Best cheap Apple Watch deals May 2022

Thinking about picking up a new Apple Watch? It might be tempting to order one of the Series 7 models, but newer hardware always comes at a premium. And while Apple’s latest wearable offers a slightly larger display and some improvements to durability, it is largely the same Apple Watch we’re familiar with.

Thankfully, each Apple Watch model offers ample functionality and has seen its fair share of discounts over the last year. So which ones should you consider if you’re in the market for Apple’s popular smartwatch while trying to shop smarter?

There are currently four Apple Watch models to choose from, all of which support watchOS 8. The highest-end is the Apple Watch Series 7, which starts at $399. The last-gen model, the Series 6, has received a modest discount at some retailers since its release but is still usually found starting at $399 as well, at least when it’s available. If either of those models seems too expensive, however, you can save about $120 by opting for an Apple Watch SE, which will set you back $279.

Finally, there’s the aging Series 3, the most affordable Apple Watch to date. It has a starting retail price of $199, but it frequently goes on sale. However, if you want something more future-proof, you may want to consider Apple’s newer watches, as it’s not clear how much longer Apple will issue software updates to the Series 3 beyond watchOS 8. Regardless of which model you prefer, we’ve rounded up the best Apple Watch deals below.

The regular price for the 38mm Series 3 is $199. It’s a decent entry-level Apple Watch if you are looking for a smartwatch with reliable battery life and solid build quality — especially if the SE, Series 6, and Series 7 seem out of your price range — but it’s also not one we would recommend picking up at this point. The design is aging, the processor is slower, and its paltry 8GB of internal storage hampers some of the more recent features introduced to the Apple Watch, like the ability to store music and podcasts for offline listening.

If you still want to go this route, Walmart is discounting the 38mm, GPS-enabled Series 3 by $30, bringing the price down to around $169, as is Best Buy. If you prefer the bigger, 42mm configuration with GPS, it’s also on sale in black and white at Walmart and Best Buy for $199 instead of $229.

Starting at $279 for a 40mm version or $309 for the 44mm, the Apple Watch SE is a good midrange wearable that shares some features found on the like-minded Series 6 and Series 7, including a built-in accelerometer and hand-washing detection. However, it doesn’t have the always-on display found on Apple’s latest flagships, nor does it feature blood oxygen monitoring.

At the moment, the 40mm, GPS-equipped configuration is available at various retailers in black (Amazon, Walmart) and a creme-colored shade (Amazon, Walmart) for around $229, which is just $10 shy of its best price to date. If you’re keen on the cellular model, Amazon is selling the 40mm, LTE version in either black or blue for around $290 instead of $329 at checkout. Walmart also has the silver and gray model for about $299, and Best Buy is selling gold, pink, silver, and gray variants for the same price.

If you have a larger wrist, all of the aforementioned retailers are discounting the 44mm, GPS-equipped models, with Amazon and Walmart selling the silver model for $259. You can buy the gray version or black model, meanwhile, the gold one costs $270 at Walmart. At Best Buy, you can pick up the black model or one with a silver case and blue Sport Band for $279, which is still $30 off the list price.

For those hoping to snag the 44mm model with LTE, Amazon is selling some variants for around $329 ($30 off). Walmart and Best Buy also have both the gray (Walmart, Best Buy) and gold (Walmart, Best Buy) models, but at a better (approximate) $312 price, or you can pick it up in silver with various Sport Bands from Best Buy for $329.

Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS)

Apple’s midrange wearable, the Apple Watch SE, serves as a step up from the Series 3, with features and a design similar to the last-gen Series 6.

While it’s no longer officially a part of Apple’s wearable lineup, you can still buy the Apple Watch Series 6 at several retailers. The Apple Watch comes in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm, which start at $399 and $429, respectively. The Series 6 features built-in sleep tracking, a great ecosystem of third-party complications, and more sensors than previous models, including one that allows the device to detect your body’s blood oxygen levels.

Deals often come and go quickly on the Series 6. While there are no deals available on the 41mm configuration, right now, Walmart is selling the 44mm, LTE-enabled model for $368 in black instead of $529.99. You can also pick up the 44mm, GPS-enabled model for $349 instead of $429.99 in either white and black, however, the 45mm, GPS-enabled Series 7 is currently on sale at Amazon for $359, so we suggest picking up that model instead.

With a slightly altered design and larger display, the new Series 7 comes in either a 41mm configuration starting at $399 or a 45mm model starting at $429. Right now, you can pick up the green 41mm, GPS-equipped model for $329 at Amazon and Walmart, which is close to its best price to date. Other colorways are also on sale for $329 at Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. If you prefer the 41mm, cellular version, it’s on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy right now for $429 ($50 off), its lowest price to date.

If you’re trying to pick up the larger, 45mm variant with GPS, it’s currently available in select colors at Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy for $359, its steepest price cut yet. The latter two retailers are also selling the 45mm model with LTE for around $459 instead of $529 – its lowest price to date — in several colors (Amazon, Best Buy).

A note on the more premium models

While all of the Apple Watch models and colorways covered here are encased in aluminum, Apple does make a more premium range built out of stainless steel and titanium. These offerings have similar designs to their aluminum counterparts, with slightly refined colors and finishings — polished for the stainless steel, brushed for the titanium. However, they start at much steeper prices of $749 and above, and they are functionally the same, save for some exclusive digital watch faces Apple reserves for these premium models.