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The Apple Watch Series 5, the newest edition of Apple's smartwatch, was announced last week at Apple's annual keynote. The Series 5 will be available beginning on September 20.
The Series 5 starts at $399 with GPS only, and at $499 for GPS and cellular. However, the price can easily climb much higher if you're interested in using the new Apple Watch Studio to customize your band and case. A stainless steel case, for example, immediately bumps you up to at least $699, and titanium costs $799.
Apple will no longer carry the Series 4 watch, but it will continue to sell the Series 3, which retails for $199 with GPS only, or $299 for GPS and cellular. The Apple Watch Series 5 does have some enticing upgrades, like always-on retina display, but the Series 3 is too good of a deal to pass up - you get most of the same features for half the price.
The Apple Watch Series 3 has a more reasonable size.
You've already read about iPhones being too big for some women's hands, but that flaw doesn't stop at phones. A bigger watch can be a fashion statement, but people with smaller wrists and hands don't necessarily want to go for that giant watch look every day.
The Series 3's 38 mm and 42 mm sizes are appealing to anyone looking for a small, sleek watch, compared to 40 mm and 44 mm on the Series 5.
For a much lower price, the Series 3 gives you most of the same health features.
Although the Apple Watch Series 5 introduced fall detection and an updated heart sensor, the Series 3 can still meet most of your health needs.
With the Apple Watch Series 3, you can track your activity each day, see how many calories you've burned, and use smart coaching for an extra push in workouts.
You can track your stats on different types of workouts, too: yoga, cycling, running, interval training, and more.
The Series 3 can also warn you about unusually high or low heart rates, and screen for an irregular heart rhythm indicative of other health problems. When one of these issues is detected, you can call for help through Emergency SOS on the watch.
With the Series 3, you get basically all the must-haves: Apple Pay, 18-hour battery life, and water resistance.
None of these features are radically different in the new Apple Watch. The most important upgrade that you won't get is the always-on retina display, but depending on how you use your watch, it may not be a deal-breaker. Flicking your wrist every time you want to consult your watch is a slight inconvenience, but it comes as naturally as waking your phone.
The Apple Watch Series 3's price makes it a clear winner over the Series 5
No doubt about it, the Apple Watch Series 5 looks good, and has some handy updates. But is that worth spending at least an extra $200?
The Series 3 gives you all-day battery life, health-tracking, and more, plus you'll still be able to download watchOS 6 for the latest software updates. WatchOS 6 will be available on September 19.
If you're looking for a smartwatch that gets the job done without costing $500 or more, the Series 3 is a good call.
