Black Friday can feel a little overwhelming when it comes to shopping. I know; I've been there staring at the deals and feeling the pressure to buy things there and then in order to get the best price, even when I haven't quite made my purchasing decision. Every now and then, though, a deal appears that makes the decision of whether to buy so incredibly simple because it's too good to miss.
That's currently the case with Apple Watch. There are deals across all of Apple's latest smartwatches, from the Watch Ultra 2 to the Watch SE (2022), but it's the Watch Series 9 that I would recommend to the majority, especially when it costs just $329, with a huge $70 off. This is for the 41mm model, but the 45mm model has the same discount at $359 instead of $429, and there is money off the GPS & Cellular models too. I've already got one, but at this price, I am very much planning to buy one for my partner.
Why should you buy the Apple Watch Series 9?
The Apple Watch Series 9 is a really great smartwatch. Its design might be similar to the Series 8 - in fact, it's identical on the surface - but a new chipset is running the show, enabling some new features.
These include Double Tap, which allows you to answer calls or slide through the Smart Stack widgets on the screen, for example, with a double pinch of your thumb and forefinger. It's a really useful feature if you are holding a cup of coffee or when you're walking the dog and only have one hand free, for example.
The new S9 SiP chip also enables on-device Siri, so you get responses quicker than you would on the older models, and you can do more, like ask Siri for your step count. Elsewhere, the same features that we saw on the Series 8 are present, like measuring body temperature, the ability to take an ECG, heart rate tracking and superb fitness tracking.
I've worn an Apple Watch since 2015 - upgrading through the years - and it very rarely leaves my wrist. I went to a Black Tie event the other night, and it remained on my arm, and I wasn't the only one mixing an Apple Watch with a posh outfit, either. The Series 9 is a superb device with some really great features. The screen is lovely and bright. I'll never get enough of Snoopy and Peanuts doing their thing every day, and it's the perfect companion for those with an iPhone. I'd love to see a slightly longer battery life like the Watch Ultra 2, but on the whole, I wear the Watch Series 9 every day, and there is very little - if anything - I would complain about.
If it's still too much outside of your budget on this deal, then you could consider the Watch SE (2022), which also has an excellent deal for Black Friday, hitting under $190. It misses a few features compared to the Watch Series 9 - like an Always-On Display, ECG capabilities, body temperature sensor, and Double Tap - but it does the basics and them very, very well.
If you want to push the boat out, the Watch Ultra 2 has a deal on it, too, but it is still double the price of the Series 9, so make sure you love its rugged design for the extra money. If you have the cash, though, it's a great smartwatch.
