When is the best time of year to buy an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch?

For the newest generation (Apple Watch Series 11 / Ultra 3, Galaxy Watch 8), the first meaningful $50–$70 discounts typically land during late-November Black Friday and Amazon Prime events. For the previous generation (Series 10, Galaxy Watch 7), the steepest clearance deals ($80–$120 off) appear between July and October right as new stock arrives.

Is an older flagship like the Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 or Apple Watch Series 10 still worth buying over a newer mid-range watch?

Frequently, yes. When discounted, a Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 gives you a sapphire crystal lens, titanium bezel, Elevate Gen 5 ECG sensor, and built-in LED flashlight for less than a new mid-tier watch, and an Apple Watch Series 10 shares the same 9.7mm thin wide-angle OLED chassis as the Series 11.

How does Smartwatchify calculate its 'Buy Now' vs 'Wait for Sale' verdict?

Our buying verdict combines four verified inputs: the weighted critic MetaScore (from 13 specialist publications), the current lowest in-stock street price relative to category peers, the product's release age, and recent 30-day price history.

Smartwatches to buy now vs wait for discounts

#1 pickBuyFair at retail

Apple Watch Series 11

Strong critic consensus on sensor accuracy, battery endurance, and everyday software experience.

Editor's Take: The Apple Watch Series 11 remains the undisputed everyday smartwatch benchmark for iPhone owners, pairing its ultra-thin wide-angle LTPO3 OLED display and S11 SiP responsiveness with FDA-cleared sleep apnea notifications and rock-solid optical heart-rate tracking. Its 24-hour normal battery life still requires a quick daily top-up during your morning shower, and it won't pair with Android—but no rival matches its seamless watchOS app ecosystem, UWB car-key support, and wrist ergonomics.

$399S11 SiP / Wide-angle OLED / Sleep Apnea1y 1m oldTarget $379

Battery Life: Up to 24 hrs normal / 36 hrs Low Power Mode, fast charge (0-80% in 30 min)
Sensors & GPS: 3rd-gen optical HR, ECG, sleep apnea notifications, wrist temp, compass, GPS
Display: Wide-angle LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina (up to 2,000 nits)
Water & Durability

#2 pickValueFair at retail

Apple Watch SE 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: At $249, the Apple Watch SE 3 delivers 85% of the flagship Apple Watch experience for roughly 60% of the price—combining fast S10-class processor responsiveness, 50m swimproofing, Apple Pay, iMessage integration, and life-saving Crash and Fall Detection. You give up the Always-On display, ECG, and blood oxygen/apnea sensors, making it the unbeatable value pick for first-time iPhone watch buyers and Family Setup kids' watches.

$249S10 SiP / Crash Detection / watchOS1y 1m oldTarget $237

Battery Life: Up to 18 hrs all-day battery life with fast charging support
Sensors & GPS: Optical heart sensor, high/low HR & irregular rhythm alerts, Crash & Fall Detection, GPS
Display: Retina LTPO OLED display (up to 1,000 nits)
Water & Durability: 50m water resistance (swimproof)

iPhone userswatchOS appsdaily health & safetyvalue buyers

Full review Worth it?

#3 pickBuyFair at retail

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

Strong critic consensus on sensor accuracy, battery endurance, and everyday software experience.

Editor's Take: Powered by Samsung's 3nm Exynos W1000 silicon and protected by scratch-resistant Sapphire Crystal, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the most well-rounded Wear OS smartwatch for Samsung Galaxy phone owners. Dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS and the upgraded BioActive sensor markedly improve outdoor run tracks and metabolic tracking, though non-Samsung Android users should note that ECG and sleep apnea alerts remain gated behind the Samsung Health phone app.

$329Exynos W1000 / BioActive Sensor / Galaxy AI1y 3m oldTarget $313

Battery Life: Up to 40 hrs (AOD off) / up to 30 hrs (AOD on)
Sensors & GPS: Enhanced BioActive Sensor (HR, ECG, BIA body composition, AGEs index), dual-frequency GPS
Display: 1.3-inch (40mm) or 1.5-inch (44mm) Super AMOLED (up to 3,000 nits)
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m) + IP68 + MIL-STD-810H

Samsung Galaxy usersWear OS appsBioActive sensors

Full review Worth it?

