The Apple Watch Series 9 is Apple’s second-most expensive watch after the Apple Watch Ultra 2, both released in the fall of 2023—and for a limited time, the Series 9 is discounted to a lower price than it was during Black Friday. The extremely brief sale, via Best Buy (it lasts until May 23, 1 a.m. ET), features the 45mm GPS + Cellular sport loop Series 9 with four free months of Apple Fitness+ for $389 (originally $529) after a $140 discount. This is the lowest price I have seen for the Series 9, after looking at price comparison tools.
$389.00
at Best Buy
Like most tech products, the Apple Watches have a basic model (the SE), a mid-tier model (the Series 9), and a high-end version (the Ultra 2). But the Series 9 has arguably the best bang for your buck, with many premium features and designs, while being closer to the price of the SE than the Ultra 2.
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 were making headlines in January because of the ban on its blood-oxygen feature, which you might not need anyway. If you purchase a Series 9 from Best Buy, you’re likely to get them with the blood-oxygen feature—so far, only the Apple store has stopped selling those models (the Best Buy product page still lists the feature as available). There is no indication that Apple will get rid of the feature via software updates for those who already have it or manage to get them from third-party stores before that stock runs out.
Since this is the GPS + Cellular version, you won’t need to have your iPhone near your Apple Watch to take calls or send messages; you’ll be able to leave your iPhone behind on runs. The aluminum case is cheaper than the stainless-steel model, and the 45mm screen is for those who prefer a bigger screen compared to the 41mm one. You can check out all the watchOS features here and read a full review of the Series 9 over at PCMag.
