The last-gen Apple Watch Series 8 is nearly half off

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By Sheena Vasani, a writer covering commerce, e-readers, and tech news. She previously wrote about everything from web development to AI at Inside.

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Google may have just released the Pixel Watch 2, but the Apple Watch is still the better buy if you own an iPhone. And right now, you can get the 41mm GPS-enabledApple Watch Series 8 in black with a small / medium-sized band for just $225 at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon. Members of Target’s free-to-join Target Circle program can also buy the wearable for just $224.99 ($175 off) in select colors like red when they clip the on-page Target Circle coupon.

The discount drops the last-gen flagship wearable down to roughly the same price as Apple’s budget-friendly option, the second-gen Apple Watch SE, which is on sale for $219.99 when you clip the on-page coupon. That’s an excellent deal, given that the Apple Watch Series 8 offers health features the Watch SE lacks, like EKG, SpO2, and temperature sensors. That’s in addition to other useful capabilities like irregular heartbeat alerts, fall detection, and emergency calling. What you don’t get are the new Apple Watch Series 9’s S9 SiP and second-gen ultra wideband chip, which allows for faster performance, Apple’s double-tap feature, and more precise tracking. Nevertheless, the last-gen model is still an excellent wearable with support for watchOS 10 and a large, always-on display.

Apple’s last-gen smartwatch features Crash Detection and temperature sensors that enable menstrual cycle tracking — something you won’t find on any prior model.

Amazon’s discounting a bunch of gadgets ahead of its fall Prime Day event, which it’s