Best Buy, Amazon Cut Apple Watch Series 11 by $100 to $299 as Stock Dwindles

Q: With a new Apple Watch likely weeks away, is this massive discount a lucky steal or a clever inventory trap?

For most buyers, it is more of a smart clearance buy than a trap — but only if you want an Apple Watch now and are comfortable missing a likely modest refresh in a few weeks. The timing matters. Apple almost always updates the main Apple Watch line in September, and multiple reports say the Series 12 is expected then. But the expected changes look limited: a faster chip, some battery and health-tracking refinements, and no major redesign. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and other buyer guides have broadly described this year’s upgrade as incremental, not transformative. That makes the current discounts meaningful. A new 42mm Series 11 at $299 and 46mm at $329 are about $100 off retail, while Best Buy’s open-box 42mm at $253.99 is the standout value if condition and accessories check out. Those prices are near the best seen this year, though not always the absolute record low. The catch is resale and shelf life. The moment Series 12 arrives, the Series 11 becomes the previous-generation model, which can pressure resale value and trigger even deeper discounts. So buyers who already own a Series 10 or Series 11 should probably wait, since the hardware is already very similar. The best case for buying now is straightforward: you are upgrading from a much older Apple Watch, need the health and safety features immediately, or want a strong price on a still-current model. If that is you, this is a good deal. If not, waiting a few weeks is the safer play.

3 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Aug 20

$100 discounts this week cut the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 to $299 from $399 and the 46mm GPS model to $329 from $429 at Best Buy, with Amazon matching those prices.
Both retailers also have similar markdowns on cellular versions, but available inventory is already thinning, making the sale potentially short-lived.
Those prices rank as solid second-best deals on the Series 11, landing about $20 to $30 above the smartwatch's previous all-time lows.
The promotion extends a broader run of Apple-related discounts, including Best Buy anniversary-week offers highlighted in earlier deal roundups.