Apple Watch SE drops to lowest price ever at some retailers, select models already sold out – CNET [CNET]

This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2021, our list of ideas, by topic, by recipient and by price, to help you discover the perfect gift.

One of the most eagerly anticipated Apple Black Friday deals of 2021 is for the Apple Watch SE, which dropped to an all-time-low starting price of $219 at select retailers. Best Buy announced its official Black Friday sale earlier today, and the big-box retailer already delivered the Apple Watch SE starting at just $219, and Amazon has matched it. Normally, the Apple Watch SE starts at $279 (Apple’s current price), and the previous low we’ve seen was $229 during Black Friday last year. This is the best Black Friday Apple Watch deal we expect to see in 2021.

Amazon is now matching the discount.

There are a few different color options available in both the 40 and 44mm size, but some of the configurations are already sold out at Best Buy. The base $219 price is for the smaller 40mm size and if you prefer the 44mm you can grab one for $249. With the Apple Watch SE, you get a larger display, like the Series 5 and 6, without the always-on portion of it. You still get most of the same great health-related features, activity tracking and of course notifications right on your wrist.

We know that the Apple Watch Series 3 will be down to $109 at Walmart next week, but this is a much better long-term purchase. There are newer competing watches that work with iOS and Android, have modern features that the Series 3 does not have, like an always-on display, and will likely get continued support for years. The latter point is of considerable note, since there’s no guarantee that the Series 3 will see the inevitable next version (probably WatchOS 9) after already receiving four years’ worth of support. So be sure to grab the Watch SE now before they sell out.