A plastic Apple Watch SE may still be happening, but not until next year

Apple at the It’s Glowtime event on Sept. 9, but the rumored Apple Watch SE with a plastic shell wasn’t among them. That doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t see it at some point, though. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who first reported that the company was developing an even cheaper version of the budget watch, the plastic SE “is still moving forward.” Sources told Gurman it could arrive next year.

The Apple Watch SE last got a refresh in 2022 with the release of the second generation line. In addition to a plastic shell, plans for the rumored upcoming watch include bolder colors that would appeal to kids, Gurman reported. But, Apple has apparently hit a manufacturing snag with the plastic design. Last Monday’s official Apple Watch news focused on the Series 10, which has a thinner build and larger display, as was expected in the leadup to the event. In , Engadget’s Billy Steele called the Series 10’s brighter, wide-angle OLED display “a massive upgrade” compared to other recent models.