Black Friday is quickly approaching and Cyber Monday is trailing not far behind it, but even though the two biggest holiday sales events haven’t arrived yet doesn’t mean you can’t start preparing to shop (and you can even find some early deals if you don’t want to wait). Retailers are gearing up to slash prices on Apple Watches, iPhones, iPads, and other popular Apple products, and the Apple Watch is one of the most sought-after gifts for a good reason — the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE are among the best smartwatches currently available.
If you want to snag a new Apple Watch or some cool and useful smartwatch accessories, the best time is during Black Friday weekend and Cyber Week. That’s when prices are the lowest you’ll see all year. To help you score the best bargains when that time comes, we’ve put together a quick shopping guide that lays out what Black Friday Apple Watch deals we expect to see this year along with some pointers on how to shop these extended sales.
What Black Friday Apple Watch deals to expect
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It’s no surprise that we anticipate the Apple Watch to be one of this holiday season’s best sellers. Already, the new Apple Watch Series 6 has been selling for $25-$30 off Apple’s list price at retailers like Amazon and Walmart, while the cheaper Apple Watch SE has seen discounts of around $15-$20. Those are modest price cuts, admittedly, but they’re noteworthy considering that these are brand new releases and the Black Friday Apple Watch deals are certainly going to be even more enticing.
The Series 6 may be the latest and greatest flagship Apple Watch, but new product launches offer a golden opportunity to score discounts on last-gen models. The new watch has largely replaced the very similar and highly regarded Apple Watch Series 5 which Apple only recently discontinued, making Black Friday Apple Watch sales a great time to score a fifth-gen wearable. Most retailers are already slashing the prices on the Series 5 and Series 3 in the wake of the launch of the new Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, so if you don’t want to wait, these are good bargains to look for right now.
Although the Series 4 and Series 5 have been discontinued, the hugely successful Apple Watch Series 3 is still merrily chugging along and is a great budget option. We don’t expect any Apple Watch models older than the Apple Watch Series 3 to be on sale. We also don’t know yet whether or not we’ll see big discounts on the new Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE given that they were just released, but it’s likely we’ll at least see some modest price cuts and maybe some bundle offers.
What Black Friday Apple Watch deals we saw last year
For last year’s Black Friday sales, the Apple Watch Series 5 was the newest and hottest Apple Watch model and it received some nice discounts that knocked it down to around $300 for the base non-cellular models. The Apple Watch Series 3 was also on sale for the lowest prices we’ve seen (around $170) and has been frequently discounted throughout 2020 as well; this last-gen wearable has proven to be so popular that Apple has not discontinued it yet as it has with the Series 4 and Series 5.
Should you buy an Apple Watch on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?
In recent years, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become increasingly blended together as retailers, jostling to out-compete each other, are now rolling out early deals and extending their sales well beyond the “official” dates. Black Friday is now essentially Black Friday weekend (and it pretty much starts on Thursday night), while Cyber Monday is now a full Cyber Week.
This gives shoppers plenty of time to score the best discounts, but bear in mind that many of the most in-demand items — and this certainly includes Black Friday Apple Watch deals — will sell out quickly, so don’t drag your feet assuming you have loads of time to grab a bargain that catches your eye. In general, we don’t recommend waiting; if you see a Black Friday Apple Watch deal that you want, jump on it. There’s no guarantee you’ll see it again come Cyber Monday or even before 2021 rolls in.
The best Apple Watch deals happening now
Want an Apple Watch today? If you don’t want to wait for the Black Friday Apple Watch deals, there are always bargains to be found on pretty much every Apple Watch model (especially the Series 5 and Series 3 right now) in stores and online. You might even get lucky and score a deal on the latest and greatest Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE. Also, don’t forget to check out our up-to-the-minute Black Friday smartwatch deals and consider adding an iPhone to pair with that shiny new Apple Watch.
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