Apple Watch SE Long-Term Review

If you have never owned an Apple Watch and are planning to buy one for the first time, there is no better option than the Apple Watch SE. Most of you already know this if you have been reading my past blogs on the Apple Watch. The Watch SE was first launched in 2020 and has quickly become one of the most popular watches. It has everything you would want and nothing you do not wish. It fulfills all the basic needs of an average first-time consumer and is pocket-friendly too. That is the reason behind its immense success. It has the right blend of the principal features with a few gimmicks to make sure you don't get bored with the watch.

The SE 2 recently came out in September 2022 alongside the iPhones with a few minor upgrades but got a price cut which is very un-Apple, especially in today's time when Apple is hiking prices everywhere around the world by 10-15%. Unlike the iPhone SE, the Watch SE does not compromise in any of the fundamental areas. I am going to be using the Watch SE a family member got a year back as a reference. The watch's battery has performed splendidly despite everyday use for more than 1 year. It has 97% battery health and lasts a whole day easily without a workout and has 25-35% battery remaining. If you use the watch to record a workout, the battery immediately takes a hit and you would instead end the day with 15-20% battery.

I feel the 44mm watch is just the right size for most people unless you have a very small wrist. It is big enough to type the occasional replies and the bezels are not chunky which makes the display feel modern. The peak brightness of the SE is the same as the peak brightness of the Series 8 - 1000 nits which is a lot for context. This is the same brightness as the 13 Pro but since the display is much smaller, it is a lot more visible. The display is one of the best things about the SE and is clearly visible even under direct sunlight. We have to understand that the display brightness of a watch matters more than the display brightness of a phone. A watch is always on our wrists and always exposed to sunlight when we are out. Phones remain in our pockets and are not exposed to direct sunlight as much as watches are.

Since all of us are glued to our phones all day, the family member got the GPS model as there is rarely any time when we step out of the house without our phones. The Watch SE comes with the W3 chip and it is snappy. It launches apps pretty quickly and does not lag. I would say that it still has 3-4 years of longevity left in it. The Watch SE receives software updates each year and like the iPhone, gets 5 years of OS updates over a period of 5-6 years before it is finally discontinued. The glass of the display does not scratch easily even in little rough conditions as has been the case after a year of use. It is susceptible to cracking and even a drop from waist height is sure to crack the display. One would prefer using a screen guard but bubbles appear all the time because the display is curved and air enters easily.

It has all the sensors you would want - heart rate, high-g accelerometer, a gyroscope, an ambient light sensor, and an always-on altimeter to track flights of stairs climbed, elevation gains when climbing, and more. It misses out on the ECG and blood oxygen monitors and they are reserved for Series 8. It does get sleep tracking, though, if that is something that is important to you but a very small percentage of people wear a watch to bed. All Apple Watches record the same type of workouts and have the same accuracy. You can buy the Apple Fitness+ subscription if exercising is a big part of your life and want to learn from the best.

The Watch is not perfect, though. In India, you cannot mix and match the band and casing for free at the time of buying the watch like you can in the US. If you decide to buy the Starlight casing in India, you will get an ivory band but in the US, you can choose the band color for absolutely free. It would be nice to see this type of customization in India as well. The Watch SE is water resistant up to 50 meters depth but you should be cautious of saline water and keep in mind that Apple does not cover water damage under warranty for some reason only God knows. The Watch can run the current Watch OS 9 and was launched with Watch OS 7. It will get 3 more updates for sure.

The watch is also reasonably priced at 30K starting and goes all the way up to 45K for the 44mm GPS+Cellular option. It comes in 3 colors - Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. The Midnight is my favorite one and there are stainless steel options because the SE is the budget Apple Watch at the end of the day. I can assure you this - once you start using an Apple Watch, you will not be able to go back and will stick to smartwatches for your life.

I would like to see more functionality being added to the watch. The watch seems reasonably priced when you consider it in an Apple-perspective. On a general note, I still think it is overpriced for what it is. When you actually go out into the market and take a look, you will understand that their are several smartwatches that offer just as much, if not more, functionality than the Apple Watch SE for a lower price. They may not work as well with an iPhone but work well with Android phones. I also think Apple could experiment with the shape and design of the watch. I don't necessarily mean a round dial but something which has never been introduced before. It would be good to spend some of the $200 billion in Apple's Swiss Banks. Apple could also better position its pricing in Asian and European markets. Hiking prices because of weakening local currencies has prompted Apple may help in the short-term but not in the long-term.

INDIA'S CHILD ILLETRACY PROBLEM

India is home to the world’s largest under-18 population and the world’s largest illiterate population. With more than 444 million minors, India has great potential to be a superpower. While the US, Europe and China witness an aging and declining population, India will have a young and vibrant economy. But there are also 287 million illiterate people in India which is 37% of the world’s illiterate population. Illiteracy has plagued Indian society for more than 200 years now. In 1947, our literacy stood at 25% and is now a staggering 77.7% but that still means 22.3% of the population (312 million people) still can’t read or write. According to a survey by a reputable agency, At least 35 million children aged 6 - 14 years do not attend school. 53% of girls in the age group of 5 to 9 years are illiterate. In India, only 53% of habitation has a primary school. Even inside India, there is a huge disparity in literacy rates across states in the North and South. Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India thanks to their early emphasis on free education, mid-day meals and awareness campaigns. Like every other social metric, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh come last at 64% and 73% respectively. The most and 3rd most populated states of India are the least developed and that is why they are large sources of laborers. Because of sheer illiteracy and lack of quality education, people resort to construction work and travel to big cities to earn a living. Even people who are just 25-30 in the town of Ghaziabad are illiterate. There is a huge wealth gap that goes along with such levels of disparity. All of India’s development is concentrated in metropolitan centers like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Eastern UP’s districts are one of the most backward places in the world where the average literacy rate is just 50%. All across India, women are even more disadvantaged as access to education has always been restricted because of the orthodox and conservative mindset of most of the Indians. Most kids in India are made to work in businesses and at shops from a very early age. The rate of Indian adults pursuing UG and PG studies is even lower and almost negligible in context to the whole population. Only 8.15% of Indians are graduates and only 1% of Indians have a post grad degree. Developed nations have at least 5X the rate than us. The problem our society faces is imminent and conspicuous. We now need to decide whether to play the religion and caste politics for another century or if we should achieve 99% literacy rate.

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JAI HIND

I sometimes wonder if Amazon's hegemony is bigger than America's.