Apple Watch Series 11

Apple Watch Series 11 isn't all that different from last year's model, but it has a significantly longer battery life, and that's a huge deal.

The Series 11 offers longer battery life than its predecessor and adds 5G cellular support without a price increase over the Series 10. These welcome upgrades make the best Apple Watch for most people better than ever.

The Apple Watch Series 11 finally cracks the 18-hour battery life mark. It also introduces a first-of-its-kind high blood pressure alert feature (hypertension) and daily sleep scores. The protective glass is twice as tough as before, and paired with watchOS 26 it's a well-rounded upgrade.

24-hour battery life is huge. Many users, including my own spouse, did not wear the Apple Watch to sleep, just because it was too annoying to wake up with a drained watch. Being able to wear the watch for 24 hours, instead of skipping one-third of each day, is a sea change.

With improvements to battery life and new health metrics, the Apple Watch Series 11 is a refinement on what was already the best smartwatch for iPhone owners.

After a week with the Apple Watch Series 11, it’s clear that while the design hasn’t changed, the bigger battery, new health features, and watchOS upgrades make it the most capable, best-looking mainline Apple Watch yet.

The Apple Watch Series 11 is still my favorite of the bunch, largely because it's built on 2024's reigning champion, the Series 10. But the gap between it and the competition is narrowing, and if you're on a Series 9 or newer, you can safely sit this one out. The better battery life, 5G on cellular models and a more scratch-resistant screen are welcome but not essential, especially since the best new health features are also coming to older models.