Apple just held its annual September event, which focused on some major hardware announcements. As expected, the spotlight remained on the iPhone 17 series and the slimmer Air model. However, these are not the only reveals that managed to grab attention, as the Cupertino giant also introduced the Apple Watch Series 11 at today's awe-dropping event. While the new version is not groundbreaking when it comes to the design or visuals, the health features and other internal improvements make it an ambitious model.
Apple Watch Series 11 is here with a hypertension alert system, better scratch resistance, 5G connectivity, and more
Apple just announced its Watch Series 11 in 42mm and 46mm casing sizes, and we immediately noticed that the tech giant is focused on fine-tuning its wearables with meaningful upgrades rather than focusing on major innovations. This trend can be noticed in other hardware announcements revolving around refinements. While the Series 11 does not bring forward a major design overhaul, the health innovations and better software capabilities make it worth upgrading your smartwatch.
Apple Watch Series 11 retains the same sleek form factor as its predecessor, and there are no radical changes in the design, but the resistance to scratches has seen massive improvements, given how the new models come with a stronger front crystal offering twice the durability. Apple is offering the aluminium models in Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold, and Space Gray, and the titanium cases in Natural, Slate, and Gold. The battery performance has also seen upgrades, given how the Watch Series 11 can now last up to 24 hours on a single charge compared to the 18-hour limit of the previous versions.
The Series 11 comes with an updated S11 chip, which has the same processor as the Series 10, so it's not a major speed overhaul, but it will improve thermal management and offer battery gains due to more space for other internal components. The modem for the series has also been improved, moving from LTE to a MediaTek modem that supports 5G, a streamlined version of 5G specifically designed for wearables and other similar devices. This improvement will boost efficiency and ensure consistent latency, and could be taken as one of the most significant changes made in the Watch Series 11.
One of the most exciting updates is the improvement in the health tracking capabilities as Apple adds a hypertension alert system to the Watch Series 11. This will help detect unexpected spikes in blood pressure and suggest some preventive measures in order to control your health. Given how wearables are increasingly used for health monitoring, adding such features helps the smartwatch feel like a meaningful upgrade. A new sleep scoring feature will also provide a more comprehensive overview of sleep quality.
Since Series 11 ships with watchOS 26, it brings the Liquid Glass translucent UI and other new widgets, along with the built-in Workout Buddy, which provides real-time guidance and motivation during fitness sessions. There are also improvements in control with the wrist-flick gesture and the introduction of a dedicated Notes app.
Apple Watch Series 11 seems to be more evolutionary and offers some noteworthy upgrades that are centered around smarter health and AI-driven features, making it a worthwhile upgrade. The pricing for the series remains the same as last year, with the base model starting at $399 and the 46mm model comes at $499. Pre-orders open on September 12 and the release will follow on September 19.
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