Apple is likely going to announce the new Apple Watch Series 4 models next Wednesday, so retailers are increasingly trying to clear out their stock of the old stuff. In the case of Best Buy, that means it’s knocking off as much as $300 off its premium editions of the Apple Watch Series 3 with both GPS and cellular—and yes, that includes “Edition” models with the high-end ceramic casing.
To my knowledge, these models have never been sold at retail for relatively agreeable prices like this. This is high-end stuff, though, so don’t get the impression that knocking off $300 means you’re getting it for “cheap.” On the low end, you’re looking at a 42mm or 38mm stainless steel Apple Watch Series 3 for $449 (down from $749). The 42mm space gray model costs a little more at $499 (down from $799).
On the high end, you can pick up a ceramic 42mm Apple Watch Edition for “just” $1,049 (down from $1,349). If you don’t want to pay that much, you can drop down to the 38mm version for $999 (down from $1,299). Hey, look at it this way—at least they’re not still selling the Apple Watch Edition for upwards of $10,000.
Should you wait? There’s always a chance that Apple will surprise us with something incredibly off-the-wall next week, but so far some credible rumors suggest that the new models will have a larger apparent display (without actually getting bigger, through some magic of flattening the bezels) and that some features—such as the rotatable crown on the side—will now work through haptic feedback rather than actual button pushing.
The new models will likely be faster and sport better battery life, but we’re not expecting massive changes in design over these models (such as a round Apple Watch). From even a short distance, I doubt the differences between the two will even be that apparent.
If you like the finer things in life, in other words, this is a good time to get in on the action without feeling too guilty about it.
Author: Leif Johnson, Contributing Writer
Leif is a San Francisco-based tech journalist. He's a big fan of fantasy RPGs, and you can find his previous work on IGN, Rolling Stone, VICE, PC Gamer, Playboy, Mac|Life, TechRadar, and numerous other publications.