Announced at the Apple event today, the tech giant will be releasing a new model of the Apple Watch that’s targeted at consumers looking for a boost over the Series 3, but not as expensive as the new Series 6.

Priced at $279 retail, we predict sales in the $250 range over the next 12 months on the Apple Watch SE. However, if you are interested in picking up one at launch, both the Apple Watch SE and the Series 6 will be available for preorder today and in Apple Stores on September 18.

Regarding features, the Apple Watch SE uses the S5 system in chip, 2 times faster than Series 3. It includes the accelerometer, heart rate meter, compass, gyroscope, motion sensors, and fall detection. There’s also a cellular model, if you want that upgrade.

Beyond the Apple Watch SE, Apple also announced the new Series 6 smartwatch starting at $399. Apple has improved the display, making it 2.5 times brighter in the daylight. It can also show elevation in real time and has a blood oxygen monitor. Apple is debuting a new band for the watch called the Solo Loop, a stretchable silicone band without a clasp.

Both of the new Apple Watches now come with 3 months of Apple Fitness+, a fitness subscription service that costs $10-a-month or $80-per-year. On the topic of subscriptions, Apple is launching the Apple One subscription service.

For $15-per-month, individual users can get access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and iCloud. Family accounts cost $20-per-month for the same services (account sharing up to 5 people). There’s also a Premier tier at $30 per month that includes access to Apple Fitness+ and Apple News+. Apple is also announcing a 30-day free trial of Apple One later in the year, ideal if you want to test before you buy.

Outside of smartwatches, Apple announced an update to the base level iPad as well as a new version of the iPad Air. The new base level iPad has the A12 Bionic chip for a 40% jump in performance & a 2x jump in graphics power. It will be compatible with the Apple pencil and keyboards. It will utilize iOS 14 and will be priced at $329 ($299 for education customers). It’s also available for preorder today and in stores on September 18.

The redesigned, $599 iPad Air features a 10.9-inch liquid retina display offering 3.8 million pixels of resolution. Other features include a new, small Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the power button, the new A14, 5-nanometer chip with 11.8 billion transistors (40% increase in speed, 30% increase in graphics over the last iPad Air), and support for Wi-Fi 6 as well as USB-C. Apple didn’t announce a date for the release beyond an October 2020 release window, more details here.

At the end of the event, Apple announced that iOS 14 will be available for download for free tomorrow to all iPhone and iPad owners. In addition, watchOS 7 will be released for Apple Watch owners.

Apple announces $279 Apple Watch SE, $15 Apple One subscription, & $599 iPad Air

Shopping for a new Apple Watch, iPad or iPhone this year?  We’ve looked through all the Black Friday ads and broken down where you can get the the cheapest Apple Watch, the cheapest Apple iPad and the cheapest Apple iPhone (as well as backup options).

Best Deal on an Apple Watch: $129

Trimming about $40 off Ben’s best price point, Walmart is running a doorbuster sale on the base model Series 3 w/ GPS. The 38mm is being reduced from $199 to $129 and the 42mm is being reduced from $229 to $159. This deal like likely to sell out quickly, both in-store and online. Amazon could also price match early.

As a backup option, Target is running a $170 sale on the Series 3 (but that’s roughly the same online sale price at the moment). Alternatively, if you want a Series 4 model, check out Best Buy’s sale which knocks $50 off the base model. The discount scales up to $300 off with more expensive models like the Nike+ models or the models in the gold stainless steel design.

• Walmart: Apple Watch Series 3
• Target: Apple Watch Series 3
• Best Buy: Apple Watch Series 4

Best Deal on an Apple iPad: $249

All retailers are chopping $80 off the retail price of the 7th generation, base model iPad for Black Friday this year. The 32GB iPad will drop from $329 to $249 at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon and any other retailer that carries it.

If you are looking for a deal on the iPad Pro, Best Buy is already offering their Black Friday pricing to My Best Buy members (free to join). You can get $150 off the 64GB base model or $200 off the models with more storage space. It’s likely Amazon will price match on black Friday week.

• Walmart: Apple iPad (2019) 32GB
• Target: Apple iPad (2019) 32GB
• Best Buy: Apple iPad (2019) 32GB
• Amazon: Apple iPad (2019) 32GB

Best Deal on an Apple iPhone: Up $700 in Gift Cards

It appears that Walmart is clearing out their inventory of iPhone Xs models, based on the rewards offered with activation on Black Friday. You can receive a $450 digital gift card for Walmart.com for purchasing / activating an iPhone Xs as well as a 2nd gift card up to $250, if you trade in your old phone.

