There is an overheating issue with the Apple Watch SE, particularly those shipped to South Korea, prompting some owners to submit their complaints to Apple.
Apple Watch SE made its debut during the "Time Flies" virtual event on September 15. The Cupertino-based tech giant introduced the device alongside the new Apple Watch Series 6 and the new iPad Air. The company marketed the Apple Watch SE as the cheaper alternative of the Series 6, though both of them have the same design.
Its price starts at $279, which is definitely lower compared to the $399 price point of the GPS-only version (without cellular connectivity) Series 6. However, complaints from some owners in South Korea about the Apple Watch SE overheating may spell trouble for the device.
The Apple Watch SE uses the same S5 system-on-a-chip used by the Apple Watch Series 5, though its display is bigger like the one on the Series 6. The cheaper SE also has a similar accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, and altimeters like the ones on the Series 6. "The second thing we're doing to make Apple Watch available to even more people is to create a new model that combines elements of Series 6 design with the most essential features of Apple Watch, all at a more affordable price," said Apple COO Jeff Williams during the "Time Flies" event. Recently, a number of Apple Watch SE owners in South Korea claimed their devices have run into problems, particularly with overheating on the device.
Apple Watch SE overheating issues result in wrist burns, display damage https://t.co/60fw6VJOak — PhoneArena (@PhoneArena) October 19, 2020
In a Reddit post that keeps track of the complaints, six owners of Apple Watch SE in South Korea reported they have had their devices get very hot and malfunction, eventually developing a yellow spot located in the upper right section of the watch. All of the owners who have experienced overheating issues were wearing their Apple Watch SE's when it turned hot on their wrist or when charging, and later exhibiting the display issue.
According to one South Korean owner, he received his Apple Watch SE on October 8. He slept with the device on his wrist on October 9 and on October 10, he woke up to find his wrist is very hot. He immediately took off the device only to find his wrist very red due to the overheating of his Apple Watch SE. He narrated that there were no power signals from the device though it plays a sound when he searches for it using the Find my Watch feature. The South Korean exchanged his Apple Watch SE with a new device on October 16.
Industry observers note that no one performed a teardown of the Apple Watch SE so it is not clear at this point what is causing the overheating problem. As noted on Reddit, however, if its interior design is similar to past models, then the display connectors found near the Taptic Engine may be the one that is causing the problem. Furthermore, the issue appears limited to South Korea as there were no other reports about a similar overheating issue of the Apple Watch SE elsewhere. It is also possible that it is indeed a widespread issue, though reports have not come in yet. Apple is already aware of the problem and may already be working on a solution.
