It appears that a small number of Apple Watch SE devices might have shipped with a defect. A very small number of purchasers have reported their new watches overheating and malfunctioning. Initially, all of the instances of the Apple Watch SE overheating were in South Korea, but the problem is beginning to spread.
A Problem Affecting Multiple Models
Currently, there are a total of 10 cases of the Apple Watch SE overheating. So far, it’s just the 40mm model, but multiple varieties. Reports on Reddit say Silver, Space Gray, and Nike Edition watches have overheated, both in the GPS and cellular flavor. Our own Charlotte Henry owns an Apple Watch SE, and has not experienced any problems with it whatsoever.
Redditor cozyplanes is tracking the cases, which began on October 17 in South Korea. In some instances, the watch overheated while the owner was wearing it. The Apple Watch SE suddenly got hot to the touch. While the device didn’t cause lasting damage, one owner had a red mark on his wrist after removing the Watch. Several of the reports note that the devices overheated while on the owners’ wrists.
Other times, the Apple Watch SE overheated during charging or soon after charging. After the incident, owners noted a strange yellow blotch on the screen, near the Digital Crown. The problem was initially limited to South Korea, but there’s now a report in the U.S. Also, a tenth case has come in, but it’s neither in South Korea or the U.S. There is no word yet on which country this report comes from.
Should I Worry About My Apple Watch SE Overheating?
Cozyplanes has been tracking the reports, conglomerating them on his original post and on Twitter. The problems all occurred within three days of use after unpacking, and they all have factory codes of H4 or G9. The H4 factory code is manufactured in Zhejiang, China, while G9 points to Chongqing, China.
If your Apple Watch SE has a factory code (the first two letters of the serial number) is H4 or G9, just be careful. Don’t wear it in bed for at least three days. If your watch feels hot, take it off and contact Apple to obtain a replacement. For its part, Cupertino has yet to make an official announcement about the problems.