
These are the best Apple Watch deals to shop right now, starting from $169
Earlier this week, Apple took to the stage in Cupertino, California at WWDC 25 to reveal its newest software updates for iPhone and its other major products. That includes upgrades to the Apple Watch lineup, which will be receiving a new smart 'Workout Buddy' and a refreshed interface. All three of Apple's latest smartwatches are set to support the new functionality, and they just went on sale at Amazon. Whether you're searching for a discount on the all-around best smartwatch or just want a more affordable way to log your steps, I found the best Apple deals you can shop right now.
Apple Watch Series 10 42mm
The Apple Watch Series 10 remains the smartwatch to buy if you have an iPhone. This smaller version offers all the perks from Apple's renowned fitness tracking experience in a design that won't be an eyesore on your wrist. Today's offer is the best price cut of the year.Read our review
Apple Watch Series 10 46mm
If you value screen size over a more compact wearable, the larger version of Apple Watch Series 10 steps up to a 46mm display, making it easier to read fitness stats and type texts. It's seeing the same $100 discount as its smaller counterpart to match the lowest price to date. Read our review
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) 40mm
The newest Apple Watch SE is the most affordable smartwatch from Apple, and this spring discount just made it even more so. Take $79 off and discover why so many CNN Underscored editors rely on Apple's fitness-tracking guidance to stay in shape and lead healthier lives.Read our review
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) 44mm
Also, $79 off, the larger style of the second-generation Apple Watch SE just went on sale at Amazon. You can choose from several designs that mix and match aluminum case colors with various watch band styles. Today's deals all come within $20 of the lowest price I've tracked. Read our review
Apple Watch Ultra 2
If you need a heavy-duty smartwatch, Apple's Ultra 2 is your best bet. It enhances the usual smartwatch experience with a more rugged case, dual GPS radios and an even larger display. The deals start at $735 and include various combinations of titanium case colors and band designs. Read our review All three of today's Apple Watch discounts are some of the lowest prices I've tracked. Both sizes of the Apple Watch Series 10 have dropped to match the best prices ever, while the second-generation SE wearables match their second-best discounts of the year. Even the higher-end Apple Watch Ultra 2 is getting in on the savings with one of its first price cuts in 2025.
These deals are fantastic ways to try out the newest software features coming later this year in watchOS 26. Even beyond the upcoming personalized motivation tech that Apple will be shipping, its Apple Watches can already act as digital personal trainers with insights on heart rate, steps, sleep and much more. That means if you have a fitness-focused father that could still use a gift, these should deliver before the big day to make for a great last-minute Father's Day gift.
As my colleague reported earlier in the week, Apple's World Wide Developer Conference for 2025 unveiled the company's newest software updates for Apple Watch. The most notable adjustment is Apple's new design, which it calls 'Liquid Glass.' It's inspired by the Vision Pro's translucent software display and brings a glossy coat of paint to the fitness tracking experience that CNN Underscored editors have been recommending for years.
There's also a new Workout Buddy feature that channels Apple Intelligence into a smarter workout companion. It's meant to imitate a fitness trainer right on your wrist, offering the kind of motivation you'd expect from any of Apple's on-demand Fitness+ classes, just personalized to your performance.
The new design and personalized encouragement tech will be launching later in the year once watchOS 26 officially ships in September.