#4 pickBuyWait for 10% off

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Strong critic consensus on sensor accuracy, battery endurance, and everyday software experience.

Editor's Take: Encased in 49mm aerospace titanium with a flat sapphire crystal, 3,000-nit wide-angle LTPO3 OLED display, and EN13319 40-meter dive certification, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the most capable smartwatch Apple has ever built. Dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS tracks urban marathons with surgical accuracy and 36-to-72-hour battery life comfortably clears weekend adventures, making it the definitive choice for iPhone athletes who want one watch for the trail and the boardroom.

$799S11 SiP / Dual-frequency GPS / Titanium1y 1m oldTarget $719

Battery Life: Up to 36 hrs normal / 72 hrs Low Power Mode
Sensors & GPS: Electrical & optical HR, ECG, SpO2, wrist temp, depth gauge, dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS
Display: Wide-angle LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina (up to 3,000 nits)
Water & Durability: 100m water resistance, EN13319 recreational dive to 40m

iPhone userswatchOS appsdaily health & safetytrail & outdoor athletes

Full review Worth it?

#5 pickValueFair at retail

Oura Ring 4

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: The Oura Ring 4 cements Oura's lead at the top of the smart ring category by replacing the Gen 3's raised interior epoxy domes with a fully titanium interior and recessed 0.3mm sensors powered by 18-path Smart Sensing PPG. Delivering up to 8 days of battery life and the industry's most refined sleep staging, daytime stress, and cardiovascular age insights, its only real drawback is the mandatory $5.99/month Oura Membership.

$349Smart Sensing recessed titanium / 8-day battery2y 1m oldTarget $332

Battery Life: Up to 8 days on a single charge (20-80 min USB-C dock recharge)
Sensors & GPS: 18-path Smart Sensing red/IR/green PPG (HR, HRV, SpO2), digital skin temperature, 3D accelerometer
Display: Screen-free smart ring form factor (sizes 4-15)
Water & Durability: 100m water resistance (sauna, swim, and shower safe)

24/7 sleep & recoveryscreen-free comfortHRV tracking

Full review Worth it?

#6 pickValueFair at retail

Coros Pace 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: Weighing a barely-there 30 grams with its nylon band, the Coros Pace 3 offers more pure marathon performance per dollar than any other sports watch on earth. For $229, you get dual-frequency all-systems GNSS, 38 hours of continuous GPS battery life, a sunlight-visible MIP screen, breadcrumb route navigation, and subscription-free COROS EvoLab race predictors.

$22930g ultralight / Dual-frequency GPS / 17-day battery3y 2m oldTarget $218

Battery Life: Up to 17 days daily use / 38 hrs standard full GPS / 15 hrs dual-frequency GNSS
Sensors & GPS: Next-gen 5-LED optical HR, SpO2, barometric altimeter, dual-frequency all-systems GNSS
Display: 1.2-inch (240x240) Always-On Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) touchscreen + Digital Dial
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m swimproof)

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week batterytrail & outdoor athletes

Full review Worth it?

#7 pickValueFair at retail

Garmin Forerunner 265

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: For road runners and triathletes who don't need onboard topographic maps, the Garmin Forerunner 265 hits the sweet spot of the entire endurance market. Available in both 46mm and compact 42mm (265S) sizes, it delivers the same dual-frequency SatIQ GPS accuracy, 5-button wet-weather control, and morning Training Readiness scores as the 965 while saving $150.

$449AMOLED / Dual-frequency GPS / Training Readiness3y 8m oldTarget $427

Battery Life: Up to 13 days smartwatch mode (15 days on 265S) / up to 20 hrs GPS-only
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 4 optical HR, Pulse Ox, dual-frequency multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
Display: 1.3-inch (416x416) or 1.1-inch (265S) AMOLED touchscreen + 5 buttons
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m swimproof)

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week battery

Full review Worth it?

