Apple today unveiled the second-generation Apple Watch SE, featuring the S8 chip, Crash Detection, and new color options at a lower $249 price point.
The second-generation Apple Watch SE offers the core Apple Watch experience at a more affordable price. The Apple Watch SE is now 20 percent faster thanks to the S8 chip, the same chip from the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. The S8 chip allows the Apple Watch SE to deliver Crash Detection, international roaming, and Low Power Mode.
The back case has been redesigned with a new, color-matched nylon composite material to reduce its weight. The second-generation Apple Watch SE is available in a refreshed series of color options, including Midnight, Starlight, and Silver.
The second-generation Apple Watch SE starts at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for the cellular model. Orders open today and it will become available on September 16.
The second-generation Apple Watch SE follows the now-discontinued first-generation model released in September 2020, which started at $279.
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
I want to buy my wife an Apple Watch today, and I'm trying to figure out the differences between the Series 8 and the new SE. This is what I put together, but what am I missing?
-SE has no Always On Display -SE has a smaller display? -SE has no temperature sensor, but has most of the health features found in other Apple Watches -SE has no fast charging?
