Is the Apple Watch Series 9 worth the upgrade this Black Friday?

If you're wondering whether you should buy the brand-new Apple Watch Series 9 now or this Black Friday, or save money by snapping up the Series 8, we've got answers for you. Of course, it's likely that the Series 8 will see some super-low prices during the year's biggest sales event (in fact, record-low prices are already in action – see below), but the 9 could see some price reductions too. In terms of specs, the 9 does have some improved features over its predecessor, but you'll need to decide if they're worth the extra cash. 

On this page, we'll list the current best prices on the Apple Watch ahead of Black Friday, give some sale predictions and then give some price context on whether you should pay out for the higher specced model.

If you're looking for different Apple tech, here's our Apple Black Friday deals hub. And see our Apple Watch 8 vs 9 post here.

Apple Watch Series 8 GPS + Cellular: $529 $379 at Walmart
Save $150: This is the lowest price we've seen on this model of the Apple Watch Series 8. It's a great deal on a great watch you can use on the move without your phone.

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Apple Watch 8 vs 9: Which should you buy? 

Let's first see what makes the Apple Watch Series 9 a worthy upgrade. Compared with the Apple Watch 8, the 9 has an upgraded S9 U2 ultra-wideband chip. This comes with new features such as the coveted double-tap gesture for one-handed control – though this will not be available until the end of the year. There's also improved screen brightness of up to 2000 nits, plus on-device Siri, and improved Find Devices features.

There are more similarities than differences between the Apple Watch Series 9 and the 8. Both come in the same sizes – 41mm and 45mm – with the same chassis design and colour combinations, the same operating system, and the exact same 18-hour battery life. 

As for cost, both the Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 9 have the same retail price of $399/£419 for the 41mm GPS version and $429/£449 for the 45mm GPS version. However, we've already seen price drops on the Series 8 since its release last year, and it can now be found at retailers for as low as $299/£369. So, with the Series 8, you're getting pretty much the same watch as this year's model, but for a lot less. And that's before we start talking about Black Friday deals. 

Apple Watch Black Friday price verdict

So, if price is your main concern, above having new features such as the double tap gesture (which is yet to arrive!) it looks like bagging a bargain on the Apple Watch 8 this Black Friday is a no-brainer.

Last year, the then-new Apple Watch 8 saw $50 sliced off its price at Amazon for a limited time, whereas the previous Series 7 model enjoyed a larger $160 discount at Best Buy. We expect this will be the case this Black Friday too, with a small price cut on the Apple Watch Series 9 but more generous discounts on older Watch models.

You don't have to wait for Black Friday to get a great price on an Apple Watch, as our clever deals widget below can show you the best current Apple Watch 8 prices in your region from various retailers.