Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 Models With LTE - MacRumors
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 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

modular ultra training load

watchOS 27 to Offer New Watch Faces, Including 'Modular Ultra' Variant

Monday May 4, 2026 5:58 am PDT by
For watchOS 27, Apple is testing new Apple Watch faces, and one of them is a simpler version of an existing Apple Watch Ultra watch face that could be coming to standard Series models. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is testing multiple new faces for watchOS 27, code-named "Orchid." One of them is said to be a "simplified take" on the...
Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper Feature

Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band, Watch Face, and iPhone Wallpaper

Monday May 4, 2026 6:05 am PDT by
Apple today introduced its 2026 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face, and a matching wallpaper for the iPhone and iPad. Apple said its Pride Collection celebrates LGBTQ+ communities around the world during Pride Month in June and beyond. In addition, the company noted that it is proud to financially support organizations that serve LGBTQ+ communities. The new Pri...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium

watchOS 26.5 Fixes Two Apple Watch Bugs

Tuesday May 5, 2026 7:56 am PDT by
watchOS 26.5 fixes two Apple Watch bugs, according to Apple's release notes for the update, which is expected to be released next week. Apple fixed bugs in the Messages and Workout apps:• Fixes an issue where Messages on Apple Watch may use SMS instead of iMessage when paired with a dual SIM iPhone • Fixes an issue where Workout app audio alerts could fail to play if the phone was not...

Top Rated Comments

Westside guy Avatar
105 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)
105 months ago
Does refurbished mean they scraped off that red dot? If so I'm interested.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
105 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)
105 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
105 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
105 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)