Apple Watch Series 11 Hands On Feels and Looks the Same but Real Changes Are Deeper
Though the Apple Watch announcements were somewhat overshadowed by the iPhone news at Apple’s event, there were still some noteworthy updates to the smartwatch lineup. This year brings the Watch Series 11, Watch SE 3, and Watch Ultra 3, each with interesting new features. After a hands-on session, the most intriguing of the three is arguably the Series 11.
At first glance, the Series 11 is nearly indistinguishable from the Series 10. They share the same thin profile and dimensions. The main physical change is a new IonX coating that Apple says is twice as scratch resistant. There is also a new space grey case option, though the rose gold band and case pairing was a standout. The loop band on the unit I tried was especially comfortable.
I wore the Series 11 next to my own Series 10 and truly could not tell them apart. For owners of last year’s model, there might not be a compelling reason to upgrade, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The real updates are found in the software and health features.
The most significant new feature is the Possible hypertension alerts. This uses data from the existing optical heart rate sensors to analyze patterns in the constriction and expansion of your blood vessels in relation to your heart rate. It is important to note this tool is not designed to give you a specific blood pressure reading like 130 over 80. Instead, it looks for concerning variations over time and will alert you to see a medical professional if it detects a potential issue. This trend-based analysis is similar to other Apple Watch features like sleep apnea detection. Since it requires collecting data over time, it was not something I could test during the brief hands-on.
Another feature coming with watchOS 26 is a new sleep score. This is not exclusive to the Series 11 and will be available to any Apple Watch compatible with the latest software. I liked that you get a score after each night you wear the watch to bed and do not have to wait for a required number of nights for insights to appear.
Along with hypertension detection and sleep scoring, Apple promises better battery life for the Series 11. The company claims the wearable should last up to 24 hours on a charge, with eight of those hours dedicated to powering through overnight sleep tracking. Proper battery testing will have to wait for a full review unit.
I was more intrigued by the Apple Watch SE 3, and I cheered when Apple announced its entry-level smartwatch will finally get an Always On Display. When I picked up the Watch SE 3, I immediately noticed its relatively chunky bezels, but by and large it felt quite similar to my Series 10. The cheaper watch is slightly thicker, heavier, and more sluggish, but for 250 dollars it is a very solid device. It now includes a skin-temperature sensor to support cycle-tracking and will charge twice as fast as the previous model.
For the price, what Apple is offering is very compelling. By choosing the SE 3 over the Series 11, you primarily miss out on the ECG and blood oxygen features. The Series 11 is a bit thinner and lighter, but the SE 3 is plenty comfortable and small on its own.
I also took a quick look at the Watch Ultra 3, which has a slightly larger screen that Apple says is the biggest ever in an Apple Watch. That display also refreshes more quickly, enabling smooth animations on the Always On screen, like a ticking second hand on an analog clock face. It also includes 5G and satellite communication support, though these were not available to test.
We hope to spend more time with these devices soon for a full evaluation, but for now, it is nice to see refreshes across Apple’s entire smartwatch lineup. The most meaningful changes this year are not in the design but in the health features working under the surface.
