Black Friday Apple Watch deals: when they start and what to expect this year

(Image credit: Future)

Black Friday is typically one of the best times to bag a deal on an Apple Watch all year round. It's a calendar date that comes right at the end of the year - when you have several new models to contend with and generally plenty of stock on the older ones too. Right now, we've got some fantastic options, from the latest Apple Watch 8 and SE 2 to the older (and much cheaper) first-gen SE and Apple Watch Series 3.

Simply put, there's wearable for everyone, and we expect every model to be featured in this year's Black Friday Apple Watch deals. Because this year's sales are just around the corner now (Black Friday deals generally start in early November), we've put together a handy guide to help you score a bargain on your next Apple Watch.

We've included what to expect, the best retailers to check out, and an array of last year's best Black Friday Apple Watch deals so you can see the kind of discounts that are commonly offered over the retail event. This is also the page we'll be updating with 2022's Black Friday Apple Watch deals as soon as they land, so don't hesitate to bookmark and check in regularly. 

Today's best Apple Watch deals

Should you wait until Black Friday to buy an Apple Watch?

Since we're drawing closer to Black Friday now, it's probably a good idea to hold off until at least November to pick up an Apple Watch. Generally speaking, the good deals start to crop up around then so it's not long to wait now. 

Black Friday Apple Watch deals: FAQ

(Image credit: TechRadar)

When will Black Friday Apple Watch deals start in 2021?

Black Friday lands on November 25th this year, although you can expect Apple Watch deals - and promotions in general - to land well before this date. For example, this year, we've already had Amazon hold a big 'Prime Day Early Access' sale as of mid-October, so things are already starting to heat up. Generally speaking, we always recommend being on guard from early November onwards if you're looking o bag a bargain.

Will there be Apple Watch 8 Black Friday deals?

Yes, there's a high chance we'll see small discounts on the Apple Watch 8 over Black Friday. We have, in fact, already seen this model discounted in recent weeks, particularly in Amazon's mid-October Prime Day Early Access sale, where it was discounted to $349 in the US. If we had to predict a Black Friday Apple Watch 8 deal, we'd say the most likely scenario is that this particular price crops up again.

While a $50 price cut doesn't seem like the biggest discount out there, it's worth noting that this deal is actually better than the best Black Friday deal on the Apple Watch 7 from last year. In short, it's a pretty great price cut considering how new the Apple Watch 8 is.

Over in the UK, the Apple Watch 8 hasn't received any discounts just yet but we're hopeful for something over Black Friday. Last year, the Apple Watch 7 got a £20 discount at most of the big retailers so it's realistic to expect something like this again for Black Friday 2022.

Where are the best places to find Black Friday Apple Watch deals?

Top US retailers:
Amazon - the best retailer for record-low prices (opens in new tab)
Apple - gift cards and freebies with select devices (opens in new tab)
Best Buy - deals on the Apple Watch 3, SE, and Series 8 (opens in new tab)
Walmart - competitive prices on all models, but stock tends to go quickly (opens in new tab)

Top UK retailers:
Amazon - record-low prices on the Apple Watch (opens in new tab)
Apple - see Apple's latest and greatest smartwatch (opens in new tab)
Currys - save $100 when you trade in your old Apple Watch (opens in new tab)
Very - deals on the Apple Watch 3, SE, and the Series 8 (opens in new tab)

Our guide will bring you all the best Black Friday Apple Watch deals with the lowest prices available from all your favorite retailers. Apple typically doesn't offer discounts on its own devices, and is once again offering gift cards with select purchases. This means you'll have to rely on third-party retailers like Amazon to find the best Black Friday Apple Watch deals. 

Last year's best Black Friday Apple Watch deals

Apple Watch 7 (41mm, GPS): $399.99 $379.99 at Amazon
Save $20 - The all-new Apple Watch 7 sits at the top of our smartwatch rankings(opens in new tab), with the same impressive feature set of the Apple Watch 6, plus a 20% larger screen, more tracking and color options, and faster charging. We found it to be a great device for boosting your fitness, although it still doesn't have advanced features like interval repeats (you'll need a dedicated fitness tracker for that). Note today's price cut at Amazon might not seem like much, but it's the cheapest price ever. Note, this price is available on the Green, Blue, and Red colors only.

Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS): $399 $349 at Amazon
Save $50 - Last year's top-tier Apple Watch was the Series 6, which has all the same features as the newer Apple Watch 7 - the S6 processor, blood oxygen monitoring, ECG app, and elevation tracking - but a 20% smaller screen. It's discontinued now, which is why the price is so low. Still, we rated the Series 6 four out of five stars when we tested it, and it remains one of the standout wearables you can buy - at under $350 it's a bargain.

Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS): $279 $219 at Best Buy
Save $60 - This is the smallest version of the Apple Watch SE, though the pricier 44mm version is discounted (the cell version isn't on offer though). $60 is quite a lot to be taken off the price of an Apple product. Note - only the Blue Sports Band color is in stock now, so hurry if you're interested.
44mm, GPS: $309 $249 at Amazon (save $60)

Apple Watch Series 3, 38mm: $199 $169 at Best Buy
Save $30 - We have seen the Series 3 as low as $109 this Black Friday, but the stock was supremely limited and this is still a solid deal for the Apple Watch 3. This one's an older device but it's still a great smartwatch and worthy of the 4.5 out of 5 stars(opens in new tab) we gave it in our review. It's slower and less feature-rich than the SE, plus it's likely to lose watchOS support in the next few years. If you want a truly cheap Apple Watch, it's the best.

Apple Watch 7 (41mm, GPS): £369 £349 at John Lewis
Save £20 - One of today's best Black Friday Apple Watch deal is the all-new Apple Watch 7 that's on sale for £349 from John Lewis. That's a £20 discount and a new record-low price for the 41mm smartwatch. This discount applies to the Blue, Starlight and Midnight colors.  This is the cheapest deal we've seen for the Series 7 smartwatch, so we'd grab this fantastic deal now before it's too late.

Apple Watch 6 (44mm, GPS): £409 £289 at Amazon
Save £100 - We've seen the Apple Watch 6 GPS go for just £279 this past week Amazon - a very, very low price indeed. The catch, of course, was that this cheapest price ever was available on the red colour only. That's ended now and the next cheapest price is £309 - which is still a decent price all be told since this model is still really powerful and features a great display. 

Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS, 38mm): £199 £169 at Amazon
Save £30 - The Apple Watch 3 is the perfect choice if you're on a budget and just want a device that's great for the basics - alerts, music, and fitness apps. It's a little older now but it's still great in 2021 and this latest early Black Friday price cut from Amazon brings it to within £10 of its cheapest ever price. Need a bigger size? The 42mm is also discounted to £199

• The best Black Friday Apple deals (opens in new tab): what we expect to see
• Our predictions for the best Black Friday iPhone deals (opens in new tab)
• How to find the best Black Friday iPad deals (opens in new tab)