The early Black Friday discounts on Apple Watches have begun

UPDATE Nov. 9 2021, 1 p.m. EST We've rounded up the best Apple Watch deals of the Black Friday season as of Nov. 9 — here are our top three picks, including a newly discounted Series 7:

• Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS), a pick that comes packed with plenty of fitness features; plus, you have some color options to choose from with this deal — $349 $399.00 (save $50)

• Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) Green and Clover, the latest of Apple's smart watch offerings that gives a bit more screen space — $389.99 $399 (save $10)

• Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm, GPS), an entry level smartwatch at a nice entry level price — $169.00 $199 (save $30)

Apple fans and Apple-adjacent fans alike know that finding some savings from the brand, though not impossible, does require a bit more digging. Black Friday season is no exception.

When it comes to the Apple Watch, the digging for deals can get even diggier, which is to say the deals can be a bit tricky to find, even for Apple products. So far this year, we haven't seen any wild price drops, but we have seen some early dips on the Series 6 and some pretty decent refurbished deals.

We'll be keeping our eyes peeled and updating this post leading up to Black Friday to make sure you get the best Apple Watch savings possible. In the meantime, check out our finds below as well as some tips on keeping track of this smart watch's sales.

How to shop for Apple Watches this Black Friday season

The Series 7 watch finally hit store shelves mid-October. As to be expected with such a new release, we've only seen very limited, very slight price drops. With that said, there's still plenty of time until the official shopping holiday. In the meantime, we have seen some nice discounts on older models, like the Series 6, Series 3, and even the SE, which brings us to our next point.

When you're on the hunt for a good Apple Watch deal, you'll want to have some idea of what model you're most interested in buying. Apple's fitness tracker/iPhone on your wrist is popular even when it's not the holiday season, so an especially good sale portends a quick sellout. So while a little flexibility never hurts when deal hunting (especially when it comes to color choice), it'll be useful to make decisions like whether or not you want a Series 7 with cellular sooner rather than later. Otherwise, tracking all the sales can get overwhelming and time consuming quick — that's why it's literally our job to do that for you. As Black Friday gets closer, we'll also be updating this post more and more frequently, so if there's an insane deal that's worth knowing about, we'll make sure you do.

You can also streamline your focus by double checking when the big sale dates are for top retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. If you're really looking to save some cash, our final tip is to consider buying refurbished. Those aforementioned retailers usually have at least a few renewed offerings, even of recent models like the Series 6, at decently discounted prices. And of course, we've included some refurbished goodness on this very list.

Apple Watch Series 3 deals

Credit: Apple

Our pick: Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm, GPS)

$169 at Walmart (save $30)

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Why we like it

Its screen might be a bit smaller, but the whole appeal of the Series 3 is that it gives you the basic Apple Watch experience without a premium price tag. Though it's definitely an older model, you'll still be able to swim with it on, track basic fitness information like changes in heart rate, and run the latest OS8 software, all for well under $200.

Check out Mashable's official review of the Apple Watch Series 3.

More Apple Watch Series 3 deals

• Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm, GPS) — $199 $229.00 (save $30)

• Renewed Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) Space Gray and Black — $199.99 $219.96 (save $19.97)

Apple Watch Series 5 deals

Credit: Apple

Our pick: Apple Watch Series 5 (44mm, GPS) Gold and Pink

$389.99 at Walmart (save $60)

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Why we like it

Apple may not sell it directly any more but that doesn't mean the Series 5 has nothing to offer. After all, this was the Apple Watch that ushered in the age of the always-on display. Admittedly, you won't have access to more updated fitness features like the SPO2 sensor, but this watch still comes packed with a compass, heart sensor, emergency SOS, and water resistance.

Check out Mashable's official review of the Apple Watch Series 5.

More Apple Watch Series 5 deals

• Apple Watch Series 5 (44mm, GPS) Silver and White — $409.00 $449.00 (save $40)

Apple Watch SE deals

Credit: Apple

Our pick: Renewed Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS + Cellular) Gold and Pink

$265 at Amazon (save $64)

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Why we like it

Rocking this model with both GPS and cellular means that you don't need to connect your cell to send and receive texts, as well as answer calls. It's the ultimate iPhone extension. Plus, the swim-proof SE comes with the other classic Apple Watch features, like heart rate monitoring, emergency SOS, and fall detection. You won't have the SPO2 sensor and ECG sensor that's included in later models, but hey, you are paying significantly less.

More Apple Watch SE deals

• Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) Silver and Blue — $269.00 $279.00 (save $10)

Apple Watch Series 6 deals

Credit: Apple

Our pick: Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS)

$349 at Walmart (save $50)

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Why we like it

What is the Series 6 if not a Series 7 with one millimeter less of screen? Now that the Series 6 is officially no longer on sale at the Apple store, we've already started to see its price drop. As of this writing, you can find both the GPS and cellular models of this watch for $50 off. Personally, we think it'd be pretty hard to go wrong with this 40mm GPS model at Walmart, since it has the same health features as the Series 7, like the SPO2 sensor, ECG sensor, and fall detection. And last we checked, every single color is still available at the discounted price.

Check out Mashable's official review of the Apple Watch Series 6.

More Apple Watch Series 6 deals

• Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm, GPS) — $379.00 $429.99 (save $50)

• Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS + Cellular) Space Gray and Black — $449.00 $499.99 (save $40)

• Refurbished Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS + Cellular) — $400.97 $484.98 (save $84.01)

Apple Watch Series 7 deals

Credit: Apple

Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS) Green and Clover

$389.99 at Amazon (save $10)

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Why we like it

No, it's not a huge discount, but it is an existing discount on a watch that officially hit shelves less than a month ago. Stick to the green and clover combo and expect a bit of a wait (the current status of this watch is "In stock soon"), and you'll get a bigger screen that can fit a full keyboard, greater durability, and increased workout support for biking. Of course, you'll have the same Series 6 features you know and love like the blood oxygen sensor, heart rate monitoring, and ECG sensor.

More Apple Watch Series 7 deals

No more yet, but check back for updates.