Skip Apple's newest smartwatch — the Garmin Venu 3 is an 'ideal smartwatch and fitness tracker', and it just hit a record low
A top-rated smartwatch for runners, cyclists, hikers, and swimmers
The 2026 Apple September Event is today, and rumors suggest the tech giant will introduce its newest smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 12.
While we can't comment on what new features the smartwatch will offer, we can recommend the excellent Garmin Venu 3, which I've spotted on sale for a record-low of $288 (originally $449.99) at Amazon. That's a whopping $161 discount and an incredible price for a smartwatch that's packed with health and fitness features.
The Garmin Venu 3 earned four and a half stars in our review, and we said it was a 'near-perfect balance of smartwatch and health tracker'.
Great for outdoor and fitness enthusiasts, the Venu 3 offers advanced GPS tracking, a water-resistant design, a dedicated LED flashlight, and up to 14 days of battery life. The smartwatch also tracks heart rate, respiration, blood oxygen saturation, sleep, and stress levels, and includes a speaker and microphone so you can take calls from your wrist.
While the newest Apple Watch will undoubtedly be packed with new technology and health insights, most people won't need these features, and it will likely start at $399.99 based on its predecessor. The Garmin Venu 3 is down to just $288, making it a fantastic smartwatch, especially for runners, cyclists, hikers, and swimmers.
Get the Garmin Venu 3 for a record-low of $288
The Garmin Venu 3 once sat atop our guide to the best Garmin watches, with our fitness experts calling it "the best for most people". The new Venu 4 has replaced it, but this last-gen model still offers an excellent balance of advanced sports metrics and communication features at a new record-low price.
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Mackenzie Frazier is the lead deals editor in the US for TechRadar at Future plc. She has been sharing deal advice for Future for the past eight years and loves finding products that consumers want at the best possible prices. She's had 11 years of experience working in e-commerce and loves being a mom to her two little boys.
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