Best cheap Apple Watch deals for January 2022

Thinking about picking up a new Apple Watch to help you achieve your New Year’s fitness goals? It might be tempting to order one of the Series 7 models, but new hardware always comes at a premium. Apple’s latest wearable offers a slightly larger display and some improvements to durability but 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. Last year’s 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. 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 in black by $30, bringing the price down to $169. If you prefer the bigger, 42mm configuration with GPS, it’s on sale at Walmart for $179 in white 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.

We’ve previously seen this wearable sell for as low as $219. At the moment, however, you can only buy the 40mm, GPS-equipped Watch SE with a gray aluminum case and the black Sport Band or a gold aluminum case with a white Sport Band at Amazon for $249 ($30 off). Meanwhile, at Walmart, you can buy the LTE version of this style — or one with a gold aluminum case and white Sport Band — for $299 instead of $329.

Amazon is also selling the LTE versions for $299 in select styles, which is the lowest the retailer has sold these for. These include the gold model with the same Sport Band Walmart is selling, as well as one with a yellow-white Sport Loop and another with the gray aluminum case and gray Sport Loop.

For larger wrists, Amazon and Walmart are both selling the bigger, 44mm, GPS model with the silver aluminum case and blue Sport Band for $269.49 instead of $309. Amazon is also discounting the 44mm, LTE-equipped model with the gray aluminum case and gray Sport Loop by $30, knocking the sale price down to $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. Right now, Walmart is selling the 40mm, GPS-enabled model for $349 in pink and red. However, given the fact the 41mm Series 7 with GPS is on sale for the same price, 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 41mm, GPS-equipped model at Amazon for $349 in green, black, and red with various color Sport Bands. Both Walmart and Amazon are also selling the cellular version for $449 ($50 off) in the green (Amazon/Walmart) and black (Amazon/Walmart) colorways.

If you prefer the larger, 45mm variant with GPS, it’s currently available in black and white at Amazon for $379 instead of $429. The retailer is also selling the 45mm model with LTE for $479 instead of $529 — its lowest price to date — in red and green.

Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS)

The smaller, 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 comes in a range of colors with either GPS or GPS and LTE. Amazon and Best Buy’s current discount only applies to the all-green configuration, however.

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. Overall, the upmarket stainless, titanium, and Hermès edition Apple Watches also don’t usually get the discounts and sales as the aluminum models.