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With the Apple Watch 6 coming, will Apple likely reduce the cost of the 5?

patearrings

patearrings

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 4, 2009
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I am just now looking at buying an apple watch for the first time and haven't really followed their progress or pricing over the years.

With Apple watch 6 coming hopefully next month, will Apple likely reduce the cost of the 5? Has this been their strategy before, and will they still continue to sell the 3?

Not sure which one to get but would like to get the most bang for my buck.
 
Yep of course Series 5 will have a price drop. S6 will replace S5 (same price point), and S5 will replace S3 (although it will be more expensive than the current S3 price point) which will be discontinued
 
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Jony Ive and Co. said:
Yep of course Series 5 will have a price drop. S6 will replace S5 (same price point), and S5 will replace S3 (although it will be more expensive than the current S3 price point) which will be discontinued
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That is not certain. Apple will not keep selling S5, if it will impact S6 sales. But even if you cannot buy it directly from Apple anymore, it can be bought from thirdparty at reduced price till stock has been cleared out.
 
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It’s all speculation, but I wonder if Apple will retire the Series 5 and resurrect the Series 4 to become the new low cost option in place of the 3 and keep the always on display as a differentiator for the higher cost models. I think the Series 3 is still an excellent and extremely useful watch, but I’m sure Apple would like to retire 32 bit watchOS and the original display sizes at some point.
 
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Hard to say but if you can wait, it might be worth your while. If there are improvements in the AW6 that are important enough to you, then it might be worth going for it. On the other hand, if last year's sales are any indication, it could be very beneficial to purchase a 5 after the 6 is released. I and many others were able to get SS models at 40% off list price. Regarding the S3, I wouldn't be surprised to see that stick around as the entry point into AW as the low cost option.
 
hardtofin said:
I am just now looking at buying an apple watch for the first time and haven't really followed their progress or pricing over the years.

With Apple watch 6 coming hopefully next month, will Apple likely reduce the cost of the 5? Has this been their strategy before, and will they still continue to sell the 3?

Not sure which one to get but would like to get the most bang for my buck.
Click to expand...

It’s more likely the Series 3 will be replaced by the re-introduction of the Series 4, but with only an upgraded chip. Similarly to what they did with the Series one, which was actually the first GEN watch, but with an upgraded chip. Your most obvious answer is to wait until the September keynote.
 
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Relentless Power said:
It’s more likely the Series 3 will be replaced by the re-introduction of the Series 4, but with only an upgraded chip. Similarly to what they did with the Series one, which was actually the first GEN watch, but with an upgraded chip. Your most obvious answer is to wait until the September keynote.
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I second this response. It makes no sense for them to keep the 5, if the 6 is virtually the same with a few extra bells and whistles.
 
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The series 4 disappeared because it was almost indistinguishable from the 5, except for the better battery life on the 4. If the 6 doesn't provide any significant improvements over the 5 or 4, and regrettably the rumors aren't hopeful, I'm not sure why they'd stop selling the 3 except that it would seem old.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if there was a 'Series 3S' with an upgraded chip in a Series 3 body - I think the smaller screen and less rounded body is a good differentiator from the newer watches. I'd be surprised if Apple sold the Series 6 alongside a cheaper watch that looked the same. Not impossible obviously, but seems unlikely especially if the changes are relatively minor.
 
They don't usually come down much in price, unfortunately. You can usually make an okay deal around Black Friday though. I only got the 4 during Black Friday because I didn't think the jump to the 5 was very big, and it wasn't even a 25% save, despite being a year old and on Black Friday.
 
DontGetTheCheese said:
The series 4 disappeared because it was almost indistinguishable from the 5, except for the better battery life on the 4. If the 6 doesn't provide any significant improvements over the 5 or 4, and regrettably the rumors aren't hopeful, I'm not sure why they'd stop selling the 3 except that it would seem old.
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Wait, wasn't the AW4 the first one with the bigger screen and slightly different size? I'd call that distinguishable.
 
Illini Al said:
His reference was to AW5, not AW3.
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Correct.

To be honest, if Apple released a AW4 at $199 I'd probably buy one and return to the fold. 16GB and AOD were upgrades that didn't do much for me and the battery life was enough better that I felt like I could recharge it while in the shower, something I didn't feel like I could do with the 5.

I like my Fenix but I pay a lot for it.
 
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DontGetTheCheese said:
16GB and AOD
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32GB, the s4 already had 16GB. But I agree with your point, it doesn't seem to store more music (8GB), so not sure what it is good for. Also compas, which is something i wouldn't mind having in my S4. The 40mm s5 actually has a 10pct bigger battery and if you disable AOD I also expect 10pct better battery life.
 
What I’m thinking Apple will do is drop the S5 to S3 prices, biting the bullet and creating a value stay for the near future.

S6 will have the “cool new thing”.
Then next year we’ll see S5 and S7, with the S6 going away. Then S5 and S8 the year after that.

It makes sense on a number of levels.
 
My Apple Watch 3 just died and Apple can't repair it. With the news of the release of the S6 soon I guess I will wait and see if it has any extra functions I need or but at a hopefully reduced price the S5.
 
Got the AW5 for spouse in March for $299 new from Best Buy (stock aluminum grey). I won't spend the money on myself because my stupid Series 1 won't die. Die! Die! Die!
 
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Davidglenn said:
My Apple Watch 3 just died and Apple can't repair it. With the news of the release of the S6 soon I guess I will wait and see if it has any extra functions I need or but at a hopefully reduced price the S5.
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The only repairs Apple can make with a watch is a battery replacement and screen replacement, that’s it. The rest are soldered components that can’t be repaired direct from an off-site factory. The S5 Will be discontinued in all likeliness, so your best option is to find discounted prices through third-party retailers, as Apple won’t sell the watch direct.
 
DontGetTheCheese said:
The series 4 disappeared because it was almost indistinguishable from the 5, except for the better battery life on the 4. If the 6 doesn't provide any significant improvements over the 5 or 4, and regrettably the rumors aren't hopeful, I'm not sure why they'd stop selling the 3 except that it would seem old.
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I agree...Given the economy and based Apple responded in 2008/2009 recession, I think they'll line-up will be:

  • Apple Watch SE: This would be an Apple Watch 3 but with a newer chip (whatever was in the 4). Priced $199
  • Apple Watch 6: Lightly upgraded Apple Watch 5 variant. Priced $349
 
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