The Apple Watch SE is fast approaching its second birthday and by the sounds of things the end of its life.
Debuted in September alongside the Apple Watch Series 6, the Apple Watch SE was and is one of the best Apple Watch models the company has created, offering many of the great features that make the Apple Watch great without the premium price tag of its latest and greatest models.
Even today the Apple Watch SE looks like an enticing pick in the lineup thanks to its favorable price tag and the fact that it is considerably better than the aging Apple Watch Series 3. But if you're currently lining up an Apple Watch SE purchase, then you should stop, because a refresh to the whole lineup is almost certainly on the way.
Apple Watch 2022: what's in the pipeline?
This year could be one of the biggest overhauls to the Apple Watch lineup in the product's life span, according to the rumors and leaks we've seen so far. That's because Apple reportedly has not one, not two, but three new models planned including the all-new Apple Watch SE 2 to replace the current budget option.
Rumor has it that the Apple Watch Series 8 could mark a design change over the previous Apple Watch Series 7 model – but the polish of the design makes it more likely it will retain the same design with some internal feature changes instead. Upgrades rumored include a new display size and possibly a new satellite communication feature for SOS. Another big focus will reportedly be health with temperature sensing among others.
A new Rugged Apple Watch 'Explorer' model and a new Apple Watch SE are also reportedly on the way. WatchOS 9 also ends support for Apple Watch Series 3, which will likely be taken off sale when the new ones arrive.
As to when all of this will take place, it is likely that Apple Watch will be unveiled alongside the iPhone 14 in September of this year, purely based on what historically happens. That means that in just a few weeks Apple is probably going to rearrange the entire (watch) face of its Apple Watch lineup, meaning if you can afford to hold off even a little longer then it's definitely worth doing so.
Why wait to buy an Apple Watch?
Firstly, there will likely be three brand new models for you to choose from when you come to pick your Apple Watch. Even if you don't want any of the new models we expect to arrive later this year, then all of the current models in the lineup should get some sort of price cut, and while they might not be available to purchase directly from Apple, shopping third-party at places like Amazon could yield you savings you might have missed buying in the summer.
As noted, the new Apple Watch SE might offer better and improved features for roughly a similar price as the current model. However, at the very least it will see the price of the current SE model fall in value. The same is true of the Apple Watch Series 7, which you might be able to pick up for the price of an SE once Series 8 has been announced.
Even if you don't want the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer, it is always worth skipping the summer months of July and August to wait and see what Apple has in store for the fall. If you do, hopefully, you'll be presently surprised, either by getting more for your money, or the same Apple Watch for less.
