The latest generation Apple Watch Series 8 is on sale today for just $279

The Apple Watch Series 9 is officially here, bringing with it some minor improvements under the hood, watchOS 10, and a new millennial pink color (!). The new smart watch is technically the best Apple has ever made, even if the updates are all quite iterative. Fortunately, if you’re considering getting an Apple Watch for the first time or upgrading from an earlier model, the Latest generation 8 series is on sale at Best Buy in select styles starting at $279 ($120) or on Amazon for $20 more.

So what exactly do you lose by opting for the 8 series over the 9 series? Well, for starters, the Series 9 packs a new S9 SiP chip, which allows for faster performance, built-in Siri processing, and Apple’s handy double-tap feature. It also has a second-generation ultra-wideband chip for more precise tracking, which could be a boon if you’re someone who constantly misplaces their phone.

Other than that, the two models are almost identical. The Series 8 still offers fast performance, the same fitness tracking capabilities, and supports newer features like Crash Detection and watchOS 10. Not bad for a watch that currently costs over $100 less.

Apparently, iteration is the name of the game this year for Apple. The company also announced a newer version of the Second generation AirPods Pro at its iPhone 15 event earlier this month, this one came with dust resistance and a charging case that (finally) supports USB-C instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector . And now, less than a day after becoming available, they’re on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $199.99 ($50 off) – the typical sale price of the previous model.

Unsurprisingly, the second-generation AirPods Pro remain the best pair of headphones you can get if you’re an iPhone user. They offer a host of software tricks if you’re locked into the Apple ecosystem, including spatial audio, automatic device switching, and robust Find My support, as well as noise cancellation and audio first class. Additionally, the latest model supports adaptive audio, conversation awareness, and other notable improvements resulting from iOS 17, some of which are bigger than the move to USB-C (sorry, not sorry) .