Jason Hiner/ZDNET
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
One of Apple’s best smartwatches is also one of its most expensive. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 debuted this year with a longer battery life, emergency SOS via satellite communications, and a large display. It costs $800, and sales on the smartwatch are sporadic. We might find a few deals running this week on the Apple Watch Ultra 3, but they are more likely to be shorter in nature and less substantial.
That’s common, since the smartwatch debuted only a few months ago and it’s an expensive item. Apple wouldn’t greatly discount it so soon. But you know which smartwatch the tech giant would? The Apple Watch Ultra 2. Despite being a year old, the smartwatch has similar functionalities to the Ultra 3, and it’s highly discounted right now. You can get it for $200 off right now on Amazon.
Also: The best Black Friday deals live now
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets many of the Ultra 3’s newest features through a WatchOS 26 software update that brings Sleep Scores, Hypertension Detection, and more upgrades to the older model. The Ultra 2 gets Sleep Scores to evaluate how well you sleep based on duration, interruptions, and bedtime consistency. It also receives the Hypertension Detection feature that, after 30 days of wear, will let users know if they are above or below the threshold for high blood pressure.
Read the review: The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the premium smartwatch I prefer
The Ultra 2 and Ultra 3 have the same brightness (3,000 nits), the same fall and crash detection, a siren, and an Action Button for accessing your favorite features with one touch. The Ultra 2 lacks a longer battery (but still checks in at a whopping 36 hours of normal use), the S10 chipset, LTPO3, and satellite connectivity.
If you aren’t finding yourself lost on an off-grid trip up a mountain, you probably won’t need satellite connectivity anyway. You might miss the 42-hour battery life on the Ultra 3 the most, but if it’s any consolation, both watches last up to 72 hours in low power mode.
Also: Thousands of readers bought this smartwatch this year
The Ultra 2 is a great smartwatch for a few people. First, it’s great for outdoor enthusiasts and regular exercisers. This watch is amazingly durable and rugged and can handle every condition, with water resistance up to 100 meters, EN13319 certification, and an IP6X dust resistance rating to boot. It’s great for people looking for a wide display that is responsive and easy to type on, as well as a long battery for days of wear. Lastly, it’s great for anyone looking for one of Apple’s most capable smartwatches for handling notifications on the job, on the go, or out and about in the great unknown.
How I rated this deal
At $200 off, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 deal is a 5/5 deal in my book. It’s 25% off, well over our 20% threshold. It’s also a rare deal we find on a highly rated device from a well-respected brand.
We don’t know exactly when this deal will end, but given that it’s live around the Black Friday deals event, we expect that it will be available until Cyber Monday (if it doesn’t sell out ahead of time).
Deals are subject to sell out or expire anytime, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We’re sorry if you’ve missed out on this deal, but don’t fret — we’re constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.
Show more
We aim to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. ZDNET offers 33 years of experience, 30 hands-on product reviewers, and 10,000 square feet of lab space to ensure we bring you the best of tech.
In 2025, we refined our approach to deals, developing a measurable system for sharing savings with readers like you. Our editor’s deal rating badges are affixed to most of our deal content, making it easy to interpret our expertise to help you make the best purchase decision.
At the core of this approach is a percentage-off-based system to classify savings offered on top-tech products, combined with a sliding-scale system based on our team members’ expertise and several factors like frequency, brand or product recognition, and more. The result? Hand-crafted deals chosen specifically for ZDNET readers like you, fully backed by our experts.
Also: How we rate deals at ZDNET in 2025
Show more
