Apple’s Watch Series 11 has arrived, following the Watch Series 10 launched in 2024, and there are several upgrades, but also many similarities. For those considering whether to upgrade, here’s a breakdown of what’s changing and what remains the same in the new model.
What’s new in Watch Series 11
Battery life: Apple claims the Series 11 will deliver up to 24 hours of normal use, a boost over Series 10’s 18-hour standard battery estimate.
5G connectivity: Series 11 adds support for 5G in cellular models, which should mean better throughput and faster streaming or downloads when not connected to Wi-Fi.
Health features: The newer watch introduces hypertension (blood pressure) alerts and an improved sleep score metric, measuring sleep quality, duration, and stages. Some of these features were hinted for Series 10 via software, but Series 11 has more built-in support.
Scratch resistance & durability: The display glass gets tougher, better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection coatings are among the improvements.
Design an OS: Series 11 continues with similar case sizes (42mm, 46mm) and options (aluminium, titanium). Design changes are modest; major changes are in internals and software (watchOS 26), including gesture updates such as wrist flick to dismiss notifications.
What remains the same (or only slightly changed)
Core display tech: Both Watch 10 and Watch 11 use LTPO (or similar low-power display tech), Always-On display, large OLED Retina screens. The baseline brightness (outside) is similar, or improved, but not an entirely new display type.
Case sizes and materials: Aluminium and titanium remain options, and Series 11 does not introduce radically new form factors. Users of Watch 10 will find familiar cases, sizes, and strap compatibility.
Battery life in heavy use: While normal battery life improves, expectations under intense usage (GPS + Always-On + 5G, etc.) may still be similar to Series 10, as Apple generally maintains roughly similar real-world battery for wearable devices when heavily used.
Software compatibility: Many new health features and OS enhancements come to Watch 11 via watchOS 26, but some features are being back-ported to older watches (Series 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) depending on region or regulatory clearance. Therefore, having a Watch 10 already gives you access to much of the software improvements.
Should you upgrade?
If you have a Watch 10 and value major improvements in connectivity (5G), better health tracking (blood pressure alerts, stronger durability), and somewhat longer battery life in everyday usage, then Series 11 offers meaningful benefit. But for many users, especially if Watch 10 already serves well, the improvements may not feel dramatic – the display, design, and core user experience remain very similar.
