least, I wish to see fast charging support for the upcoming Apple Watch SE 3. Apple introduced fast charging on its smartwatch lineup with the Apple Watch Series 7 in 2021. Since then every Apple Watch has supported this feature, except the SE models. If there’s one thing to hate about the Apple Watch, it is the battery.
You would surely agree with me that most Apple Watches (except Ultra) have a bad battery life. You need to charge it every single night to make sure it’s working the next day. I feel fast charging support is a mandatory feature so your smartwatch can spend more time on your wrist, and not the charger.
In my opinion, these are the 5 features Apple must add to the upcoming Apple Watch SE 3. The current SE 2 feels like a general-purpose smartwatch and a decent fitness tracker. I hope Apple moves the upcoming SE 3 in a more modern and health-centric direction so it makes a solid upgrade over the existing models. Otherwise, the giant must prepare itself for lackluster sales like the SE 2.
What features do you wish to see in the Apple Watch SE 3? Don’t forget to drop your views in the comments below.
