Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 Models With LTE - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 Models With LTE

Apple this week added refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 models with LTE to its online store for the first time in the United States.

apple watch series 3 lte refurbished
A selection of 10 cellular-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 models have been made available for sale over the past two days, but as of writing, only one model remains in stock. More inventory should be added over time, so we recommend using the website Refurb Tracker if you are interested in a particular model.

The refurbished models are priced between $359 and $549, reflecting savings of 15 to 16 percent off the price of brand new models.

A cellular-enabled 42mm Apple Watch Series 3 with a silver aluminum case and fog-colored sport band is listed for $359, for example, which is $70 off the $429 price of an equivalent brand new model.

Apple Watch Series 3 models were first released in September 2017, but only non-cellular GPS models were available refurbished until now. Series 3 models feature a faster dual-core S3 processor, and an Apple-designed W2 chip that makes Wi-Fi up to 85 percent faster and up to 50 percent more power efficient.

Apple says all refurbished Apple Watch models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged with a new box and all manuals and accessories, including a magnetic charging puck and a power adapter. In our view, Apple's refurbished products are generally indistinguishable from brand new ones.

Any refurbished Apple Watch comes with Apple's standard one-year warranty effective on the date the device is delivered. The warranty can be extended to up to two years from the original purchase date with AppleCare+ for Apple Watch, which covers accidental damage for a fee, at a cost of $49 in the United States.

Apple also began selling refurbished iMac Pro models earlier this week.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 12
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

apple watch series 3 design

Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch

Sunday November 1, 2026 3:34 am PST by
Apple has published a support document describing what to do if your Apple Watch continues to show time that's off by one hour after daylight savings time changes. "This incorrect time appears only on the Always On display when your wrist is down," says Apple. "When you activate the display by tapping it or raising your wrist, the time changes to the correct hour." To fix the issue, Apple says ...
siri recap live rewind

watchOS 27.3 Brings Live Rewind and Siri Recap to Apple Watch

Tuesday November 3, 2026 10:35 am PST by
With the first beta of watchOS 27.3, Apple is introducing new Audio Intelligence features it previewed for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 earlier this year. Powered by the S11 chip, Audio Intelligence includes Live Rewind, Siri Recap, Sound Recognition, and Shazam Music Recognition. Sound Recognition and Shazam are already on the watch, but Live Rewind and Siri Recap are now available ...
apple watch series 3 design

Apple Watch Users in Europe Report Daylight Saving Glitch

Monday October 26, 2026 5:26 am PDT by
Some Apple Watch users running watchOS 27 are reporting a daylight saving glitch after clocks went back in the UK and Europe on Sunday. In a MacRumors forums thread, five users – several in the UK and central Europe – say their watch shows the correct time when activated, but the Always-On display keeps showing summer time, leaving it an hour fast. The problem has also been reported in...

Top Rated Comments

Westside guy Avatar
110 months ago
Given how rarely I make phone calls anymore... I wouldn't mind seeing an LTE Watch that's either completely decoupled from another iOS device or else one that could work with an iPad. I could be very happy with just a Watch and an iPad Mini - removing the iPhone from the equation completely.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
110 months ago
Does refurbished mean they scraped off that red dot? If so I'm interested.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
110 months ago
Another contributor is the more efficient faster dual core processor in the Series 3. The problem with the first generation Apple Watch was that It was incredibly slow for the most part, which it had to work harder with third-party applications, the heart rate sensor drained it fast and the battery was adversely affected because of this. With the Much improved processor in the Series 3, the battery life isn’t taxed as hard, resulting in more longevity.
I also meant that I think the battery in the LTE version is slightly bigger than non-lte so its a better pick if battery life is your top priority vs. Series 3 non-lte and just dont use lte. Its slightly heavier too from what I remember but still significantly lighter than those sapphire versions.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
110 months ago
I bought the LTE version simply because I believe it has a bigger battery and lasts longer. Im not confirming this but the battery life on this is incredible compared to my original. I can go two days no problem. Obviously Im not using LTE service or have interest in it.
Another contributor is the more efficient faster dual core processor in the Series 3. The problem with the first generation Apple Watch was that It was incredibly slow for the most part, which it had to work harder with third-party applications, the heart rate sensor drained it fast and the battery was adversely affected because of this. With the Much improved processor in the Series 3, the battery life isn’t taxed as hard, resulting in more longevity.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacLawyer Avatar
110 months ago
The LTE feature turned out to be pretty useful to me. I had my doubts at first.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macaholic868 Avatar
110 months ago
Not buying til it's round
Good luck. The problem with a smart watch is lack of screen real estate. Why would Apple go round and reduce the screen real estate even further? The round watch face would have to huge. I don’t see it happening anytime soon.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
31 minutes ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
1 hour ago
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
3 hours ago
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
3 hours ago
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
3 hours ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Gets $99 Amazon Discounts, Starting at $699.99
3 hours ago
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
Apple Pay Ad Features Martial Arts Convenience Store Food Fight
3 hours ago
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
Apple Continues to Say Some AI Features Will Have Fees for Extra Usage
3 hours ago
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
4 hours ago
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
5 hours ago
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
5 hours ago
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
5 hours ago
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
5 hours ago
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
6 hours ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
6 hours ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
6 hours ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
7 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
8 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
8 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
8 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
9 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
18 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
1 day ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago