Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Wearables
  3. Mobile
  4. News

The Apple Watch SE 2 makes Apple’s cheap smartwatch better than ever

Add as a preferred source on Google

Apple has unveiled the Apple Watch SE 2 at its “Far Out” event in Cupertino, California. The company revealed the new watch alongside the Apple Watch Series 8.

The Apple Watch SE 2 is packed with the same features as the Series 8 that make it the perfect first Apple Watch for more than 80% of users on a budget. It comes with the latest WatchOS 9 and a new S8 processor, which works 20% faster than the previous SE.

Apple Watch SE 2.
Apple

It tracks your workouts and activity, and it’s waterproof for up to 50 meters in depth when swimming. It also has the ability to detect falls, notify you of high and low heart rates, and it lets you call 911 with emergency SOS. To keep users even safer, the Apple Watch SE 2 is programmed with the same motion sensors for crash detection as the Series 8, regardless of the severity of the crash — all shown on a display that is 30% larger than that of the Series 3.

 

For families, the Apple Watch SE 2 comes with Family Setup, which allows people to set up and manage the Apple Watch for kids who don’t have their own iPhones yet, such as tracking their location and allowing them to contact people they prefer through call or text messaging. It will have more features coming soon that will give kids more independence and their parents some peace of mind.

Recommended Videos

The Apple Watch SE 2 costs $249 for GPS and $299 for both GPS and cellular versions. You can pre-order it now, and it will be available on September 16.

Cristina Alexander
Gaming/Mobile Writer
Cristina Alexander is a gaming and mobile writer at Digital Trends. She blends fair coverage of games industry topics that…
I’ve used the Apple Watch Series 8 for four years. The Series 12 finally made me want to upgrade
After four years with my Series 8, Apple finally gave me enough reasons to put my old watch out to pasture.
Apple Watch series 12 on wrist

I've used the Apple Watch Series 8 for four years, and I never felt the itch to upgrade. Sure, newer models added faster chips and neat tricks like the double-tap gesture, but nothing felt big enough to convince me to spend the money and start over with a new watch. I was happy with what I had.

That changes with the Apple Watch Series 12. It brings a mix of hardware and software upgrades that make it one of the best Apple Watch releases in years, and the best part is that it still starts at $399. Here's why I'm finally ready to move on from my Series 8.

Read more
Google may have a fitness tracker in the works with a display and Wear OS
It could be the Fitbit Charge 6 successor
YouTube Music controls on the Fitbit Charge 6.

Google may be preparing a successor to the Fitbit Charge 6, and it could bring a major software change to the fitness band. A mystery device identified as G8BL6 has appeared at the FCC with Bluetooth LE, built-in GNSS, and what appears to be a display. 9to5Google believes the device could run Wear OS and says it would make sense as a successor to the Charge line.

The Charge 6 has not been refreshed since 2023. Google also showed an unidentified fitness band in Pixel 11 ads in August. The device had a tall display and looked closer to a Fitbit Charge than a Pixel Watch. Google never identified it, but the FCC device could be the same product.

Read more
Apple’s best use of AI isn’t happening on the iPhone
Apple Watch understands AI better than the iPhone
Apple Watch Series 12 Audio Intelligence

AI is constantly being shoved in our faces. From your laptop to your phone, every new gadget now ships with some features built around AI. Over the last couple of years, even Apple has tried to make Apple Intelligence sound like the next big thing on the iPhone.

With iOS 27, the argument finally became worth listening to. Siri AI is a great example of this. It can search through personal information and understand what is on your screen before answering specific or broader general questions. Visual Intelligence looks through your phone's camera to understand what you're seeing, and a lot more.

Read more