If you are looking for a deal on the iPhone 11 or 11 Pro, head to Best Buy. The retailer is offering up to $500 discount on the price of the phone (not a gift card deal), if you purchase / activate as well as trade in an older phone. Similar to Walmart, Target is also offering a gift card with an iPhone Xs, but it’s only $200.

• Walmart: Apple iPhone Xs
• Best Buy: Apple iPhone 11 Pro

Here’s the cheapest Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone on Black Friday 2019

As Apple rolled out a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro at $599 and a 4-inch iPhone SE at $399 today, the company also announced price drops on other previous generation hardware.

Now positioned at the same price as the 16GB iPad Mini 4, the iPad Air 2 16GB model is priced at $399. In addition, the 64GB model dropped in price as well down to $499.

The prices on the iPad Air 2 dropped due to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro pushing into the tablet mix. Basically identical to the iPad Air 2 in size and weight, the core differences of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro include storage options up to 256GB, the A9X third-generation chip, 12-megapixel rear / 5-megapixel front cameras and four speaker audio. You can check out a complete comparison of the tablets here: LINK

Regarding the potential for additional discounts on the iPad Air 2, look for discounts between $50 and $100 for the next six months, potentially bringing the price down to $299 for the 16GB model. Refurbished deals will be even better.

By the time Black Friday hits, look for gift card offers that will potentially exceed $100 when purchasing an iPad Air 2. Store like Target and Best Buy will require you to purchase the tablet at full price, but offer gift cards $100+ with the purchase.

The other price drop announced today was a $299 price point for the Apple Watch. Prior to this point, it was priced at $349. We predict this will open up the potential for the original Apple Watch to hit a $199 price point by the holiday season, when on sale or combined with a gift card offer. Both Best Buy and Target have already knocked $100 off the $349 MSRP earlier this year, thus sales will be likely continue to be aggressive.

Be sure to check Ben’s Apple deal feed for the most recent sales on Apple tablets, smartphones and smartwatches.

Price Drop Alert: iPad Air 2 falls to $399, Apple Watch to $299

If there was ever a product to make wearing a computer on your wrist posh, Apple’s smartwatch is most certainly it. They made tablets happen, they made smartphones happen and now they’re trying to make smartwatches happen.

Not to suggest that a company as massive and successful as Apple is immune to failure or misstep, but there’s clearly enough momentum behind the Apple Watch, from the word of internet writers to the overblown reveal events we’ve been subjected to in the run-up, to make this an event. I guess we’re obliged to treat it like one. Here’s what the internet thinks of the Apple Watch in the weeks running up to its April 24 release date. You could also see what Apple thinks of the Apple Watch at the product’s official page. Let me know if you find any dissenting opinion.

(Remember, you don’t have to want an Apple Watch, despite what the internet wants you to believe. You can just want one of these cheaper options instead!)

Apple Watch Reviews

If there’s just one consensus to pull from all the Apple Watch reviews on the web, it’s that the thing does all the smart watch things really well, but it doesn’t prove the necessity of smart watches on the whole. That’s to be expected. Like just about every meaningful smartwatch released thus far, the Apple Watch is still tethered to an iPhone (an iPhone 5 or later, specifically) for the majority of its functions. It’s the most expensive iPhone accessory you can buy, and you should get it if you want people to look at your wrist instead of your face when they talk to you. Assuming there’s an audience for that, let’s look at what people are saying.

The Verge

Nilay Patel’s extravagant, bloated review is one of the most audacious things to come out of the internet since its inception (there are even credits at the end). There’s no getting around it. Not only does the prose suggest the subject matter as something holier than a bloodstained, mind-reading tiara that’s compatible with any device created around year zero, but the visual design of the article is so distracting it begs the viewer to ignore the words altogether and simply assume greatness without utilizing the English language.

A screenshot from The Verge’s Apple Watch Reviews

This is how Apple dominates the minds of our internet writers, every day, by suggesting importance without having to really prove it. Turns out, Patel gave the Apple Watch a seven out of ten, lauding its ambition and varied utility while also calling it pointless and a little bit slow. His most telling quote is in regard to the apps currently available.

“This first set of Watch apps is really just loading additional screens from the apps on your phone; you might think of all of them as remote controls for your phone apps. True native apps are coming to the Watch later on, and I assume they’ll be faster. That’s a big deal: without a rich set of apps that extend the phone, it really is just another smartwatch.

