Apple is known for making premium devices, but they also make more affordable gadgets as a gateway to the ecosystem. We saw this with the iPhone SE 2020, and the same could happen with the Apple Watch.

From the rumors so far, we almost know that Apple is working on the Apple Watch 6, which will have many new features, including blood oxygen monitoring and a new optical sensor that will replace the Digital Crown. However, according to Komiya, a reasonably reliable tech leaker on Twitter, the Apple Watch SE is likely to arrive in early 2021.

Currently, there are two versions of the Apple Watch available: the Apple Watch Series 5 and the Apple Watch Series 3. The former is Cupertino's premium smartwatch, while the older Apple Watch 3 has been priced lower to appeal to those who want a less expensive Apple Watch at the expense of some features. However, Komiya claims that the Apple Watch SE will replace the Apple Watch 3 as the company's budget smartwatch.

Leeker noted that the Apple Watch SE will keep the old Apple Watch design and will feature a digital crown. It will also only be available in an aluminum version.

However, Komiya expects the Apple Watch SE to feature the S6 processor and W4 wireless chip. These chips will be an upgrade over the S5 and W3 chips in the Apple Watch Series 5. And the S6 and W4 are expected to be included in the Apple Watch 6.

In other words, the Apple Watch SE will not be the latest smartwatch design from Cupertino engineers, but it will have impressive specs for a wearable. This is essentially the same approach Apple took with the iPhone SE. That device is a much older design, but it has the same A13 Bionic chipset that is found in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

The Apple Watch SE is said to be priced the same as the Apple Watch Series 3, which starts at $199. This could make it the perfect partner for the iPhone SE in March 2021, when the iPhone SE is expected to be announced. Also, if Apple upgrades the iPhone SE at the same time, the lower-priced line of Apple devices could expand into an ecosystem for those who don't want to spend a fortune.