Deal Alert: Apple Watch Series 3 from Just $169

The Apple Watch Series 3 is back at its best-ever sale price of just $169. As a Garmin user, I have to say that this is an incredible price for what the Apple Watch Series 3 offers. It is actually cheaper than Garmin’s Forerunner 45 which is their “entry” level GPS running watch – plus it comes with all the Apple goodness.

Deal Alert: Apple Watch Series 3 From Just $169

Link: Apple Watch Series 3 38mm  | Apple Watch Series 3 42mm(these are affiliate links that supports the site – thanks for the support!)

Yes, the Apple Watch Series 4 and 5 have larger displays and things like built-in ECG but they also cost more. At $169, you are getting a full-fledged smartwatch that works great for travel and everyday life. Oh, and the built-in GPS for outdoor sporting activities.

To put it into perspective, the closest modern Garmin GPS watch in price to this is the Garmin Forerunner 45. It is much more than a basic running watch and likely has more than many runners would even need in terms of metrics and data and it retails for $199. Sometimes, it goes on sale for $149.

Garmin Forerunner 45?

Read: Garmin Forerunner 45 vs Apple Watch Series 3 – the Battle of the Sub-$200 Running Watches

But, the smartwatch functions of the Garmin 45 are limited to pretty much smart notifications – meaning you get notified on the watch when a notification pops up on your phone. I am a Garmin user myself (Garmin Fenix 6 Pro) so I am fine with that. But, if you are looking for some kind of watch in the sub-$199 area that works for running and has smart capabilities, the Apple Watch Series 3 could be for you.

Just be ready to charge every day and a half or so! It does not have the all-week battery life that Garmin watches do so you will need to plan to be without it every 30-36 hours or so for about 1-2 hours.

What About Waiting for the Apple Watch Series 6?

Let me just say this – if you are thinking about the Series 3 now because of the price, do not worry about the Series 6! It is going to launch at least at $399 and will not be at these sale prices for at least a couple of years.

The Series 3 does lack the slightly larger display, slightly better battery, slightly better processor, and the ECG of the Series 5 but this price cannot be beat.