But right now, it’s disappointing to see the Watch struggle with performance. What good is a watch that makes you wait? Rendering notifications can slow everything down to a crawl. Buttons can take a couple taps to register. It feels like the Apple Watch has been deliberately pulled back in order to guarantee a full day of battery life. Improving performance is Apple’s biggest challenge with the Watch, and it’s clear that the company knows it.”

Well, it’s a good thing the company knows it, I guess. Early buyers will be in a sit-and-wait mode for a while, and then the next generation Apple Watch will release. Patel’s review might be a little unconsciously glamorizing, but it does a great job of running through his day with the device anyway.

CNet

Speaking of battery life, the Apple Watch only lasts a day on a full charge, which Scott Stein didn’t find appealing, though most reviewers didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it.

“I had to charge every night. Some people might find a daily watch recharge perfectly acceptable, since we already charge our phones every day. I don’t: having one more gadget to plug in gets annoying fast, and I’ve worn watches that have made it to two more days. It’s a nice feeling.”

Stein also explains well how the device’s tactile notifications feel as the day goes on.

“As I wore the watch on the first day, I felt a rippling buzz and a metallic ping: one of my credit card payments showed up as a message. Apple’s “Taptic Engine” and a built-in speaker convey both a range of advanced taps and vibrations, plus sounds. Unlike the buzz in a phone or most wearables, these haptics feel sharper: a single tap, or a ripple of them, or thumps.

Sometimes the feelings are too subtle: I don’t know if I felt them or imagined them. My wrists might be numbed from too many smart devices. I set my alerts to “prominent” and got sharper nudges on my wrist.

Notifications do feel distinct from each other thanks to those haptics, but associating the feelings and sounds with what they are takes getting used to. The range of feelings the Apple Watch can pull off is greater than other smartwatches, and the accompanying sounds also help give the nudges extra dimension (you can silence those sounds, too, but I kept them on).”

You can use these little buzzes to transport your heartbeat to another Apple Watch user, just in case that person didn’t get how deep your secret love-insanity goes.

(Head over here for 19 more hilarious Apple Watch memes we found on the internet)

Re/code

The sub-heads from Lauren Goode’s review, which they titled “A Week on the Wrist,” illustrate the intersection of expectations and realities about the device:

“Apple Watch is as easy to navigate as an iPhone”

“Siri, why are you sending me to iPhone again?”

“Will Apple Watch change your life?” (the answer was a soft no)

Oh, and there’s this little detail that every reviewer can’t go without mentioning.

“Your friends are gonna love hate these emojis”

For the true horror, head over to The Verge’s review for an in-motion shot of a crying animated emoji.

Though each review goes through a heavy dose of the device’s native applications, Re/code’s systematic rundown of what’s available is a little more direct.

You can also head over to Kotaku for a very brief look at the only Apple Watch game on the horizon that doesn’t look like it belongs in a 1970’s newspaper. Of all things, the developer is trying to distill the immense complexities of an RPG into playable form on the tiny touch screen. Here’s a trailer for Runeblade:

Most important among all the reviews, however, is this review of reviews from Yahoo Finance.

Wow, our latest poll suggests people are more interested in reading about the #AppleWatch than owning one. pic.twitter.com/XIIsOGbzeV

— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) April 9, 2015

Yes, Yahoo Finance, you speak the truth. The Apple Watch releases on April 24. But the fun part, the Apple Watch reviews, is already upon us.

Apple Watch vs. The Internet: The First Apple Watch Reviews

Apple has decided to make smart watches important to the population. You might scoff at that statement, but it’s the truth. Where Samsung and Pebble couldn’t light a fire, the iPhone maker dropped a bomb loud enough for the merpeople of Atlantis to hear. The Apple Watch is coming out on April 24, before which would seem the ideal time to talk about the direct competition. We’re not going to do that. We’re going to talk about watches that are only sort-of smart, for all the people that prefer function over fancy.

Technically they’re all smart watches, but then that would mean, technically, we’re all smart people, so let’s skip the semantics and just go with the flow.

Fitbit

You’ll notice that every smart watch marketing website expresses at least a small bit of fitness features for the featured device. Tracking any number of health-related metrics throughout the day has captured the interest of many people, thanks in large part to the success of the Fitbit line of bands and watches.

Fitbit on Ben’s

What the Fitbit lacks in widespread functionality it makes up for in an appreciable quality of slightness when you’re wearing it. It’s meant to fade onto your arm, granted you’ve purchased a model without a face. You could get a watch-looking model, but then you wouldn’t be hip. You’d be hipster.

