The Apple Watch Series 3 is finally coming to an end with the release of watchOS 9. (Image source: Apple)
Apple has started selling out of the Watch Series 3 ahead of its inevitable discontinuation after tomorrow’s Far Out launch event. The Watch SE has dropped significantly in price on Amazon US too, a hint that it could soon replace the Series 3 as Apple’s cheapest smartwatch.
Although Apple has not confirmed what products it plans to unveil at tomorrow’s ‘Far Out’ event, the timing of two product changes has hinted as much. For some reason, Apple has kept selling the Watch Series 3 for years, with the company keeping it on as a cheaper option even to the Watch SE. However, Apple has finally started discontinuing the Watch Series 3, at least in Australia, the UK and the US.
Presumably, Apple has finally consigned the Watch Series 3 to history because of its incompatibility with watchOS 9, an OS update that the company should discuss in detail at its Far Out event. For reference, watchOS 9 will be compatible with the Watch Series 4 and later, including the upcoming Watch Series 8 and the Watch Pro.
Seemingly, the Watch SE will replace the Watch Series 3 as Apple’s cheapest smartwatch. Amazon may have revealed the Watch SE’s upcoming price drop too, with the retailer reducing the LTE models by approximately US$100. For example, the 40 mm variant now costs U$229, with Apple still charging US$329 on its website. It remains to be seen whether Apple will continue to offer all models, although we would expect the 40 mm GPS version will drop below US$200.
Alex Alderson – Senior Tech Writer – 6489 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018
Prior to writing and translating for Notebookcheck, I worked for various companies including Apple and Neowin. I have a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds, which I have since converted to a Law Degree. Happy to chat on Twitter or Notebookchat.
