Best Buy Cuts Apple Watch Ultra 4 by Up to $325 With Trade-Ins

Q: Are Best Buy's massive trade-in deals hiding the true cost of upgrading to the AI-powered Series 12?

Not necessarily, but the headline savings can make the upgrade look cheaper than it really is. Best Buy’s offer is not a hidden discount on the Series 12 itself; it is mostly a trade-in subsidy. The Series 12 still starts at $399 for the 42mm GPS model, and the “as low as $219” figure assumes you hand over a high-value recent watch such as a Series 11. In practical terms, buyers are paying cash plus surrendering a device that still has real market value. That lowers the out-of-pocket price, but not the total economic cost of upgrading. The same applies to the Ultra 4. Its base price is $799, and Best Buy’s advertised $474 entry point depends on trading in an Ultra 3 worth up to $325. For owners of older watches, the effective price will be much higher because trade-in values fall sharply. That said, Best Buy’s launch-week deals do appear genuinely aggressive. The cited values are above Apple’s own posted trade-in ranges for many comparable models, with Apple listing up to $165 for a Series 10 and up to $305 for an Ultra 2. If Best Buy is offering up to $180 for a Series 11 and $325 for an Ultra 3, some upgraders will get a better deal there than through Apple. The bigger question is whether the Series 12’s new AI and health features justify giving up a still-capable watch. Buyers should compare the trade-in credit with what their current watch could fetch in resale and ask whether Siri AI, Audio Intelligence, Readiness scoring, and upgraded sensors are worth the net spend.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Toys · Sep 10

Best Buy opened Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 pre-order promotions with enhanced trade-in credits, bringing Series 12 pricing as low as $219 and Ultra 4 to $474.
The biggest discounts come from trading in newer models: Best Buy offers up to $180 for an Apple Watch Series 11 and up to $325 for an Ultra 3.
Base list prices start at $399 for the 42mm Series 12 and $799 for the Ultra 4, while select cellular Series 12 models already show small direct markdowns.
The offers arrive as pre-orders go live across retailers, with Best Buy leaning on aggressive launch-week trade-in values rather than broad upfront price cuts.