Fitbit’s website shows off the ever-expanding roster of bands and faces. It’s a whole world of happy health times over there.

Microsoft Band

As always, it seems like Microsoft is one step behind and, maybe, about half a step ahead in some way or another. What the Windows company has going for it these days is its unique tiles layout, present across many of its computing platforms. The Microsoft Band distills this down to as small a form-factor as ever, yet it’s still eye-catching in its own right.

Microsoft Band on Amazon

If you happen to own a Windows Phone, this is just about the only meaningful smart-ish watch you can buy. Everything else does the whole “compatible with Android and Apple devices!” schtick like it’s a virtue. Meanwhile, Windows Phone users are left to whisper sweet nothings to themselves, in a vaccum of empty space.

Vector

This is the closest you’ll get to a vintage James Bond kind of thing. Instead of touch, you’ve got three physical buttons that navigate the screen. The form factor is classic and stylish. It’s water proof and, praise the universe, the battery is built to last for an entire month. Bond never had to recharge his gadgets. Why should you?

Not to deliberately contradict myself within three paragraphs, but the Vector is compatible with Android, Apple and Windows Phones. Head the official website for updates on when the thing is actually available. Pre-orders are live now. You’ll notice a number of compromises the designers had to make in order to achieve that 30-day battery life, including a monochrome display. As a smart-ish watch, though, it’s pretty high-end.

Jawbone

The Fitbit’s primary competitor is the Jawbone, a product that clearly didn’t go through the same rigoruous naming process in a dimly-lit room of evil marketing geniuses. Well, maybe it did. I am writing about it (sort-of). Here’s a picture.

Jawbone on Amazon

The Jawbone does all the things the Fitbit does, but it does these things while not looking like a Fitbit, which means something to people who already had a Fitbit. If you want to be ahead of the curve, get a Jawbone first. People might just give you awards.

 Misfit Flash

Here’s the expected affordable element to the random list of products. Another fitness tracker, the Misfit Flash does a lot to convince people that its actually just a watch, all the while slyly doing all those important fitness tracking things. The cheapness comes in the plastic materials used to house the gadgetry within, and yet it’s still waterproof and quite versatile.

Misfit Flash on Amazon

Perhaps most innovative about the Flash is its underwater tracking mode, adjusting its metric tracking for swimming activites rather than the typical, boring above-ground stuff. If the Misfit Flash teaches us anything, it’s that merpeople need to work out too.

Happy Dumb Watches

If you’re exhausted with all this talk about glorified counting machines, let’s take a walk on the side of the tracks where watches don’t aspire to be anything but unglorified counting machines.

The Abyss

I’ll be honest; I stumbled across this watch perusing through Amazon and, having no idea what it might be, read the description and saw the word Tralfamadorian. In the likely event you have no idea what that means, go read a book by Kurt Vonnegut. Whether or not your outlook on humanity is changed forever, at least you’ll better understand those three strange classmates who couldn’t stop talking about the writer.

Jawbone on Amazon

As for the watch, it’s a silly little device that displays time with dots. It doesn’t matter. The marketer got me with his or her words.

Flux Capacitor Watch

You can go on Google and find a watch to represent just about any pop-culture thing you want. After doing that for a few hours, I decided this Back to the Future watch was the one I liked the most. Time-travel is a complicated idea, so why shouldn’t time-telling strive for that same level of ridiculousness?

On ThinkGeek

Can you tell the time on that watch? I can’t, and that’s what makes it special. When you press a button, the lights start to flash, requiring that you count the ticks and then deduce the time. If you haven’t ended up in a fatal car accident by the end, you’ll certainly have traveled through time.

The Nixie Watch

To suggest that the machinations of any kind of watch, digital, analog or super-intelligent, make any sort of sense to me would be a falsification of mild proportion. When I say the Nixie Watch makes me wonder about the very core elements of life, I mean that in direct comparison to watches that comunicate with satelites and display images in thousands of pixels.

Even if the science is simple, I’d rather not know. The world is a beautiful mystery.

The Apple Watch Means Nothing: These Smart-ish Watches are the Future

Need a snappy comeback to the endless barrage of Apple Watch status updates in your Facebook feed’s future? We are here to help. We’ve gathered up 20 of our favorite Apple Watch memes that poke fun at the $350 gizmo that will supposedly replace your smartphone. Enjoy!

(Click on any image for a larger resolution version.)

Embrace the iMockery: 20 Hilarious Apple Watch Memes