Another September , anotherApple Event , and this year , we gottwo new Apple Watch model : the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE . But do you get laid which sentinel is also still around ? The Series 3 . And , I know the Series 3 ’s $ 200 price tatter is enticing — a steal , even — but for the love of everything holy , I am here once again for Gizmodo dot com to prompt you : Do not bribe a Series 3 .

The time to buy a Series 3 has come and gone . originally this summertime , when sales were rearing and Apple ’s fall launches were months aside , you could ’ve madea warm casefor buying a Series 3 . But as I said then , the only people who would really do good from scant out are people who have no idea if the # smartwatchlife was for them . Gadget swot might jeer , but these people sincerely exist . In that case , yeah , a discounted Series 3 might have made sense . You could get the vast majority of package updates come onWatchOS 7and dabble within the Apple Watch ecosystem without “ throwing away ” $ 400 to $ 500 for a convenience you are n’t really trusted you necessitate , want , or will enjoy .

But the Apple Watch SE is here now . My protagonist , do n’t be stupid . If you need to redeem some money , the SE is a good bet .

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Screenshot: Apple

https://gizmodo.com/apple-takes-aim-at-peloton-with-fitness-subscription-s-1845065769

Let ’s get price out of the way . The SE will cost a sensible $ 280 , while the Series 3 will stay at its marked - down $ 200 price tag . You are effectively quibbling over $ 80 . Now , $ 80 is n’t nothing — but you ’re only saving in the extremely short term . In the long - run , if you do finish up liking the Apple Watch , you are spending more . It was a major red flag that the Series 2 and older Apple Watches did n’t make the cut for WatchOS 7 — for serious or bad , the old computer hardware in earliest vigil is starting to see the end of their utilitarian lifespan . We do n’t yet sleep with if WatchOS 8 will make its agency to the Series 3 , which is hobbling along on an Apple S3 fleck . I would , however , choke on my water if the Series 3 makes it all the way to WatchOS 9 .

So we ’re mouth at most , a year ’s Charles Frederick Worth of use if you buy a Series 3 right now . From the moolah stand , you are saving $ 80 for one year ’s Charles Frederick Worth of use before whatever flashy new software or hardware tempts you to promote . If you did this in say , June , July , or August , you ’d actually make that $ 80 stretch 13 , 14 , 15 months . If you spent that extra $ 80 for a Watch SE , however , you ’d make that $ 280 stretch for at least two years before it was time to start considering an rising slope . $ 200 over the class of 12 months is rough $ 16.67 per calendar month ; $ 280 over the grade of 24 months is $ 11.67 . See ! Money saved . Sort of .

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These are just harsh timelines and do n’t account for if you desire to upgrade . But let ’s say you do want to promote — maybe the Series 7 is just a mind - blowingly insane update and WatchOS 8 is phenomenal . Apple has a reasonably good trade - in organization where you get a discount off old products when buying newer ones . On this front , if you wanted to trade in a yr - sure-enough Series 3 versus a year - honest-to-goodness Watch SE , you could reasonably expect to get a act more for the SE . Let ’s say the Series 7 is an incremental alteration , and you waitress it out for the Series 8 . You will get even less for that Series 3 when it comes metre to upgrade , but you still might get something decent for the SE . So in term of time value , unless you find a Series 3 on cut-rate sale for less than $ 200 , you ’re salutary off with the SE .

This also is true of the hardware . The SE is a bit of a Frankenstein watch in that it seemingly has the human body and filmdom of the Series 4 , with a mish - mash of microchip and sensing element from the Series 5 and Series 6 . The SE has the S5 chip ( the same one in the Series 5 ) , which right off the bat is 20 % faster than the S3 chipping in the Series 3 . While you wo n’t get thing like an always - on presentation or ECG , you are going to get feature like autumn sensing and noise - level monitoring , as well as the same accelerometer , gyro , and always - on altimeter that the Series 6 has . Heck , in some slipway , the SE has more modern components than the Series 5 .

That means if you do n’t in particular manage about features like blood oxygen storey monitoring , always - on exhibit , and ECG , and if you desire just a short more than the rudiments , the SE is more than capable . It ’s chinchy than every other major flagship smartwatch while allow at least some of the same advanced feature set . That admit the $ 400Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 , the $ 295 Fossil Gen 5 , and the $ 330Fitbit Sense . Actually , if you could get a trade - in discount , the SE could be just a small more expensive or on - equality with the $ 230 Fitbit Versa 3 .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

At $ 280 , the Watch SE is $ 120 cheaper than the GPS - only version of the Series 6 . It also let in built - in GPS , which not every smartwatch in the sub-$200 class does . If the Series 6 ’s raise do n’t really titillate your fancy , or you ’re just not in a position to fork over at least $ 400 for a new smartwatch , or you ’re one of those parents who have enough cabbage to get a spotter for your Thomas Kid , the raw Apple Watch SE is the safer wager for your wallet . Likewise , if you ’re elevate from a Series 2 or erstwhile , but really do n’t require to spend over $ 300 on a Modern smartwatch , the SE is n’t a bad selection . blaze , it ’s also a courteous upgrade option for budget - conscious owners of the Series 3 and 4 who do n’t like about ECG . Not only do you get much faster components , if you do want to upgrade to a Series 7 , you ’ll in all probability get more from a future trade - in than a Series 3 too .

After show all this , if you do buy a Series 3 , you well be make it on some firing sale or from a reseller for $ 140 or less . Otherwise , you ’re just throw your money aside .

https://theinventory.com/airpods-pro-drop-to-190-at-woot-10-cheaper-than-amaz-1843195057

William Duplessie

AppleApple WatchConsumer TechGadgetsSmartwatches

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