Early Black Friday smartwatch deals 2024: Apple, Samsung, Garmin

This story is part of the Digital Trends Black Friday coverage 2024

Update 11/18/24: Black Friday is less than ten days away, and we’ve found a couple more great deals that are worth checking out. We’ve also gone ahead and updated the pricing below so you’re dealing with the the latest info, although you should check back as we update this article regularly!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best periods to snag yourself a new smartwatch, especially if you’ve been waiting a while before upgrading. While the actual sales day might be a little while off, there are already a lot of great early Black Friday deals that you can take advantage of, including on some of the best smartwatches on the market. We’ve collected some of our favorite early deals for you below, although it’s also worth keeping an eye on our larger smartwatch deals roundup as well. There is also our more specific early Black Friday Apple Smartwatch deals roundup if you’re looking for those specifically.

Garmin Forerunner 55 — $150 $200 25% off

While most smartwatches focus on the smartwatch part, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is made for runners who want to keep track of their overall fitness and their runs. It comes with GPS tracking in the three major systems, has a whole suite of sensors such as heart rate and Vo2 Max, and comes with a very solid $50 discount off the $200 price tag.

Apple Watch SE 2 — $189 $249 24% off

One of the best budget options in the Apple ecosystem is the Apple Watch SE 2, and when we had our hands on it, we felt that “the Apple Watch SE 2 is probably all the Apple Watch you need.” Luckily, it also has a pretty solid 24% discount on it that knocks it down to $189, making it a lot more accessible.

Garmin Vivoactive 5 — $200 $300 33% off

If you like what Apple has to offer but don’t want to switch to the Apple ecosystem, then this Garmin Vivoactive 5 with a $100 discount is worth considering. When we got our hands on it, we thought it was quite versatile and that “The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is a winner. It has excellent health tracking, long battery life, and more.”

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic — $300 $430 30% off

The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic is easily one of the best Android phones on the market. In fact, when our senior mobile writer Andy Boxall got his hands on it, he felt that “the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic has superb styling, all-day comfort, comprehensive health tracking, and more. It’s the smartwatch to buy for your Android phone.” Even better, this deal lets you snag it for a substantial 30% discount.

Samsung Galaxy Watch7 — $249 $300 17% off

With a $50 discount, you can get the latest Samsung Galaxy Watch7 in a 44mm size. If you’re new to Android smartwatches, then you’ll be happy to know that we found that “the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is faster, smoother, brighter, and more intelligent than ever before.”

Apple Watch Series 9 — $316 $399 21% off

For those who are in the Apple ecosystem, the Apple Watch Series 9 is probably one of the best and most affordable options, even more so with this impressive $83 discount. The conclusion our senior mobile writer came to when reviewing it was “The Apple Watch Series 9’s 24/7 comfort, extensive features, fast performance, and seamless integration with the iPhone make it a must-buy.”

Garmin Venu 3S GPS — $350 $450 22% off

If you’re just as interested in tracking your fitness as having a smartwatch, the Garmin Venu 3S GPS does a great job of balancing both, and since it comes from Garmin, you know that fitness tracking is top notch. Between the GPS coverage, Sleep Coach and Body Battery, you’ll have all the stats you need to refine your fitness journey, plus the $100 discount isn’t too bad either!

Apple Watch Ultra 2 GPS + Cellular — $680 $799 15% off

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem and truly want the best experience money can buy, then you’ll want this Apple Watch Ultra 2 GPS deal that knocks $119 off the price tag. Our senior mobile reviewer feels that it has “an outstanding design, great software, and some very welcome upgrades, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is tough to beat.”

How to Choose a Smartwatch Deal on Black Friday

There are a lot of options out there for smartwatches, but for the most part, there are generally three big players on the market: Apple, Samsung, and Garmin. Apple Watches are made specifically for the Apple ecosystem, and if you’re in it, then you’ll want to go with one of those, with your main options being the Watch Series 9 for a good budget-friendly option, the Ultra Watch 2 for the best, and the Series 10 for something in the middle. We actually have a great breakdown of the Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2, so be sure to check that out before taking the plunge.

On the other hand, Samsung is the go-to smartwatch maker for Android, and it generally has two options every generation: a standard model and a pro or classic model with a bezel that you can turn to control the watch. Samsung does have a high-end option in the form of the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but it borrows, almost to a comical extent, from the Apple Watch Ultra.

Finally, Garmin is the brand you go for if you want something more about fitness tracking than a smartwatch. It has a wide range of products, but the Forerunner lineup is great for runners, while the Venu is a great option for those who want a good balance between smartwatch and fitness tracker.

How We Chose These Smartwatch Black Friday Deals

With many decades of combined experience as reviewers and deal hunters, we have a very good sense of what watches offer the best offers and prices. Of course, we don’t just rely on our own instincts, but we also put in a lot of legwork to make sure you’re getting the best deals you can for any single smartwatch we put up here. We also have our own set of tools that we can fall back on to look at things such as historical pricing. When you put all that together, you get suggestions that offer you the best bang for your buck so that you can buy with confidence.