Apple Watch Series 3 gets a Black Friday price cut, but you can do better

[ad_1]

The Apple Watch Series 3.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is still available in 2021 for $ 199 (199, AU $ 299), making it the cheapest entry point for the Apple Watch. And entering Black Friday shopping season, the watch is set to get an even deeper discount at $ 109 on Walmart, which is low for any Apple Watch. But even if you buy a new model, the Apple Watch Series 3 is now over four years old and showing its age. While it will cost more money, a better option for Black Friday would be the Apple Watch SE discounted at $ 219 or, if you’re considering a Fitbit, the Fitbit Charge 5 discounted at $ 130. Fitbit Charge 5 in particular won a CNET Editors’ Choice Award 2021, with Lexy Savvides calling it the best Fitbit you can buy in her Fitbit Charge 5 review.

When the Apple Watch Series 3 was released in 2017 it was a game changer for the device, as it was the first to include a cellular option that didn’t require the proximity of an iPhone to function. This allowed it to work for Dick Tracy-style phone calls, and CNET’s Scott Stein touted in his review that when combined with Apple Music, the watch started to look like an iPod Shuffle on the wrist.

Receive the CNET Apple Report newsletter

Get the latest news and reviews on Apple products, iOS updates and more. Delivered on Friday.

While this Apple Watch is still receiving software updates and is the least expensive way to access WatchOS 8 and the world of bands that clip into the Apple Watch, there’s also the question of whether or not it’s good value at that price. At $ 199 or less, there are new competing watches that work with iOS and Android, have modern features that the Apple Watch doesn’t have such as an always-on display, and will likely get continued support for years to come. This last point is of considerable importance, since there is no guarantee that Series 3 will see the eventual WatchOS 9 after already receiving four years of support.

With that in mind, let’s look at a few reasons why you should be wary of the Apple Watch Series 3 and put these reasons together with other ways to get a smartwatch or fitness wear for less than a great price.

Now Playing: Watch This: Apple Watch Series 7: Here’s What’s New

5:40

Updates

The Apple Watch Series 3 is still capable of being updated to the new WatchOS 8 operating system, but the update installation process may be more troublesome than it’s worth it. Apple offers its own support page on what to do if you don’t have enough space to update your Apple Watch, which means you need to unpair the watch and set it up as new to make enough room for the update.

That’s because the Apple Watch Series 3 includes 8GB of internal storage for the cell-free version, while the step-up Apple Watch SE normally priced at $ 279 includes 32GB. The cellular version of the Apple Watch Series 3 had 16GB of space, but it has been discontinued. We don’t have the specs for the Apple Watch Series 7 yet, but last year’s Series 6 also includes 32GB of storage.

It’s unlikely that most Apple Watch users will ever use all of their storage, but to download and install an update, the Apple Watch Series 3 clearly doesn’t have enough space to make the update easy. By comparison, when I updated the Apple Watch SE or the $ 180 Fitbit Versa 2 that was released in 2019, I simply put the watch in a charger, turn on the respective watch app from my phone, and boot the update from there. About 10 to 20 minutes later, the process is finished.

The Apple Watch SE hits a middle ground of modern Apple Watch specs at a lower price point than the Series 6 or the upcoming Series 7.

Vanessa Hand Orellana / CNET Previous specifications

The age of the Apple Watch Series 3 also includes its general specs and it’s not just a difference in storage space as mentioned in the last section. The Series 3 includes an S3 SiP with a dual-core processor, a version of the optical heart sensor available in 2017 and on the 38mm version a viewing area of ​​563 square millimeters. While the latest updates add compatibility with services like Apple Fitness Plus, a software update doesn’t change the fact that many of these specs are showing their age. The Apple Watch SE in comparison has a newer chip with a 64-bit dual-core processor, a second generation version of the optical heart sensor, and in the 40mm version it includes a 759mm square display area which is a lot more spacious than the Apple Watch series display by 3.

Even though the Apple Watch SE costs $ 80 more than the retail price of the Apple Watch Series 3, its feature list further shows how much more you get than that Series 3 model. An always-on altimeter can track your elevation, the watch includes fall detection, heart health notifications, Bluetooth 5.0 for better connections with wireless headphones, and many other features available in the Apple Watch Series 6. The main differences that keep the price of $ 120 less than the Apple Watch Series 6 is the lack of an always-on display and some health features like no ECG sensor. That said, if those sensors and an always-on display are important to you, you may want to cast a wider network than just Apple Watches.

Fitbit Charge 5 includes many of the latest health monitoring sensors in a cheaper wearable device than the Apple Watch Series 3.

Lexy Savvides / CNET Best options for $ 199 or less

Once you move away from considering just the Apple Watch, there are plenty of other options that handle many of the best Apple Watch features and perform even better in some ways.

Fitbit is particularly packed with products under $ 199 that could do anything you want the Apple Watch to do. The aforementioned Fitbit Versa 2 for $ 180 has six days of battery life, fitness tracking, sleep tracking, and an oxygen saturation (SpO2) sensor. The latest sensor is available on the Apple Watch, but only if you’re paying for the Apple Watch Series 6 or the upcoming Series 7. If you’re willing to cut battery life to two days, you can use that always-on watch. . The Versa 2’s weaknesses are limited support for third-party apps, which is unlikely to grow now that Fitbit will turn its attention to Google’s Wear OS support. The Versa 2 is getting its Black Friday price cut at Walmart and will be available for $ 120.

For the same $ 180 retail price, you can also get the all-new Fitbit Charge 5. While this is more of a fitness tracker, it is stacked with nearly all modern fitness tracking features (including an ECG sensor and stress monitoring) together with GPS. As previously mentioned, its Black Friday price is $ 130 at Walmart.

And while we haven’t tested it, Mobvoi’s $ 199 TicWatch E3 is slated to be upgraded to the next version of Google’s Wear OS, designed in collaboration with Samsung. That watch currently supports the older version of Wear OS, includes health monitoring capabilities along with the SpO2 sensor, and is waterproof with an IP68 rating for swimming in the pool. It’s worth pointing out that we’re still learning more about the new version of Wear OS, including its compatibility with the iPhone and which Fitbit features are making their way into Google’s operating system.

Apple’s iPhone 13, new iPad Mini and more – everything we saw at Apple’s September event See all photos Renewed

Another way to get a better Apple Watch and save money is to go to Apple’s refurbished store, which can offer you a discounted Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, or Series 6 with a one-year warranty.

But if you’re still looking for the cheapest way to enter the world of Apple Watch and feel the Apple Watch Series 3 is for you despite the technical limitations, you can also shop around. Since Apple has been selling this watch for four years, you can find deals on the internet. At Walmart, you can buy a refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 for $ 137 with LTE support. If you’re willing to use it, you can find more on eBay for between $ 100 and $ 130. If you want to buy it from a store, you may be able to get an open box model from Best Buy, which lists the Apple Watch for $ 165.

But seriously, don’t buy the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2021. There’s a lot better out there for the money.

Are you still wearing the Apple Watch Series 3? Or do you prefer to use a different watch or fitness tracker? Let us know in the comments.

[ad_2]