The latest Apple Watch lineups and the iPhone lineups have been out for a week. Apple’s anticipated “Awe dropping” event may have come and gone, but I’d like to explain why the products that were introduced at the event surprised me in many ways, particularly with Apple’s entry-level products.
Apple Watch SE 3
The always-on display feature was introduced with the Apple Watch Series 5 in September 2019. It wasn’t until next September that Apple would introduce the very first Apple Watch SE. That model was simply a repackaged version of the Apple Watch Series 5 since it featured the same design and chip as the Series 5. The SE did not have the ECG feature, but the biggest omission was that the SE did not have the always-on display. Despite having the exact same LTPO display, Apple simply software-locked the functionality. For years, this feature remained exclusive to the main Series modes (and later the Ultra models).
At the same time, the main Series models got even more advanced hardware/software features, such as fast-charging, which was introduced on Series 7. The Apple Watch SE would not get an update until September 2022 with the second-generation model, but that update was simply a bare-minimal spec bump, as it simply brought the S8 chip and a lower starting price (from $279 to $249).
With the recent announcement of the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple brought a lot more features to its most affordable option than I anticipated, and the biggest feature was that Apple finally brought the always-on display to the Apple Watch SE for the very first time. This means that you don’t have to pay extra for the Series or Ultra model anymore just to get that functionality. Of course, since the SE doesn’t feature the latest LTPO3 display, it doesn’t have the enhanced always-on mode where the seconds-indicator refreshes every second; however, this would still certainly get the job done, as the purpose of any watch is to always tell the time. Additionally, the Apple Watch SE 3 finally gets fast charging, 5G cellular connectivity, and even the latest S10 chip found in the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, not to mention the 64GB of capacity on top of that. Both the SE 1 and SE 2 featured 32GB of capacity. This model essentially borrows these core features from its more expensive offerings, which makes the Apple Watch SE 3 an even more substantial upgrade overall, and best of all, it starts at the same $249 starting price as its predecessor.
iPhone 17
Apple started branding its highest-end iPhone models as “iPhone Pro” starting with the iPhone 11 Pro. For years, the iPhone Pro’s displays were a step ahead compared to the displays on the non-Pro models.
- iPhone 11 series: iPhone 11 Pro had a Super Retina XDR (OLED) display, whereas the iPhone 11 had a Liquid Retina (LCD) display
- iPhone 12 series: Both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro had 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR displays, but the iPhone 12 Pro’s display had a slightly higher typical max brightness at 800 nits.
- iPhone 13 series: Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro had 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR displays, but the iPhone 13 Pro’s display brought ProMotion technology to the iPhone for the first time, and it boosted the typical max brightness again to 1000 nits.
- iPhone 14 series: The iPhone 14 Pro’s display brought Always-On functionality along with the Dynamic Island and higher peak brightness (HDR: 1600 nits/outdoor: 2000 nits)
- iPhone 15 series: ProMotion and Always-On display remained exclusive for iPhone 15 Pro displays.
- iPhone 16 series: iPhone 16 Pro featured a slightly larger 6.3-inch display (vs. 6.1-inch display on iPhone 16), and ProMotion and Always-On display still remained exclusive for the iPhone 16 Pro displays.
As you can see, ProMotion technology was introduced to the iPhone starting with the iPhone 13 Pro, and the iPhone brought Always-On Display starting with the iPhone 14 Pro, so for the past few years, both of these features remained exclusive to the iPhone Pro models; however, that all changed with this year’s lineup of iPhones.
If we take a look at the rumors from the previous year, reports indicated that this year’s iPhone models would finally get 120Hz displays, but, in typical Apple fashion, Apple could limit the base iPhone 17’s displays in some way by software-locking features, similar to what Apple did with the original Apple Watch SE. Some people thought that the base iPhone 17 would not get ProMotion after all, but rather have a fixed refresh rate at 120Hz the whole time. Although those people expected the worst, it turned out Apple showed them wrong as Apple now made ProMotion technology and Always-On display standard on this year’s flagship iPhones, which include the base iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro.
If you look at the iPhone Compare page, you’ll see that the displays on both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro are exactly the same in terms of specs. Additionally, the iPhone 17 gets the same Ceramic Shield 2 front, the same 18MP Center Stage front camera, and the same 40W wired charging capability as the iPhone 17 Pro, which further blurs the lines between the non-Pro and Pro iPhone models.
As you may know, mid-range Android phones (those around $600-$800 starting price) have had 120Hz displays for a while, so it appeared that the competition has pressured Apple for better or worse. By bringing more features to its base iPhone that were once exclusive to the Pro models, Apple will certainly cannibalize sales from the Android market. This makes the iPhone 17 an even better buy than before, as it now starts at 256GB of storage. For the same $799 starting price, you’d get double the storage. With all of these new features, there’s now very little reason why you would opt for the Pro model over the base; the base model is just so good enough, and it’s the one I would certainly recommend to most people. I’ve seen some people go from a Pro model to a non-Pro model over the past few years. Last year, I was at a reunion party, and my friends and I were talking about the iPhone 16 models, and I agreed that most people would be better off with the base model, which is still true to this day.
Conclusion
It seems that Apple is bringing even more value to its budget-oriented products this year. If we look at the A16 iPad that was introduced last March, it brought more RAM, faster Bluetooth 5.3 support, and more importantly, double the storage – all starting at the same $349 starting price as before, yet this iPad supports all the latest features that iPadOS 26 offers, especially the versatile, windowed app management, background processes, enhanced file management, and more. The MacBook Air received the same treatment, you get the latest M4 chip as the MacBook Pro, which also brought support for two external displays, even with the lid open, as well as 16GB RAM by default. I’m sure the upcoming lower-end MacBook with the A18 Pro chip will bring even more value by bringing the same macOS experience at an even lower price. The Mac mini also packs in the latest M4 chip, yet it’s in a smaller design that’s five inches square and two inches tall. This makes the Mac mini the most versatile computer that connects to any display, keyboard, and mouse, starting at $599. Since these products have been out for a while, chances are you’ll find huge sales for them on Amazon.
With Apple’s budget-oriented products across many categories becoming this great in value, you don’t have to spend extra hundreds of dollars just to get the best, core experience. With the introduction of both the Apple Watch SE 3 and the iPhone 17, Apple continues that trend even further. Some could say that Apple products are still overpriced, but in reality, Apple products offer great value for what you’re paying for.
