There have been circulating rumors about Apple considering a massive change for its Apple Watch SE involving the use of plastic materials to bring a cheaper smartwatch in the market. However, new reports now claim that Apple has already scrapped the plans for this change, particularly as the company faced criticism because of this rumored plan.
Apple is no stranger when it comes to using plastic to make its products more budget-friendly, which was the case with the iPhone 5C's release. However, this faced mixed reviews in the market.
Apple Reportedly Scraps Plans For Plastic Apple Watch SE
The latest report from 9to5Mac dives deep into how Apple is reportedly no longer considering the use of plastic materials for the speculated Apple Watch SE that may be coming this year. The original rumor first appeared last year, saying that the company's plans for future Apple Watch SE releases include the switch to plastic to cut production costs for the wearable.
Instead of using the usual aluminum for the Apple Watch SE, the Cupertino-based tech giant was said to lean more on the use of hard plastic to serve as the wearable's body and replace the more expensive material.
This, in turn, would have helped Apple save on its manufacturing costs, material prices, and production, producing an ultimately cheaper device for the public to purchase from Apple's online or physical stores.
Will Apple Continue to Use Aluminum For Apple Watch SE?
After the backlash regarding initial rumors of plastic use, reports are now claiming that Apple gave up on this idea for the Apple Watch SE, with the previous releases already coming at a cheaper price of $249 for a brand-new unit.
The question now is if Apple will continue to use the aluminum material for the budget smartwatch's body, particularly as it may explore a different metal that would be cheaper. As of press time, Apple has yet to confirm any of these rumors.
Apple's Budget-Friendly Releases Over the Years
Over a decade ago, Apple experimented with offering the public a budget version of its smartphone lineup, which significantly deviated from its previous iPhones. The iPhone 5C brought the first plastic iPhones in its history, and it helped pave the way to offering a variety of colors for the company. However, it still faced criticism because of its pricey availability.
That did not stop Apple from releasing the "SE" lineup, which was first applied to its iPhones. The SE namesake was also applied to the Apple Watch with its 2020 and 2022 releases, featuring two generations of the budget smartwatch that used the same materials as older wearables but featured the same chipset as current generation devices.
The "SE" was dropped with the release of the iPhone 16e, and it remains to be seen if the speculated Apple Watch SE will retain this name upon its release.
