Apple Watch: Buy now or wait?

There’s no bad time to buy an Apple Watch, but there are better and worse times. Apple releases new Apple Watch models (called “series”) on a yearly cadence, and the price rarely changes by all that much. So to avoid buying an Apple Watch that is outdated after just a few weeks, you want to time it right.

Here’s what we know about Apple Watch release dates and when you should or should not buy.

Apple Watch: Pricing and specs

Most recent release: September 2022

Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 on September 16, 2022. This was mostly identical to the previous year’s Series 7, with the minor addition of new accelerometers (to detect when you’re in a car crash) and a limited-use temperature sensor.

At the same time, Apple introduced a new version of the Apple Watch SE. It, too, was only slightly updated from the previous model. It features the new accelerometers for crash detection and a brighter display, and shares the same S8 processor with the Series 8, but it otherwise gained no new capabilities. It starts at $249 for 40mm and $279 for 44mm, with cellular options costing $50 extra.

Apple Watch Ultra shipped a week later, on September 23. It’s big, heavy, durable, and made for extreme conditions and activities. It comes in only one model (Titanium, 49mm, with cellular) and costs $799.

Apple Watch: Why you should buy

There are just two reasons to buy an Apple Watch today, and neither are particularly convincing. One is if you urgently need a new watch right now and essentially cannot wait. The other is if you desperately want one specific model and fear that it’s about to be discontinued–which could happen when the Series 9 is debuted, probably at the (confirmed) Apple event on September 12, 2023. But in the latter case, there will be second-hand options for the discontinued models, and at lower prices than are currently offered.

The only Apple Watch that may be worth buying right now is the 2022 version of the Apple Watch SE, which is unlikely to be updated in September 2023, although it could get a price drop.

Apple Watch: Why you should wait

Because we’re almost certainly about to get new models. There’s a very high chance the Series 9 will be unveiled alongside the iPhone 15 at the Apple event on September 12, and a decent one it will be accompanied by the second-gen Apple Watch Ultra. These new watches will be improvements on the current models, while the current models may well get price cuts: two very good reasons to hold your horses for a week or two.

Macworld recommends: WAIT

New Apple Watches have appeared every fall since 2016, and there’s no reason to think this one will be any different. The next generation of Apple Watches is virtually guaranteed to appear at either Apple’s September 2023 event or (failing that) a second event in October. Be patient.

For more advice read our Apple Watch buying guide.