First Apple Watch with Plastic Case Coming–with Lower Cost: Report

The entry Apple Watch SE is set to undergo a major change, switching from its traditional aluminum casing to plastic, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his weekly PowerOn newsletter.

Since the Apple Watch’s first debut in 2014, this will be the first time a plastic case is going to be used.

Sources tell Gurman the switch to plastic will lower production costs. The aluminum case currently used in the SE costs Apple around $5 per unit, while the plastic alternative is expected to cut that cost in half.

This cost-saving measure aligns with Apple’s reported goal of lowering the SE’s price, potentially bringing it down to around $200 USD (about $275 CAD), making it more competitive with similar models from Samsung. The current SE model is priced at $249 USD ($329 in Canada).

In addition to cost benefits, the plastic material allows for a wider range of bold colours (think of the iPhone 5C) and is considered more kid-friendly.

This aligns with Apple’s recent marketing efforts targeting parents, especially in light of school phone bans. There’s a new webpage that is titled, “Apple Watch For Your Kids”, which the company has been touting the device to track kids and stay in touch.

Right now, when it comes to smartwatches for kids with cellular plans, the $199 CAD Garmin Bounce is available with a data plan that works in Canada and the US. But the Bounce’s UI feels archaic in our tests. The cellular plan also costs $14.99/month or $149.99/year in Canada.

Google’s Fitbit debuted the Ace smartwatch this May, priced at $229 USD, that requires a cellular plan at $9.99 USD/month or $119.99 USD per year.

In Canada, Bell/Virgin Plus, Rogers, Telus, Freedom Mobile and SaskTel support Apple Watch cellular plans. Fido and Koodo lack Apple Watch cellular plan support.

If Apple can bring global and regional cellular plans for an Apple Watch for kids, now that would be pretty enticing for parents to keep tabs on the kiddos, especially when travelling.