Apple Watch Ultra hits $503 (Save $296), official Watch bands from $35, 24-inch M3 iMac, more

Wednesday is back with a fresh batch of discounts, with the original Apple Watch Ultra landing at $503 as the headliner. That $296 price cut comes joined by a collection of official Apple Watch Sport Bands starting from $35, as well as Apple’s new M3 iMac starting from $1,149 – including higher-end models with extra memory. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Save $296 on OG Apple Watch Ultra

Woot is now offering the original Apple Watch Ultra for $503. Today’s offer discounts a Grade A refurbished model from its original $799 price tag. It’s the best price we’ve seen at $296 off, while beating our previous mention by an extra $97. This is also the first discount from a trusted source in months. We break everything down below the fold, including how it compares to the new Ultra 2.

Apple Watch Ultra is the original version of Apple’s most capable wearable with an even more rugged design than its flagship Series 8 counterpart. Everything about that improved feature set is packed into a titanium case that encircles the larger 49mm screen that’s the brightest Always-On Retina display yet. Apple Watch Ultra also sports a more distinct side module that encompasses the usual Digital Crown, as well as a secondary, customizable action button to round out the form-factor adjustments. There’s also a 100-meter water-resistance rating, as well as 36-hour battery life, dual-frequency GPS, and everything else you can read about over in our coverage.

As for how it compares to the new Apple Watch Ultra 2, you’re not missing all too much. There is the new S9 chip at the center of the fitness tracking experience, as well as the new pinch gesture recognition, but you’re largely looking at the same wearable as the discounted model above.

Official Apple Watch Sport Bands start from $35

Just ahead of spring, Amazon is now discounting a collection official Apple Watch bands. The first-party stable of 45mm and 41mm Sport Bands are taking the spotlight at starting from $35 each. You’ll find five different designs on sale, each of which normally sells for $49. Many of these styles are on sale for the first time in months, while others undercut previous discounts from the start of the year.

Comprised of a soft, breathable high-performance fluoroelastomer material, the official Apple Watch Sport Bands arrive in a pair of colors to either mix up the daily stylings of your wearable or refresh an aging option. Already ideal for working out, tagging along on hikes, and other fall-worthy adventures, these are just as comfortable for fitness companions as they are for daily wear. Each one of these will work with not just 45mm devices, but also 44mm and 42mm Apple Watches.

Apple’s new M3 iMac starts from $1,149

B&H is now offering Apple’s new 24-inch M3 iMac for $1,149. This discounts the entry-level model with 256GB of storage and 8GB of memory from its usual $1,299 price tag. It’s marking a new all-time low at $150 off. This is an extra $50 below the previous price cuts, and still one of the first chances to save. The last discount was back in December, for comparison. Over at Rakuten, you can save on the 8-core model with an elevated 16GB of RAM at $1,374. I just took a hands-on look at what the deal with the new M3 iMac is, and explore that a bit further below the fold.

The story with Apple’s new 24-inch M3 iMac is all about the new internals. The updated silicon means that it can offer even better performance than before, which is even more notable considering we never got an M2 version of the form-factor. So the gains from the original M1 chip up to Apple’s new 3nm system are going to be even more apparent – which I’ve found to be the case from my hands-on usage so far. 

But even with an upgrade chipset aside, you’re still looking at one of the most streamlined desktop machines on the market. The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display remains one of the best on the market, and the sleek all-in-one build is still as minimal as it gets.

Best trade-in deals

9to5Mac also keeps tabs on all the best trade-in deals on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, and more every month. Be sure to check out this month’s best trade-in deals when you decide it’s time to upgrade your device, or simply head over to our trade-in partner directly if you want to recycle, trade, or sell your used devices for cash and support 9to5Mac along the way!

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