One of the best Apple Watches you can buy isn't Apple's newest (but it's 50% off)

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Back successful September, Apple unveiled a caller basal exemplary Series 11, the affordable SE 3, and a luxurious and rugged Ultra 3. While the Series 11 and Ultra 3 received standout features including Hypertension Detection, Emergency SOS via satellite, accrued artillery life, and Sleep Scores, older smartwatches besides got a facelift pursuing the caller merchandise debut. 

Thanks to WatchOS 26, Apple Watches Series 9 and aboriginal and Ultra 2 and aboriginal got the aforesaid bundle arsenic the latest lineup. 

Also: Our favourite aboriginal Black Friday deals  

So, what does that mean for you? It means that if you are eyeing a caller Apple smartwatch this Black Friday, you mightiness not really person to bargain the latest 1 astatine the highest price. In fact, Apple Watch Series 10, the one-year-old basal exemplary smartwatch is equally, if not amended a bargain than the SE 3 (or possibly adjacent the Series 11). As aboriginal vacation deals statesman to rotation in, Amazon and different retailers mightiness chopped the terms of the Series 10 down adjacent further (it's on merchantability for $250 close now, down $250 from its archetypal price), making an adjacent greater lawsuit for buying this smartwatch implicit its newer siblings. 

Let's get into why. 

The Series 11 and Series 10 are built with the aforesaid nonstop signifier factor. Apple told maine that successful creating the caller Series 11, it utilized the aforesaid physique arsenic the Series 10. It's conscionable arsenic bladed and light, and the lawsuit is precisely the same. 

Also: The Apple Watch SE 3 conscionable got its archetypal discount - here's wherever to bargain one

The Series 11 besides has the aforesaid S10 spot arsenic the Series 10, truthful you aren't getting immoderate much precocious spot hardware erstwhile you opt for the newer device. The lone existent quality successful hardware is the artillery beingness -- the Series 11 gets six much hours than the Series 10, acknowledgment to artillery reconfiguration the Apple Watch squad performed connected the device.

That quality successful artillery beingness is the lone existent differentiator, successful my eyes, betwixt the Series 10 and Series 11. Of course, it's a large upgrade that Apple decided to marque with its device, and radical volition surely bargain the Series 11 implicit the 10 due to the fact that of that. In fact, I've been loving my Series 11 due to the fact that of however agelong its artillery lasts (I deterioration it to slumber and passim the day). But if you aren't idiosyncratic who plans to deterioration their smartwatch 24/7 oregon if you are ever connected apical of instrumentality charging, you mightiness not request a 24-hour artillery life. So, you should bargain the Series 10. 100%. 

Also: Which Apple Watch should you buy? I tested each model

Here are a fewer caller features the Series 10 gets, acknowledgment to its bundle update (that the Series 11 already has). Apple's caller FDA-cleared Hypertension Detection (that the caller Apple Watch SE 3 doesn't have), Sleep Scores, Wrist Flick Gesture for declining messages oregon calls, and Workout Buddy connected the Fitness app. 

The Watch Series 10. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

When the 3 caller watches came out, I wrote that I was impressed by the SE 3 simply due to the fact that of its affordable existence. At $200 on merchantability close now, the SE 3 gets the S10 chip, Sleep Scores, and an 18-hour artillery life. I besides added that this spec lineup mirrored the Series 10 heavily. The quality betwixt the Series 10, which is presently discounted astatine $280 and the SE 3 that's going for $200 retired the gate, is that the Series 10 gets Hypertension Detection and the afloat suite of wellness features, including humor oxygen monitoring and ECG. The SE 3 doesn't. 

Also: Which Apple Watch should you bargain successful 2025? My verdict connected the astir disputed model

So if you are buying a smartwatch for its slate of health-tracking features, particularly if you are an older idiosyncratic looking to support a cautious oculus connected your wellness stats, I'm going to urge the Series 10 implicit the SE 3, and the Series 11 implicit the Series 10 (only if you privation much artillery life). 

Looking for the adjacent champion product? Get adept reviews and exertion favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

How I rated this deal 

The Apple Watch Series 10 is 50% disconnected close now. It's becoming a rarer deal, truthful I'm standing this 1 a 5/5. Plus, arsenic banal dwindles of this older model, it's a large clip to scoop up this astute wearable with decent savings.