Black Friday is the best time to get your hands on Apple’s smartwatch - here's our advice on how to snag one for lower than list price.
Finding a cheap Apple Watch among the Black Friday 2019
deals may be the ultimate prize come November 29. It's the one time of
the year when the world comes together to celebrate the true meaning of
Thanksgiving – picking up some sweet tech gadgets and gear at bargain
basement prices.
It’s the ideal opportunity to get your hands on the flashy tech
you’ve been drooling over for the past year, and an otherwise pricey Apple Watch deal
will be at the top of many shopping lists. It's one of the few times in
the year where you might pick up a bargain on Cupertino's smartwatch.
However,
many of the best Apple Watch Black Friday deals are likely to be hidden
among an ocean of unexciting offers. Some shops may claim to be cutting
the price of the watch, but haven’t knocked much off the tag, while
others might be trying to offload stock of the older Apple Watches,
which isn't quite as attractively feature rich as the latest gear.
We
at TechRadar will be digging out the best deals ahead of Black Friday
and Cyber Monday. But in the meantime, we’ve put together this guide to
equip you with all the info you need to get the best Apple Watch deal
for you. Shop smart, wait for the best prices, and save big with these
tips.
Series 3, 4, or 5?
There are a few different versions of the Apple Watch on sale now - most prominently, the latest and greatest Apple Watch 5 and the older but still good Apple Watch 3. You can't find the Apple Watch 4 on Apple's online shop, but other outlets should still be selling the slightly outdated model - and presumably at a discount.
You
can still find the earlier models on third party websites, if you want
even cheaper Apple Watches. Just note that the range has progressed
dramatically since its earlier incarnations, so double check the spec
sheet is up to your demands.
Series 5 special editions
On top of the base level Apple
Watches in aluminum, there are a couple of extra finishes - stainless
steel and ceramic - plus two special editions of the Apple Watch Series
5. These are the the Apple Watch Hermes and the Apple Watch Nike models.
It's purely a cosmetic thing though – they all share the same specs as
the standard models.
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| © Provided by Future Publishing Ltd. |
The extra body finishes come in stainless
steel and a white ceramic finish, which gives the smartwatch a more
premium aesthetic.
The Apple Watch Hermes is made from black
stainless steel with noir leather strap options, the Hermes stamp of
approval on the back and different watch faces.
The Nike style
boasts different strap options, this time geared up for sport, as well
as Nike watch faces. It’s made from aluminum so it’s as light as
possible and has the Nike swoosh on the strap too.
They are all
more expensive than your regular Apple Watch models, but note that
that's in part because they all pack in the premium cellular connection,
too.
Cellular connectivity
The Series 5 Watch can be
purchased with just GPS built-in, or with the additional premium of a
cellular connection. This means you’d be able to use it to make calls
and do other things independently from your iPhone. However, it also
means you're going to need a bolt-on data package for the Watch too. If
you make a saving in-store, remember that this will be an ongoing cost.
Remember
that, if you're the sort of person who can't bear to be separated from
their phone anyway, you're not going to see a huge benefit from a Watch
with a standalone cellular connection.
Fitness tracking
If
you're a fitness fan, play close attention to the different features of
each Apple Watch generation. It could mean the difference between you
loving and regretting your purchase.
All Apple Watches have a
built-in heart rate sensor and accelerometer, which is a good start for
an activity tracker, though built-in GPS came in the Series 2 and Series
3. If you want a device that’s a fitness companion for basic workouts
the Series 1 will probably do – just don't expect to track your routes.
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| © Provided by Future Publishing Ltd. Apple Watch - how will you use yours? Image credit: Pexels |
The Apple Watch 4 introduced an ECG reader, which can monitor the heart for irregular arrhythmia.
If
you're a wet and wild swimmer you’ll need the Series 2 or above. The
Series 1 may be splashproof, but that only means it can deal with a
sweaty workout or a run in the rain. The Series 3 can handle being
submerged up to 50 meters, letting you dive to a significant depth
without damaging the device.
Although the Series 2 and Series 3
are similar when it comes to fitness, the 3 has a barometric altimeter,
which means it can track elevation data making it a good option if you
enjoy outdoor activities, like cycling or running along trails. If you
want the ultimate position tracking, though, you'll want to pick up the
Apple Watch 5, which introduces an internal compass that uses GPS to
figure out elevation.
