With the iPhone 12 getting its own special October event in 2020, the main focus a month earlier was the Apple Watch and iPad.
One of the big new products announced was the Watch Series 6, Apple’s new flagship wearable. It offers new health-focused hardware, a faster processor, new colour options and more, although the mid-range Apple Watch SE may tempt the more budget-conscious.
The Series 6 went on sale shortly after launch, and we’ve seen a quite a few useful discounts in the months. We’ll also keep an eye on stock, with the watch likely to remain in demand until a successor is announced.
How much does the Apple Watch Series 6 cost?
At launch, the Apple Watch Series 6 starts at £379 for models with GPS, but it’ll depend largely on the combination of size, connectivity and watch strap that’ll ultimately determine the price you’ll pay:
- Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm): £379 / US$399 / AUD$599
- Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm): £409 / US$429 / AUD$649
The price jumps up an additional £100 if you’re interested in cellular connectivity. It’s worth noting that you’ll likely also have to pay an additional monthly cost for cellular connectivity, although just how much depends on the network provider you sign up to.
- Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, cellular): £479 / US$499 / AUD$749
- Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm, cellular): £509 / US$529 / AUD$799
If that’s a little too pricey, why not consider the mid-range Apple Watch SE or the entry-level Apple Watch Series 3? If you’re not heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, there are plenty of great smartwatch deals available throughout the year.
Best Apple Watch Series 6 deals
As Apple’s latest flagship smartwatch, you won’t find many big discounts on the Watch Series 6 yet. The best price you’ll currently find is at KRCS, although not all designs are are in stock.
Check out the full range on the KRCS website so see if your favourite configuration is available. Out of stock models are expected to be back within 1-2 weeks.
Here are the other retailers currently stocking the watch:
- Amazon – £358 (40mm), £388 (44mm)
- Currys PC World – £358 (40mm), £388 (44mm), 3 months’ Apple Fitness+ free
- John Lewis – £358 (40mm), £388 (44mm), 6 months’ Apple Fitness+ free, trade in Watch Series 3, 4 or 5 for up to £120 off
- Argos
- Very
The cellular model is also available on contract via the following networks:
- Vodafone – from £27 per month with £19 upfront
- O2 – from £20 per month with no upfront costs
- EE – from £24 per month with no upfront cost, 3 months’ Apple Fitness+ free
Check out more great deals below:
1. Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm)
Now: £358 (£21 off)
View Deal
You can now save £21 on the 40mm Apple Watch 6 (GPS) in pink, blue and red.
2. Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm, GPS)
Now: £388 (£21 off)
View Deal
Currys is also offering the same model for £388.
3. Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm) Cellular
From: Currys PC World
Was: £509
Now: £489 (£20 off)
View Deal
Save £20 on the latest Apple Watch over at Currys, which is also bundling up to 5 months of Apple Music, Arcade, and News+. For the Watch 6 alone, you can get the same price from AO.com and Amazon.
4. Apple Watch 6 (40mm, Cellular) with Unlimited Data
From: O2
Was: £19.50 per month
Now: £14.50 per month (£5 off airtime for first 6 months)
View Deal
O2 has slashed airtime costs off its Apple Watch 6 plans for the first six months. The offer ends 12 May.
5. Apple Watch 6 (40mm, Cellular) – Refurbished
From: MusicMagpie
Was: £479
Now: £429.99 (£50 off)
View Deal
This refurbished Watch Series 6 40mm, in Pristine condition, saves you £0 off the original price. MusicMagpie offers a 14-day money-back guarantee and a 12-month warranty. Delivery is free. If you trade in your old devices, books, or DVD/CDs, you can get even more money off this Apple Watch.
6. Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm)
Now: £371.41 (£7.59 off)
View Deal
Get free next day delivery on the Watch 6 40mm with GPS – cheaper than buying directly from Apple.
KRCS has £8.19 off the 44mm Watch 6 with GPS. Check out the full range on the KRCS website.
7. Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, cellular)
Now: £27 per month, £19 upfront
View Deal
You can get the cellular version of the brand new Series 6 Apple Watch from Vodafone for £27 per month, and just £19 upfront payment. This is the smaller 40mm version. The 44mm option is available for £29 per month with no upfront cost. There’s also the Apple Watch SE available for £20 per month.
8. Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, cellular)
Now: £28 a month (or £24 per month with trade-in)
View Deal
If you don’t want to pay the £19 upfront cost of the Vodafone deal, EE is offering the Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm) with cellular connectivity and unlimited data for £28 a month with nothing required upfront. The catch? You’ve got to have an existing EE contract. If you trade in your old Apple Watch, you can knock £4 off the monthly cost.
9. Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, Cellular)
Now: £464.89 (£14 off)
View Deal
Costco is offering £14 off the 40mm GPS + Cellular variant of the latest Apple Watch – the catch is that you’ll need a Costco account to take advantage of the deal. There’s also £9 off the 44mm GPS + Cellular option.
10. Apple Watch Series 6
Now: Included with qualifying health insurance plans (Free if health target reached)
View Deal
If you’re looking for private health insurance, business health insurance or life insurance, you can now get an Apple Watch 6 with your plan from a £37 deposit. If you hit 160+ Vitality activity points a month, there’s nothing more to pay.
Keep in mind, there’s a minimum premium of £45 per month for life insurance on a 36-month term.
In the US, head to Best Buy, Target or Walmart to buy the GPS model of the Apple Watch Series 6. On contract, your best bets are Verizon (from $20.83pm), AT&T (from $16.67pm) or T-Mobile (from $20.84pm).
Should I buy refurbished?
While Apple Watch Series 6 prices set to remain at or near full price for the foreseeable future, the only place you’ll see bigger discounts is on refurbished models. Some might see this as another word for ‘second hand’, but in reality many of these devices have barely been used at all.
Remember, if a product has been used for demonstration purposes or returned as an unwanted gift, retailers must classify them as ‘refurbished’ despite looking and performing just like new. It’s true that there are situations where a fault has been fixed, so it’s worth checking the description for any device you’re considering buying.
There are two key places to go if you’re looking for a refurbished Apple Watch. The first is the Apple Refurbished Store, with devices refurbished to an excellent standard. MusicMagpie is a great alternative though, and typically offers a greater range to choose from.
See more in our guide to refurbished tech.
What’s new with the Apple Watch Series 6?
When it comes to the Apple Watch Series 6, the headline new feature is the addition of a blood oxygen sensor, utilising LEDs and sensors to measure the colour of your blood to provide an accurate O2 level reading. It goes beyond simply measuring though; Apple aims to help manage asthma and heart complications with the feature, and possibly even alert COVID-19 sufferers to low blood oxygen levels.
Alongside the blood oxygen sensor, you’ll find an upgraded S6 chipset for a 20% boost in performance and a range of new customisable watch faces too. There are also new Blue and Product RED colour options available for those bored of the muted colour options available on Apple’s smartwatch range until now.
On the non-Apple front, you’ve also got the premium Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 to consider.
The Galaxy Watch 3 isn’t necessarily cheaper than the Series 6, starting at £399 for the 41mm model, but it’s a viable alternative if you’ve not got your heart set on Apple’s official smartwatch.
It doesn’t offer the notification integration or Siri support of the Apple Watch, but the sleek circular design, great fitness tracking capabilities, standalone apps and rotating bezel should be enough to tempt some dedicated iPhone fans. We gave it 4.5 stars in our review and used it with an iPhone, which says a lot about what the Galaxy Watch 3 has to offer.
Interested in more great offers? Check out our round-up of the best tech deals right now.