#8 pickValueFair at retail

OnePlus Watch 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: The OnePlus Watch 3 solves Wear OS's oldest flaw through clever hardware engineering: its Dual-Engine architecture offloads Always-On display rendering and 24/7 health telemetry to an ultra-efficient RTOS co-processor while waking the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 only for Google Maps, Wallet, and Play Store apps. Wrapped in stainless steel with a titanium bezel and 2D sapphire crystal, it delivers an astonishing 120 hours (5 days) of full smart-mode battery life on Android.

$299Dual-engine architecture / 120-hour Wear OS battery1y 8m oldTarget $284

Battery Life: Up to 120 hrs (5 days) in Smart Mode / up to 16 days in Power Saver Mode
Sensors & GPS: 8-channel optical HR, 16-channel SpO2, wrist temperature, vascular health, dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS
Display: 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display (up to 2,200 nits) with rotating functional crown
Water & Durability: 5 ATM + IP68 + MIL-STD-810H

multi-day batteryvalue buyershybrid endurance

Full review Worth it?

#9 pickValueFair at retail

Google Pixel Watch 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: By introducing a spacious 45mm case option alongside the classic 41mm dome and unlocking Fitbit's Daily Readiness and Cardio Load metrics with zero monthly subscription required, the Google Pixel Watch 3 leaps to the top of the pure Android rankings. Its 2,000-nit Actua OLED panel and multi-path heart-rate algorithm rival chest straps during steady aerobic runs, provided you can live with 24-to-36-hour battery life and exposed curved Gorilla Glass edges.

$34941mm & 45mm Actua OLED / Fitbit Readiness2y 2m oldTarget $332

Battery Life: 24 hrs with Always-On display / up to 36 hrs in Battery Saver mode, fast charging
Sensors & GPS: Multi-path optical HR, ECG, SpO2, cEDA stress sensor, skin temp, UWB, Loss of Pulse Detection
Display: Actua LTPO AMOLED (1-60Hz, up to 2,000 nits) in 41mm and 45mm sizes
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m) + IP68

Pixel & Android usersFitbit readinessclean Wear OS

Full review Worth it?

#10 pickValueFair at retail

Garmin Venu 3

The review score is high relative to street price. Prioritise seasonal deals and bundle discounts.

Editor's Take: The Garmin Venu 3 is the ultimate crossover watch for buyers who want a vibrant 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen, Bluetooth phone calling, and FDA-cleared ECG without being tethered to a nightly charging cable. Delivering up to 14 days of battery life alongside Garmin's Sleep Coach, Nap Detection, and Elevate Gen 5 sensor array across both iOS and Android, it trades third-party app-store breadth for genuine multi-week freedom.

$449Elevate V5 HR / ECG / 14-day battery3y 2m oldTarget $427

Battery Life: Up to 14 days smartwatch mode (10 days on Venu 3S) / up to 26 hrs GPS
Sensors & GPS: Garmin Elevate Gen 5 optical HR, FDA-cleared ECG, Pulse Ox, skin temp, multi-GNSS
Display: 1.4-inch (454x454) or 1.2-inch (3S) AMOLED touchscreen
Water & Durability: 5 ATM (50m swimproof)

runners & triathletesdual-band GPSmulti-week battery

Full review Worth it?

Smartwatches to buy now vs wait for discounts

What Matters Before You Buy

How We Rank These Wearables

Apple Watch Series 11

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time of year to buy an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch?

Is an older flagship like the Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 or Apple Watch Series 10 still worth buying over a newer mid-range watch?

How does Smartwatchify calculate its 'Buy Now' vs 'Wait for Sale' verdict?

Editorial Team

Sanjiv Sathiah

Apple Watch SE 3

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Oura Ring 4

Coros Pace 3

Garmin Forerunner 265

OnePlus Watch 3

Google Pixel Watch 3

Garmin Venu 3