Looking for a smartwatch this holiday season? One thing you don’t have to worry about is a lack of options. Several smartwatches launched this year from heavy hitters Apple, Fitbit, and Samsung, plus there are still plenty of other names in the smartwatch world.
You can expect to pay full price or get a bit of a discount on the most recent models, and pretty much all the options are around the same price (all around the $300 mark, with the exception of the LTE Apple Watch 3). Watch for sales on Cyber Monday and closer to Christmas for these.
Latest Smartwatches
Fitbit’s entry into the world of smartwatches has been met with some skepticism and mixed reviews. It’s still a little buggy, the app store hasn’t opened yet, and it’s not a super smart smartwatch. However, we like it, lots of new owners like it, and Fitbit fans are going to want it. We anticipate good sales for Fitbit this year.
If you’re considering buying the Ionic this holiday season, don’t expect much (or any) discount. The Ionic just started shipping in October, so it’s new enough that it seem unlikely that retailers or Fitbit will do much to reduce the price for holiday shopping. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, however – we’ll keep you updated on any potential sale prices throughout the holiday shopping season.
The Apple Watch 3 is sure to be on many peoples’ holiday lists this year. The latest iteration of the wildly popular smartwatch dropped this fall and has been getting plenty of high marks from users and reviewers. The available LTE option is pretty exciting for a lot of athletes, so it’s likely that the LTE Watch 3 will sell well this year.
Like the Ionic, we’re not expecting to see discounts on the Apple Watch 3 this holiday season. The original Apple Watch is still available and offered at a much lower price (more on that below), so that’s a better option for the budget conscious.
Garmin is known for making solid fitness trackers, and their new smartwatch edition doesn’t disappoint. The Vivoactive 3 is an excellent alternative to Fitbit and Apple, with a stylish look and plenty of fitness features. As a smartwatch it isn’t the smartest available, but it does enough for anyone looking for primarily fitness features with some smartwatch features available.
Some retailers have had a hard time keeping the Vivoactive 3 in stock, so we’re not anticipating any discounts on this device, at least not for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Perhaps later in the year we’ll see a price break, but don’t hesitate to check out some of Garmin’s other devices, which likely will be on sale throughout the season.
Reviews for Samsung’s various smartwatches have been mixed. However, the recently released Gear Sport seems promising, and will undoubtedly take away some sales from Fitbit and Garmin. It’s compatible with Android and iOS phones. One big advantage to the Gear Sport? It works with Spotify – you can download playlists right to your watch. (This is a feature that many are wishing the Ionic and Apple Watch 3 included.)
As another brand new smartwatch, chances of discounts on the Gear Sport will undoubtedly be slim to none, but keep an eye out for flash sales or bundles at various retailers. The Gear Sport is priced the same as the previous models we discussed, so it’s worth keeping in mind for the fitness fanatic in your life.
Watch for Discounts on These Older Models
If you or your loved one does not mind getting an older model, you’ll find several budget-friendly options on smartwatches. Expect big discounts on previous versions and discontinued watches.
Here are a few of the smartwatches we’re looking forward to this holiday season.
Apple Watch Series 1 UPDATE: WATCH FOR THE SERIES 1 TO BE UP TO $70 OFF
Apple yanked the Series 2 almost immediately upon the Series 3 release, but it looks like the Series 1 is here to stay – for now, at least. This is good news for shoppers, as you can get the original Watch at a more budget-friendly price. It lacks some of the cool stuff the Series 3 has, but it still functions well as a smartwatch.
Look for various retailers to put this on sale throughout the holiday season. We’ll keep you updated when we see any of these big sales.
Samsung Gear S2 UPDATE: WATCH FOR THE GEAR FIT 2 UP TO $50 OFF
Samsung’s focus now is the Gear Sport and the flagship S3, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the S2. You can find this older model at huge discounts – up to $100 off in some cases. The S2 may not be the best or smartest smartwatch on the block, but it’s affordable and still does the basics.
You’ll find a selection of colors in the S2; some online retailers have different price points for different color options, so it’s worth checking around to find the deals.
Fitbit Blaze UPDATE: WATCH FOR THE BLAZE TO BE UP TO $50 OFF
While not technically a smartwatch (it’s a smart fitness watch), we’re still including it here because it’s sure to go on sale this holiday season, beginning with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Blaze is a solid fitness watch, and it includes many of the smartwatch features that consumers want. It’s worth checking out and keeping an eye on for potential discounts.
The Blaze makes a great gift for your stylish loved ones, as there are tons of fun replacement bands. It’s a really smart option for gift giving, and is more in budget for many people.
Other Brands
Here are a few other options you can check out. Each of these are among Amazon’s top sellers (see the full list here), and they all should be on sale at some point throughout the upcoming shopping season.
Are you buying a smartwatch as a gift this year? (Are you buying it as a gift to yourself? We hope so!) Let us know what you’re shopping for in the comments!
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