Our senior deals editor, Rikka Altland, spotted the price drop this morning while searching for the best finds of the week. She has worked in service journalism for nearly a decade and is an expert at deal hunting and price-history analysis. Altland also regularly reviews tech for a living, frequently collaborating with CNN Underscored's team of testing experts.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fast Company
10 minutes ago
- Fast Company
For public sector projects, it's about value—not just the product
Across the United States, governments are making record investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and IT systems—yet too often, these efforts fall short of delivering the promised impact. Compared to global peers, our public projects cost more and take longer, as they are often bogged down by bureaucratic red tape and a tendency toward short-term thinking. The question we must ask is: Are we spending wisely, or just spending? A recent study from the Brookings Institution found that 'the U.S. spends three times as much as other upper- and middle-income countries on certain transportation infrastructure.' Similarly, a report from the Commonwealth Fund highlighted that the U.S. spends nearly twice as much per capita on healthcare than the average OEDC nation, yet outcomes often lag. This pattern extends to IT procurement, where public agencies frequently invest in redundant, non-integrated systems that fail to deliver meaningful efficiencies. The problem isn't a lack of funding. It's a lack of strategic allocation. THE PITFALL OF 'PRODUCTS OVER PURPOSE' Government agencies often prioritize buying products over solving problems. IT procurement is a prime example: Chief information officers (CIOs) are often overwhelmed with vendors offering new cybersecurity and management tools. But adding more tools doesn't always make systems better. Instead of asking, 'What can we buy?' decision-makers should ask, 'What problem are we solving?' Successful CIOs create a structured discipline for vendor management. By setting clear roles, ensuring contract alignment, and preparing for potential crises, they shift from chasing quick fixes to building sustainable solutions. This is the mindset governments need to embrace. THE HIDDEN COSTS OF THE 'USE IT OR LOSE IT' MENTALITY A major roadblock in public sector spending is the 'use it or lose it' budgeting mentality. Agencies rush to spend their budgets before the fiscal year ends, often leading to wasteful purchases that don't align with long-term goals. This squanders public funds. The issues we face are not a lack of resources or technology, but a failure to think long-term and prioritize impact over transactions. The prevalence of short-term decision-making in the public sector is rooted in systemic challenges. As mentioned above, the 'use it or lose it' budget framework pressures agencies to exhaust funds within fixed cycles, often prioritizing immediate expenditures over investments in sustainable, long-term outcomes. Reforming budget policies to encourage multi-year planning and flexibility could enable more impactful resource allocation. For vendors and service providers working with the public sector, it's easy to slip into a cycle of mutual dependency that stifles innovation and progress. True disruptors recognize this trap and seize the opportunity to deliver meaningful value by confronting complex public-sector challenges with bold, inventive solutions. The leaders who dominate the next era won't cling to comfort or familiarity; they'll relentlessly focus on measurable outcomes, agility, and the courage to consistently present decision-makers with thoughtfully designed solutions that clearly address unmet needs. SHIFTING THE MINDSET Policymakers and companies working on public sector projects need to redefine success—not as the completion of a contract but as the delivery of real, measurable improvements for the public. As such, public agencies must then move beyond simply 'spending budgets' and instead focus on creating lasting, scalable investments. If we want meaningful change, we must stop treating 'projects' as a short-term transaction and start treating them as a long-term opportunity to shape a more sustainable and forward-thinking governance model. The time for short-term fixes is over. It's time to put value first.


