Why I won't be getting an Apple Watch SE this Black Friday, and what I'll be getting instead

Apple Watch SE
(Image credit: Future / Joseph Keller)

The Apple Watch SE is undeniably a very impressive device. Giving you all the trappings of a normal smartwatch, while doing away with some of the features that raise the cost, it’s a cheap entry point to a very smart device. However, after more than a year of using my Apple Watch Series 7, I couldn’t recommend the Watch SE to my partner this Black Friday. 

As well as getting the wearable to ping her iPhone and respond to messages in an instant, one of the biggest benefits of the Apple Watch Series line, is its bevy of health features. 

There are plenty of great ways to get your hands on an Apple Watch, but early deals aren’t the only aspect you should pay attention to. There are bundles with items, support in the form of repairs, convenience, and more you get from different retailers. If you're looking to pick up the Best Apple Watch Black Friday deals, you need to pay attention to many retailers. Above are just a handful of places you should keep an eye on over the next week. 

Why I’m choosing the Apple Watch Series 9

This is the perfect Apple Watch for my partner this year, thanks to its improved S9 chip, always-on-display, improved Neural Engine, and more. The Watch can also run Siri locally without needing an internet connection and the improved chip offers a more responsive and feature-packed watch, with little compromise. 

As well as this, the Apple Watch Series 9 has new temperature sensors and advanced cycle tracking. This means me and my partner can prepare calendars with health graphs so we can be as informed as possible about her incoming cycle each month. 

We often thought about picking up the Watch SE as my partner wasn’t fully convinced of the idea of an Apple Watch but, I can’t help but feel like we’re missing out on genuinely useful features to get a bargain – something I’m not quite prepared to do. I personally didn’t upgrade from the Series 7 to the Series 8 as I’m not too fussed about the crash detection function but this choice didn’t feel nearly as clear. We’re spending a little more upfront to avoid buyer's remorse and, hopefully, Black Friday will help out a little with that one. 

Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm Cellular) | $529 $479

Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm Cellular) | $529 $479

Not only is the Watch Series 9 an excellent and very new watch, meaning the battery life will be better than older counterparts, but it is currently selling for the lowest price we’ve seen yet. 

Where to find the best Apple Watch Deals

Who is the Watch SE 2 for?

The Watch SE 2 is still a great choice and very impressive due to its S8 chip (as seen in the Series 8 Watch), Optical heart sensor, 32 GB of storage, and, most importantly, that lower price point. It misses out on some good features like the ECG, Blood Oxygen Sensor, precision Find My, and fast charging so, if you want all the latest tech, you may feel like you’re missing out. 

However, if you want a cheaper device that can track your exercises, receive texts, and, of course, keep time, this is still an excellent device – it’s quite pretty to boot.

Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) |$249$239

Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) | $249 $239

Only a small discount on a pretty nice watch, this is good for someone on a limited budget who might not care about the extra features present in more expensive watches. If you feel like you are compromising by getting this one, you’re better off waiting for a good deal on a better Watch. 

Black Friday
Save money with Black Friday sales

Grab bargains on Apple devices this Black Friday

If you're looking for the best Black Friday Apple deals as the annual sales season kicks off, we've got you covered. From now right through to Cyber Monday on November 27, we'll be serving up the best offers on iPhone, MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, HomeKit smart home devices and more. Save a small fortune by checking back on our daily deals coverage.

James Bentley

James is a staff writer and general Jack of all trades at iMore. With news, features, reviews, and guides under his belt, he has always liked Apple for its unique branding and distinctive style. Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person. 

With a degree in Law and Media and being a little too young to move onto the next step of his law career, James started writing from his bedroom about games, movies, tech, and anything else he could think of. Within months, this turned into a fully-fledged career as a freelance journalist. Before joining iMore, he was a staff writer at Gfinity and saw himself published at sites like TechRadar, NME, and Eurogamer. 

As his extensive portfolio implies, James was predominantly a games journalist before joining iMore and brings with him a unique perspective on Apple itself. When not working, he is trying to catch up with the movies and albums of the year, as well as finally finishing the Yakuza series. If you like Midwest emo music or pretentious indie games that will make you cry, he’ll talk your ear off.