Apple's latest smartwatch, the Series 11, maintains much of the design and core features of its predecessor, the Series 10, but introduces enhancements in battery life and connectivity. Priced the same as the Series 10, the new model starts at $399 for aluminum versions. While the changes are incremental, they may appeal to those upgrading from older watches.
Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 11 as a successor to the Series 10, prompting comparisons between the two flagships due to their similarities. Both models share identical case designs in aluminum and titanium, measuring 42mm or 46mm, and are 9.7mm thick—1mm slimmer than prior iterations. The Series 11 is marginally heavier, with the 46mm aluminum GPS version at 37.8 grams versus 36.4 grams for the Series 10.
Color options expand slightly for the Series 11, adding space gray aluminum alongside rose gold, silver, and jet black; titanium finishes remain slate, gold, and natural. Controls, including the Digital Crown and side button, are unchanged. Environmentally, the Series 11 uses 100% recycled titanium (up from 95% in the Series 10), 40% recycled glass, and a battery with 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium.
Displays are wide-angle LTPO 3 OLED panels reaching 2,000 nits brightness, but the Series 11's aluminum models feature Ion-X glass twice as scratch-resistant as before, while titanium versions use sapphire crystal. Internally, both rely on the S10 processor, W3 wireless chip, second-generation Ultra Wideband, four-core Neural Engine, and 64GB storage. Sensors for health monitoring, like heart rate and depth sensing, are identical.
Battery life sees the most notable upgrade: up to 24 hours for the Series 11 compared to 18 hours on the Series 10, extending to 38 hours in Low Power Mode versus 36 hours. CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana noted in her review that real-world use yielded 27 to 32 hours with notifications, workouts, and sleep tracking enabled. Charging reaches 80% in 30 minutes on both.
Connectivity improves for cellular Series 11 models with 5G RedCap support, alongside LTE, via a redesigned antenna and signal-boosting algorithm—up from LTE and UMTS on the Series 10. Both support Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.3. WatchOS 26 brings shared features like hypertension notifications, Sleep Score, and the returning Blood Oxygen app to both watches, including a Wrist Flick gesture.
These refinements position the Series 11 as a modest evolution, potentially making refurbished Series 10 models a cost-effective alternative.