Forbes
12 minutes ago
- Forbes
Spotting Opportunities: An Executive's Guide To AI Agents In Retail
Oleg Lola, founder and CEO at MobiDev, a custom software engineering & consulting company. getty Big-name retail corporations are already employing AI agents to upgrade shopping experiences, automate operations and boost business performance—setting the bar high for competitors. During the last NRF 2025 Retail's Big Show, where my company MobiDev's team presented, it was impossible to ignore how much AI was being talked about. It was obvious that AI is a must-have technology for the industry. For me, AI is a driver of the modern tech world. At MobiDev, we use AI not only as a technology for our clients but also for ourselves. There are many tools that can improve our productivity and performance, so I always encourage my teammates to take a look at those tools and try to use them in their work. At MobiDev, we had been developing AI agents for years before they became popular. I want to share my experience here and explain what retail SaaS executives can expect from AI agents. The term 'agentic AI' encompasses AI systems that can think and act on their own—learning from real-life interactions, making decisions and managing tasks with little to no human input. In retail SaaS solutions, AI agents automate processes, personalize customer experiences and turn raw data into practical findings. For an example of this, look no further than one of the big names in the industry. Walmart has achieved a 68% supplier deal closure rate using AI-powered chatbots, saving an average of 3% in costs. Here is how I've personally seen agentic AI change the rules of the retail game: • Personalized Shopping Assistants: AI-powered chatbots suggest products based on your customers' preferences, making shopping more intuitive and entertaining. According to the Nasdaq, 71% of consumers desire generative AI integration in their shopping experiences. • Better Inventory Management: AI agents in retail SaaS tools analyze demand patterns for forecasting, minimizing potential waste and ensuring customer satisfaction. • Fraud Detection And Security: AI agents can continuously monitor transactions, catching suspicious activity in real time to keep your clients and their customers safe. Before jumping into AI agent development, SaaS companies need to identify where AI can bring the most value to their users. First, it's necessary to understand where AI can make the biggest impact on your clients. Here are a few pain points I've identified: • Customer Experience: Incorporated into your retail SaaS, AI chatbots and shopping assistants with virtual fitting rooms can create seamless interactions between your client's business and their customers. • Sales And Marketing: AI agents can examine customer behavior, forecast trends and even facilitate dynamic pricing to boost conversions. • Inventory And Supply Chain: Automated restocking and warehouse optimization, via POS systems, can allow your clients to have the right products available at any moment. • Fraud Prevention And Risk Management: Real-time transaction monitoring and fraud prevention mechanisms powered by AI can keep your clients' businesses and customers secure. • Operational Efficiency: AI agents in retail SaaS can simplify workforce management and automate repetitive tasks, freeing users for more strategic missions. To turn an AI agent into a valuable tool, it's essential to identify real challenges that your clients experience: 1. Where and when are retail customers getting frustrated? 2. Which repetitive tasks in your SaaS tool eat up too much of users' time? 3. Are valuable data insights sitting unused? A deep internal audit of the users' workflows within your retail SaaS product will help you discover the best opportunities for AI agent intervention. If you are developing a new product, it's necessary to conduct thoughtful market and product research to understand the role of AI agents in your SaaS product. Finally, any AI investment should show clear business benefits, so you need to answer these four questions: 1. Can AI decrease operational costs for your clients? 2. Can AI agents add new functionality to your product? 3. Will AI push revenue growth for you by increasing your customer base and decreasing your churn? 4. How do development expenses compare to expected returns? Adopting AI agents requires detailed planning. Without a solid plan, attempts to implement AI can become overwhelming and result in a huge disappointment. One of the first considerations I like to look at is market fit and overall product success. A well-executed business analysis phase within the AI consulting process can bridge the gap between technical capabilities and real-world applicability, offering long-term business value. Having the right technical expertise is also a major part of making an AI agent work. First, you need to figure out if your team has the skills to work with AI in-house or if you require additional resources. It's not just about understanding what an AI agent can do—it's also about its limits in mind and having AI systems work smoothly in the long run. A clear implementation plan is just as important. It's worth thinking about who should be the first to test AI— users you have randomly picked or those who have volunteered—and what success should look like. Setting clear goals early on will make it easier to track progress and see if the AI agent is delivering results. AI isn't just a buzzword. The key is to adopt it strategically after thoughtful research or AI consulting, ensuring it solves real problems and drives measurable results. In my opinion, people (and companies) who are not using AI now are akin to dinosaurs. If they are not already extinct at this point, they may become so in a couple of years. AI agents are redefining the retail industry, and SaaS companies must embrace them to stay competitive. However, they need to do it with intelligence. By identifying high-impact areas, analyzing the pain points of their clients and carefully assessing ROI, retail SaaS providers can successfully integrate AI into their products. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?

Wall Street Journal
12 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Chinese Firms Skirt Chip Curbs by Flying Hard Drives Abroad
The U.S. has tightened the noose around the sale of high-end AI chips and other technology to China. Yet Chinese companies have made advances using workarounds. In some cases, AI developers carry data to countries where Nvidia chips are available, frustrating Washington's efforts: