The next Apple Watch SE might be plastic, but is that worth the tradeoff? | Technology

Last month, reports started to emerge that Apple is testing a new “rigid plastic” body for the next generation Apple Watch SE. While this would undoubtedly reduce costs, it begs the question – will this tradeoff be worth it for customers?

The history of Apple Watch SE

Apple introduced the Apple Watch SE in 2020, alongside the Apple Watch Series 6. It started at $279, with the same display, aluminum casing, and ceramic back as the Series 6. It did lack miss out an Always-On Display, used an older processor, and also lacked support for reading your electrocardiogram (ECG). However, with the Apple Watch Series 6 starting at $399, it was still a pretty good deal, especially compared to the archaic Apple Watch Series 3 that Apple still sold for $199.

In 2022, Apple refreshed the Apple Watch SE, and it started at $249 – making it a little bit cheaper than the prior model. With this model, Apple updated it to use the same chipset as the flagship Apple Watch…