Reports of Overheating: Is the Apple Watch SE Literally Too Hot to Handle?

On paper, the Apple Watch SE seems to have the perfect balance of performance and price tag. Even Apple advertises the Watch SE as being heavy on features but light on price. Though, now, a new report hints some Apple Watch SE units may be more “lemon” than “looker.” 

According to a Reddit post, a small number of Apple Watch units are overheating. Though the models vary, the symptoms are the same.

The Watch models are apparently overheating, with a bright yellow dot showing up in the upper right-hand corner. Users also report that their Watch gets super hot and malfunctions.  

 The owner received the product (Nike edition) on the night of October 16. After setup the device, the owner used the device for 3 hours before the owner connected the device to the charger and went to bed. After waking up in the morning, the owner wore the Watch again, and approx. after 1hr 15-20 min later, the owner felt something cold (describing hot feeling cold when it is really hot) and hot right after, so the owner took off the Watch to find the wrist burnt. 

Reddit

Users on the Reddit thread hypothesize this could be an issue with the internal components and not the battery.

If the Apple Watch SE shares the same interior layout of previous watch models, we may be able to pinpoint the source of this burn spot. Assuming they are similar, these yellow spots are then appearing above the display connectors in the area between the Taptic Engine and the Digital Crown.  

There are six documented cases in the Reddit thread, all of which are coming out of Korea right now. Some of the users returned their Watch for a refund, while others are still waiting on Apple. Neither Apple’s Korean division nor its corporate office in Cupertino has publicly commented on this issue. 

There is one reported case in the United States, according to MacRumors. This Apple Watch SE owner says the Watch overheated while charging and developed a burn spot at the top right corner of the display. It is not clear if this is limited to a batch or two of Apple Watch SE units or if the issue is more widespread.