After years of enjoying my Samsung Galaxy phones, I went back to the iPhone this year when I bought my Apple iPhone 14. she had been wearing a garmin swim 2 fitness band for the summer, and that watch works fine with my new iPhone, but what I really want is to have a watch that matches my phone perfectly. That’s why I’m attentive to Black Friday smartwatch deals on Apple’s portable device, and these are the ones I prefer.
I’m not a fitness fanatic, although I walk a lot with my dogs and hike at least once a month with my son. Every Apple Watch will meet my fitness needs and I don’t need anything extreme like the apple watch ultra.
I’d love to say that battery life should be a big factor, but frankly, none of the Apple Watch models have impressed me with their longevity. Some are a little better than others, and most will last a day, but all need to be charged regularly, unlike my long-lasting Garmin.
Having the largest screen possible is a huge benefit on an Apple Watch, and that little extra viewing area makes a big difference. While I’m looking for an older Apple Watch, I’ll try to buy something as recent as the apple watch series 7which came with a slightly larger 1.9-inch screen, compared to the previous 1.78-inch screen on the apple watch series 6.
If I go for a smaller watch, the Apple Watch SE it’s a much better value than the Apple Watch Series 6 but it lacks some key features. The Series 6 watch gives you more health sensors, including blood oxygen levels and ultra-wideband support, making a lost Series 6 watch much easier to find. If the Watch SE is much cheaper, it’s a good choice, but the Apple Watch Series 6 is better if you can find a good deal.
When looking for deals, I noticed that some of the special edition models can be found at lower prices than their regular counterparts. For example, the Nike edition of the Apple Watch, as well as the color (PRODUCT) red, tend to be less expensive than more boring color options.
If you don’t care much about watch size, I’ve occasionally found that the larger size was inexplicably cheaper than the smaller size on some versions of the Apple Watch. I find the small version to be adequate for my wrist, but people with smaller arms may want to stick to the smaller sizes.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is the one I really want
Since I can’t afford a new apple watch series 8Obviously the Apple Watch Series 7 is the next best thing, right? In fact, it is, especially if there’s a big Black Friday sale. The Series 7 introduced the large display you’ll find on the Series 8 watch, and it has most of the same hardware features and sensors.
You don’t get the new temp sensor found on the Series 8, but that seems to be of doubtful value so far. The Apple Watch Series 7 still has a brilliant LTPO display with always-on capabilities, an ECG measurement for advanced health readings, and the same water resistance and durability.
I’ve never found cellular features in a watch useful enough to pay more for, but if there’s a Black Friday deal on the GPS + Cellular edition of this watch, it wouldn’t hurt to have the network available. You don’t need to turn on cellular signal on the watch, but if you want to use it for messages or payments while you’re running and away from your phone, it’s a nice feature.
The Apple Watch SE is the best deal I’ve found
When the first-generation Apple Watch SE launched, the price of the Apple Watch dropped to levels attainable by even entry-level iPhone owners. We said the Apple Watch SE was the best deal out of all the new watches when it launched alongside the Apple Watch Series 6, a much more expensive wearable at the time.
Black Friday smartwatch deals are pushing the first-gen Apple Watch SE into the low $200 range, which is practically cheap for an Apple accessory.
I’d have to be a bit more careful if I chose this over an Apple Watch 7, as the Watch SE lacks the IP dust protection the Watch 7 got, and I’d also miss the bigger screen. Still, the Apple Watch SE looks like any other fancy Apple Watch: It doesn’t telegraph its bargain status.
The Apple Watch Series 6 (PRODUCT) Red is having a great sale
It’s harder to find a deal on the Apple Watch Series 6, but colors and special editions like the (PRODUCT) Red The model may have been less popular, because I found some of the best Apple Watch deals on those models. There is no other difference between the red watch and the other Series 6, except that the red one donates some profits to charity.
In addition to the red model, you can search for Nike editions of Apple Watch models. Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 7, among other Apple Watch devices, were branded with special Nike colors and straps. Like the red model, they may have been less popular, because some of the best discounts you’ll find are on the black-and-white-spotted Swoosh watch.
Don’t buy an Apple Watch older than Series 6
While we prefer the Apple Watch Series 7 for its larger screen, if you can find a good deal on an Apple Watch Series 6, we’d recommend buying one. Any Apple Watch before that would be a mistake. Our biggest gripe with the Apple Watch is battery life.
Although batteries continue to get bigger, Apple hasn’t improved battery life enough to impress us. The situation was even worse on older Apple Watch devices. An Apple Watch that is more than two years old may be equipped with a battery that is already near the end of its best life. When battery is already a key concern, you’d be better off starting with the most capable battery you can find in a device you can afford.
If you look back even beyond the Watch Series 6, you’ll also find watches with a small amount of storage on board. You won’t be able to load all the apps, music, and maybe photos you’d like to keep on an Apple Watch if it has less than 32GB of storage, as all of these recommended models do.