- Last week Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 5, which will start at $400 for GPS models and $500 for cellular models.
- Apple will continue selling the Apple Watch Series 3, which starts at $200 for GPS models and $300 for cellular models.
- For roughly half the price, the Series 3 has nearly all the same features as the Series 5, making it a smarter buy.
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The Apple Watch Series 5, the newest edition of Apple’s smartwatch, was announced last week at Apple’s annual keynote. The Series 5 will be available beginning Friday.
The Series 5 starts at $400 with GPS only and $500 for GPS and cellular. The price can easily climb much higher if you’re interested in using the new Apple Watch Studio to customize your band and case – a stainless-steel case, for example, bumps you up to at least $700, and titanium costs $800.
Apple will no longer carry the Series 4 watch, but it will continue to sell the Series 3, which costs $200 with GPS only or $300 for GPS and cellular.
The Apple Watch Series 5 does have some enticing upgrades, like an always-on Retina display, but the Series 3 is too good a deal to pass up - you get most of the same features for half the price.
The Apple Watch Series 3 has a more reasonable size.
You've already read about iPhones being too big for some women's hands, but that flaw doesn't stop at phones. A bigger watch can be a fashion statement, but people with smaller wrists and hands don't necessarily want to go for that giant-watch look every day.
The Series 3's 38 mm and 42 mm sizes are appealing to anyone looking for a small, sleek watch, compared with the Series 5's 40 mm and 44 mm.
For a much lower price, the Series 3 gives you most of the same health features.
Though the Apple Watch Series 5 introduced fall detection and an updated heart sensor, the Series 3 can still meet most of your health needs.
With the Apple Watch Series 3, you can track your activity each day, see how many calories you've burned, and use smart coaching for an extra push in workouts.
You can track your stats on different types of workouts too, like yoga, cycling, running, interval training, and more.
The Series 3 can also warn you about unusually high or low heart rates and screen for an irregular heart rhythm indicative of other health problems. When one of these issues is detected, you can call for help through the watch's "emergency SOS" feature.
With the Series 3, you get basically all the must-haves: Apple Pay, 18-hour battery life, and water resistance.
None of these features is radically different in the new Apple Watch.
The most important upgrade you won't get is the always-on Retina display - but depending on how you use your watch, it may not be a deal-breaker. Flicking your wrist every time you want to consult your watch is a slight inconvenience, but it comes as naturally as waking your phone.
The Apple Watch Series 3's price makes it a clear winner over the Series 5.
No doubt about it, the Apple Watch Series 5 looks good, and it has some handy updates. But is that worth spending at least an extra $200?
The Series 3 gives you all-day battery life, health tracking, and more, plus you'll still be able to download watchOS 6 - available on Thursday - for the latest software updates.
If you're looking for a smartwatch that gets the job done without costing $500 or more, the Series 3 is a good call.
Now tell us what you think!