Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5

Amazon Spotlights Apple Prime Day Deals on MacBooks, Watches and AirPods as Watch Prices Hit $350

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5

Amazon Spotlights Apple Prime Day Deals on MacBooks, Watches and AirPods as Watch Prices Hit $350

Q: Beyond the $99 discount, is the S11 chip's new recovery tracking actually enough to make older Ultra owners upgrade?

For most older Ultra owners, probably not by itself. The Ultra 4’s recovery package is meaningfully better on paper. Its S11 chip and new Health Sensing System allow background heart-rate readings every five seconds and HRV checks every five minutes at rest, far more frequent than earlier models. That feeds Apple’s new Readiness score, which blends sleep, vitals, activity and training load, and updates through the day rather than relying mainly on overnight data. For athletes who actively adjust training based on recovery signals, that is a real upgrade. But the practical case depends on which “older Ultra” you own. If you have an Ultra 3, the evidence points to no for most people. Multiple comparisons and reviewer summaries say the Ultra 4 keeps the same design and core experience, with recovery tracking as the main new reason to switch. Unless you are serious about using Readiness, HRV trends and daytime vitals to guide workouts, the upgrade is hard to justify. If you have an Ultra 1 or Ultra 2, the argument is stronger. You would get the new recovery tools plus notably longer battery life, faster charging and more robust workout endurance modes. That combination matters more for marathoners, triathletes and ultra-distance users. The $699.99 sale helps, but it does not change the basic math: new buyers and much older Apple Watch owners get the best value here. Existing recent Ultra owners should upgrade only if recovery metrics will genuinely change how they train.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 5

$350 Apple Watch deals lead Amazon’s October Prime Day Apple push, alongside discounts on MacBooks, AirPods, AirTags, the Mac mini and watch accessories.
The sale highlights Apple’s broad lineup rather than a single flagship cut, with the M5 MacBook Air pitched as the top laptop pick and the 15-inch MacBook Air as a larger-screen alternative.
Apple Watch offers span the budget SE and the pricier Series 12, which adds a larger display, longer battery life and more advanced health tracking for about $150 more.
AirPods, AirTag and the M4 Mac mini round out the event, extending Prime Day promotions from wearables into audio, tracking devices and desktop hardware.
The watch discounts build on earlier Prime Day markdowns that already pushed the Series 12 to an all-time low of about $350 and the Ultra 4 to $699.99.