This definitely isn’t what a company wants to hear about its product.
Apparently a small number of Apple Watch SE devices have shipped with a defect that causes the units to malfunction and overheat. The instances initially appeared in South Korea, but the problem has begun to spread.
There are currently a total of 10 cases wherein the Apple Watch SE has overheated. The problem seems to affect the 40mm model in multiple varieties, and reports have indicated that the Silver, Space Gray, and Nike Edition watches have overheated.
The issue seems to be present in both the GPS and cellular varieties, and has occurred either during charging or soon after charging. After the incident, owners noted a strange yellow blotch on the screen, near the Digital Crown. At present, the issue seems to have surfaced in South Korea and the U.S.
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 wherein the first two letters of the serial number are H4 or G9, please be careful. Don’t wear it to bed for at least three days, and if the device feels hot, remove it and contact Apple to obtain a replacement.
Apple has yet to make an official statement regarding the issue.
Via The Mac Observer and @cozyplanes