Apple Watch SE is Black Friday cheap at just $149 right now

Apple Watch SE 2020 shown next to Apple Watch SE 2022 — (Image credit: Future)

The Apple Watch is one of the best all-purpose smartwatches you can buy. Although Apple offers multiple models, they're all still a pricey investment for most people. Fortunately, Walmart and Amazon are offering epic Apple Watch deals today.

For a limited time, you can get the Apple Watch SE 2020 (GPS/40mm) on sale for just $149 at Walmart. That ties its Black Friday 2022 price as the lowest ever for any Apple Watch. If you want the current-gen model, you can get the Apple Watch SE 2022 (GPS/40mm) on sale for $219 at Amazon. It's on sale for $239, but an in-cart discount drops it further to $219 at final checkout. That's the lowest price ever for the current-gen model.

Not sure which watch to get? You can start by reading our Apple Watch SE vs Apple Watch SE 2 guide. The previous-gen Apple Watch SE is great if you want a balanced combination of affordability and useful features. It's essentially a hybrid of the Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch Series 4.

However, keep in mind that the Apple Watch SE (2022)'s performance is noticeably better than the original Apple Watch SE's. That's due to the fact that it's been updated from the S5 chipset to the S8 chipset, which is the same chip powering the new Apple Watch Series 8.

That said, both the 2020 and 2022 models lack always-on displays, ECG support, blood oxygen readers, and Apple's new skin temperature sensor. Those features are limited to the pricier Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra.

Nevertheless, both models are great entry points into the world of wearables and the current model holds a spot in our best smartwatch guide. Today's deals make them an even better value as they're both currently at their lowest price ever.

If you can afford to spend a little more, we recommend the current-gen Apple Watch SE. In our Apple Watch SE (2022) review, we praised the wearable for a wide variety of reasons. For starters, we love its up-to-date processor which keeps it ticking along nicely, and it also runs WatchOS 9 which is a big upgrade. Plus, the new low-power mode is great for stretching your battery life when you’re going to be away from a charger for an extended period of time. You can expect to get around 24 hours of life from the low-power mode. That's an impressive increase from the standard 18 hours without it enabled.

Looking for more ways to save? Make sure to read our guides to the best Walmart promo codes and best Amazon promo codes.

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As deals editor-in-chief at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets, appliances, and apparel. With over 10 years of deals-hunting experience, Louis price checks against multiple retailers and searches high and low for the best deals to bring readers. He's also always on the look out for the best coupon codes to use when shopping. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.