If you’re really keen to use your Apple
Watch for fitness, bear this in mind when you’re shopping for different
styles and bands too. For example, the Series 3 watch can come with a
sport band, a sport loop or a Milanese loop.
Series 4 vs Series 5
Admittedly, not much has changed from
the Apple Watch 4 to the Apple Watch 5 - which is probably why Apple
quietly removed the former from its online shops in order to boost sales
of the latter.
New to the Apple Watch 5 is an always-on display,
which Apple pulls off with a series of battery-saving tricks. It will
periodically dim to an essentialist version of the fully-lit face,
enabling you to see the time consistently.
The onboard storage
space has been bumped from 16GB in the Series 4 to 32GB in the Series 5,
which is more space for music or podcasts.
The Apple Watch 5
also gets its very own App Store, which you can browse on the device.
It's not nearly as comfortable or easy-to-use as browsing on the phone,
but this essentially liberates the smartwatch from needing a phone at
all - which is great if you want to leave your handset behind on a
workout.
The new version also has a new internal compass, which
helps with nailing down location and elevation in combination with GPS.
It also shows your direction when looking at the watch's Maps app.
Series 2 vs Series 3
If you're really looking for Apple Watches at a discount, here are comparisons of the older models.
In
Apple's eyes the Series 2 Apple Watch is as dead as the dodo, but that
doesn’t stop there from being some serious discounts on Series 2 watches
from other outlets looking to clear out old stock. The Series 3 may be
more feature rich, but the Series 2 will certainly be more affordable.
So which one is right for you?
Compared to the Series 1, both
models are waterproofed for swimming, feature built-in GPS tracking and
have a dazzling 1000 nits display, which means they’re really bright,
even in direct sunlight.
So far so similar. But it’s inside where
there’s a difference. The newest Series has an improved processor, which
boasts a 70 percent performance increase over the Series 2, as well as a
new W2 chipset for improvements to power efficiency and performance
improvements for Wi-fi. And if you were sold on the idea of taking calls
with your watch and ditching your phone at home, the Series 3 is your
best bet as the Series 2 doesn’t come with a built-in SIM.
Do you even need an Apple Watch?
Want
and need, two very different things. While you’re sat musing over an
ancient Series 1, older Series 3 or brand-new Apple Watch 5, consider
that you might not actually need an Apple Watch. Especially if you're
not already loaded up with Apple gear.
We know, it’s appealing to
get a wearable to match your iPhone or your MacBook, but if you’re after
a device built for fitness, the Fitbit Versa
might be more suited to you. It more seamlessly interacts with Android
devices, has automatic exercise and a marginally better battery life of 4
days compared to the Apple Watch’s over-one-day capacity. Another
obvious alternative is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, as well as the Huawei Watch GT 2, which both could be discounted for Black Friday too.
Our deal predictions
Outside
of being in Tim Cook's head, there's no guessing what Apple may be
planning to discount for Black Friday. Traditionally, the company has
avoided putting on any sales itself, but third party retailers usually
deliver the cut price goods.
So what could they be offering? Again, it's educated guesses, but these items probably stand a good chance of getting a cut.
Series 1 slashed
The original, if not now the best. Getting
on a bit in age, the Apple Watch Series 1 is quite likely to be reduced
in price at the shops. It’ll serve up notifications, act as a simple
all-day tracker and play nicely with lots of apps. Of course this is the
most basic watch from Apple now, but it still gets the job done in many
ways.
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| © Provided by Future Publishing Ltd. Simple and stylish, the first gen is still worth a look. Image credit: Apple |
Could the Series 2 get even bigger price cuts? Considering
Apple no longer sells it itself, other retailers may be looking to shift
stock to make room for new Series 3 shipments. In the age-to-price-cut
ratio stakes, a discounted Series 2 could be more valuable than a Series
1, even if it's technically more expensive.
Apple gift cards
Just
because Apple doesn't play nicely when it comes to hardware discounts
at Black Friday, that doesn't mean it turns a blind eye totally to the
event.
If you go into an Apple Store on the big day, there's a
good chance that you'll get some sort of gift card offer thrown in with a
substantial purchase. It's happened before, and could happen again.
Ace accessories
As
fashion items, Apple Watches are great for accessorizing, too, whether
that's with a neat charging dock or a few stylish band options. As some
of these will be made by third-party manufacturers, they're perhaps more
likely to be discounted for Black Friday than Apple's own-brand gear.
Shop around and you could find some nice little extras to go with your
wearable.
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