If you paid full price for a new Apple Watch in September, you might want to look away. Less than three weeks after Apple put the Series 12 and Ultra 4 on sale, Amazon is already selling both for less, and MacRumors and 9to5Toys say these are the lowest prices they've tracked. There's not much time to decide, because today is the last day of Prime Big Deal Days.
The Series 12 is about $50 under Apple's price in its smaller GPS size. The Ultra 4 is the bigger cut: one version, with a natural titanium case and a translucent gray Ocean Band, is down to $699.99, nearly $100 off. Apple kept list prices at last year's levels when it launched the pair, so this is the first real break buyers have seen.
The sale price isn't on every watch
The deal is narrower than it looks. The steepest Ultra 4 cut only applies to certain colors and bands, and MacRumors found the black model with a Milanese Loop much closer to full price. 9to5Toys says some versions keep "popping in and out of stock" at the sale price, and Macworld caught the Ultra 4 barely below list during the same sale. Before you pay, check the band and color in your cart, not just the price on the listing.
Is the new one even worth it?
Here's the awkward part for the Series 12: Apple rates its battery life exactly the same as last year's Series 11. Most of what's new lives inside. There's a new chip, more frequent heart rate readings, a daily readiness score built from your activity, vital signs and sleep, and AI features like Siri summaries of recorded meetings. Useful, maybe, but nothing you'll feel at the end of a long day.
That's why Macworld argues a discounted Series 11 or Ultra 3 can be the better value. It also warns against going too old, since the Series 9 is the oldest regular model that runs watchOS 27.
The Ultra 4 makes an easier case. Apple says it runs eight hours longer on a normal charge than the Ultra 3, enough to matter on a long weekend away from a charger. Just know the discounts are US only: Macworld found no price cuts on either new watch in the UK.
If you miss today, Black Friday is the next test of whether Amazon will go any lower, and this week's prices are the ones to beat. So here's the real question: would you pay for a new watch with last year's battery and a smarter chip, even on sale, or is the better deal the model Apple just replaced?
Sources
- 1.Apple Watch Prime Day Deals Arrive With New All-Time Low Prices for Series 12 and Ultra 4 · MacRumors
- 2.Apple Watch Ultra 4 hits all-time low at nearly $100 off in fall Prime Day sale · 9to5Toys
- 3.Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 unveiled with upgraded health tracking system · 9to5Mac
- 4.Best Apple Watch Prime Day deals October 2026: Series 12, Ultra 4 and SE 3 · Macworld
- 5.Compare Apple Watch models · Apple
Reported by the WattsUpNext desk from the sources linked below. Spot an error? Tell us at corrections@wattsupnext.com.
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