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In September, Apple unveiled a new base model Series 11, the affordable SE 3, and a luxurious and robust Ultra 3. While the Series 11 and Ultra 3 received standout features including hypertension detection, emergency SOS via satellite, increased battery life, and sleep scores, the older smartwatch also got a facelift following the introduction of the new product.
Thanks to watchOS 26, Apple Watches Series 9 and later and Ultra 2 and later get the same software as the latest lineup.
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So what does that mean for you? That means if you’re eyeing a new Apple smartwatch this Black Friday, you won’t actually have to buy the latest smartwatch at the highest price. In fact, the Apple Watch Series 10, the year-old base model smartwatch, is an equally, if not better, buy than the SE3 (or perhaps the Series 11). As early holiday deals start arriving, Amazon and other retailers may cut the price of the Series 10 even further (it is) On sale now for $250$250 less than its original price), making this smartwatch an even better case for buying than its newer siblings.
Let’s find out why.
The Series 11 and Series 10 are built with the same exact form factor. Apple told me that in creating the new Series 11, it used the same build as the Series 10. It’s absolutely slim and light, and the case is exactly that.
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The Series 11 also has the same S10 chip as the Series 10, so you don’t get any more advanced chip hardware when you pick up the new device. The only real difference in hardware is battery life – the Series 11 gets six hours more than the Series 10, thanks to a battery reconfiguration performed on the device by the Apple Watch team.
In my eyes, the only real difference is the difference in battery life between the Series 10 and Series 11. Of course, this is a great upgrade that Apple has decided to make with its devices, and people will definitely buy the Series 11 over the 10 because of it. In fact, I love my Series 11 because of how long its battery lasts (I wear it to sleep and all day). But if you’re not someone who plans to wear your smartwatch around the clock or if you’re always on device charging, you may not need 24-hour battery life. So, you should buy the Series 10. 100%.
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Here are some of the new features the Series 10 gets, thanks to its software update (which the Series 11 already has). Apple’s new FDA-cleared hypertension detection (which the new Apple Watch SE 3 doesn’t have), sleep scores, wrist flick gestures to reject messages or calls, and Workout Buddy on the fitness app.
When the three new watches came out, I wrote that I was impressed by the SE3 because of its affordability. On sale now for $200, the SE 3 gets the S10 chip, sleep scores, and 18 hours of battery life. I’d also add that this spec lineup largely mirrors the Series 10. The difference between the Series 10, which is currently discounted by $280, and the SE3, which costs $200 more, is that the Series 10 gets a full set of health features, including hypertension detection and blood oxygen monitoring and ECG. SE 3 is not.
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So if you’re buying a smartwatch for its list of health-tracking features, especially if you’re an older person who wants to keep a careful eye on their health stats, I’m going to recommend this series 10 Over the SE 3, and over the Series 10 over the Series 11 (only if you want more battery life).
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How I evaluated this deal
The Apple Watch Series 10 is 50% off right now. This is becoming a rare deal, so I’m giving it a 5/5 rating. Also, as the stock of this older model is dwindling, it is a good time to purchase this smart wearable device with good savings.
Deals may sell out or expire at any time, however ZDNET is committed to finding, sharing and updating the best product deals to ensure you get the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks the deals we share to make sure they are still live and attainable. We’re sorry if you missed this deal, but don’t worry — we’re constantly looking for new opportunities to save and sharing them with you on ZDNET.com.
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