is an editor covering deals and gaming hardware that he thinks you’ll like. He joined in 2018, and after a stint at Polygon, he rejoined The Verge in May 2025.
Apple announced the new Apple Watch Series 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3 smartwatches during its annual iPhone hardware event on Tuesday. The 2025 models are somewhat iterative in terms of their designs. However, there are plenty of new features present in each that could make either one a worthy upgrade over previous generations, depending on how much money you want to spend.
The most affordable 2025 model is the $249 Apple Watch SE 3, which now runs on the same S10 chipset found in the pricier Series 11 and even in the Ultra 3. It comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, and there’s an option to spend a little more on either size to get 5G connectivity (the feature adds $50 to the price). Other new features include an always-on display, temperature sensors, which can be used for ovulation tracking, and the ability to play audio through its built-in speaker.
The Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm version, and goes up to $499 if you want 5G connectivity in that size. Apple’s Series 11 isn’t all that different from the Series 10, save for enhanced battery life that Apple claims can last for 24 hours per charge. The company introduced hypertension notifications that are currently awaiting FDA clearance, though this feature will also come to the Series 9 and up.
As for the Ultra 3, the big update is the ability to send messages via satellite when you’re off the grid and away from 5G connectivity, which this watch supports as well. Apple also increased the size of the Ultra 3’s screen compared to past generations without adjusting the size of the watch; the bezels simply got smaller. And it increased the battery life.
My colleague Victoria Song has already gotten these new Apple smartwatches around her wrist, long enough to present some early impressions. It won’t be long until full reviews go live (send happy thoughts to Vee), but if it’s spec comparisons you want, that’s what we’ve got. We’re drilling into the new models to see all the ways they improve on their predecessors, or in some cases, ways in which they’re exactly the same.
Categories Apple Watch Series 11 Apple Watch Series 10 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple Watch Ultra 2 Apple Watch SE 3 Apple Watch SE (2022) Starting MSRP $399 (GPS) / $499 (5G) $399 (GPS) / $499 (LTE) $799 $799 $249 (GPS) / $299 (5G) $249 (GPS) / $299 (LTE) Sizes 42mm / 46mm 42mm / 46mm 49mm 49mm 40mm / 44mm 40mm / 44mm Case material Aluminum or titanium Aluminum or titanium Titanium Titanium Aluminum Aluminum Weight (Grams) 42mm: 30.3 (aluminum GPS) / 29.7 (aluminum 5G) / 34.6 (titanium) 42mm: 30 (aluminum GPS) / 29.3 (aluminum LTE) / 34.4 (titanium) 61.6 (natural / light gray) /61.8 (black) 61.4 (natural / light gray) /61.8 (black) 40mm: 26.3 (GPS) / 26.4 (cellular)44mm: 32.9 (GPS) / 33 (cellular) 40mm: 26.4 (GPS) / 27.8 (cellular)44mm: 32.9 (GPS) / 33 (cellular) Display Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED / wide-angle OLED Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED / wide-angle OLED Always-On Retina LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina LTPO2 OLED Always-On Retina LTPO OLED Retina LTPO OLED Screen brightness Up to 2000 nits brightness Up to 2000 nits brightness Up to 3000 nits brightness Up to 3000 nits brightness Up to 1000 nits brightness Up to 1000 nits brightness Screen resolution 42mm: 374 x 446 42mm: 374 x 446 422 x 514 410 x 502 40mm: 324 x 394 40mm: 324 x 394 46mm: 416 x 496 46mm: 416 x 496 44mm: 368 x 448 44mm: 368 x 448 Minimum brightness 1 nit 1 nit 1 nit 1 nit 2 nits N/A Processor S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor S9 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor S10 with 64-bit dual-core processor S8 with 64-bit dual-core processor Ultra wideband chip (second-gen) Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Operating system watchOS 26 watchOS 26 watchOS 26 watchOS 26 watchOS 26 watchOS 26 Water resistance Water resistant up to 50 meters Water resistant up to 50 meters Water resistant up to 100 meters Water resistant up to 100 meters Water resistant up to 50 meters Water resistant up to 50 meters Dust resistance IP6X-rated IP6X-rated IP6X-rated / Tested to MIL-STD 810H IP6X-rated / Tested to MIL-STD 810H N/A N/A Connectivity Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 and 5GHz) + L1 GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 4 + L1 GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 4 (2.4 and 5GHz) + Precision dual-frequency (L1 and L5) GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 + 5G Wi-Fi 4 + Precision dual-frequency (L1 and L5) GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 + LTE Wi-Fi 4 (2.4GHz) + L1 GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 4 + L1 GPS + Bluetooth 5.3 Storage 64GB 64GB 64GB 64GB 64GB 32GB Estimated battery life Up to 24 hours; 38 hours in low-power mode Up to 18 hours; 36 hours in low-power mode Up to 42 hours; 72 hours in low-power mode Up to 36 hours; 72 hours in low-power mode Up to 18 hours; up to 36 hours in low-power mode Up to 18 hours Fast Charging Yes (80 percent in about 30 minutes) Yes (80 percent in about 30 minutes) Yes (80 percent in about 45 minutes) Yes (80 percent in about 1 hour) Yes (80 percent in about 45 minutes) No Double tap gesture Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Wrist flick gesture Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Siri Yes (on-device) Yes (on-device) Yes (on-device) Yes (on-device) Yes (on-device) Yes Apple Pay Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sleep tracking Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sleep apnea notifications Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Cycle tracking Yes with retrospective ovulation estimates Yes with retrospective ovulation estimates Yes with retrospective ovulation estimates Yes with retrospective ovulation estimates Yes with retrospective ovulation estimates Yes with retrospective ovulation estimates Heart sensor Third-gen optical heart sensor Third-gen optical heart sensor Third-gen optical heart sensor Third-gen optical heart sensor Second-gen optical heart sensor Second-gen optical heart sensor Electrical heart sensor (ECG app) Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Hypertension notifications Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Blood oxygen app Yes Yes Yes Yes No No High, low, or irregular heart notifications Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Temperature sensor Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Compass Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Offline maps Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Always-on altimeter Yes Yes Yes with expanded operating range from (500m to 9,000m) Yes with expanded operating range from (500m to 9,000m) Yes Yes Fall detection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Crash detection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Emergency SOS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Emergency SOS via Satellite No No Yes No No No Built-in mic and speaker Yes Yes Yes, triple-mic array, dual speakers Yes, triple-mic array Yes Yes Media playback Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Siren No No Yes Yes No No Night mode No No Yes Yes No No Water temperature and depth sensors Depth gauge to 6m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for snorkeling Depth gauge to 6m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for snorkeling Depth gauge to 40m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for use as a dive computer Depth gauge to 40m and water temperature sensor; Oceanic Plus app for use as a dive computer No No Colors Aluminum: jet black, rose gold, and silver; Titanium: slate, gold, and natural Aluminum: jet black, rose gold, and silver; Titanium: slate, gold, and natural Natural titanium and black Natural titanium and black Midnight, starlight Midnight, starlight, and silver