Apple’s latest generation Apple Watch model, the Series 11, was just unveiled on Tuesday. While at first glance, it seemed like a relatively decent upgrade – it turns out that there’s some details that makes it less appealing than it might’ve initially seemed.
Battery life isn’t as good as you may think
As discovered by users who were peeping into the fine print, Apple’s latest battery estimates for Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 tack on an additional 6 hours of sleep tracking for Apple’s internal battery benchmark. Older Apple Watch models weren’t tested in the same way. This is why Apple Watch Series 11 offers up to 24 hours of battery life, versus 18 hours on Apple Watch Series 10.
Its newest features aren’t exclusive
Two of the new features highlighted during the Apple Watch Series 11 keynote: Hypertension notifications and Sleep Score, aren’t actually exclusive to the new Apple Watch model.
Hypertension notifications, which monitors your blood pressure to alert you to any concerns, is available on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 – not just the new Series 11 and Ultra 3.
Sleep Score is also available on all Apple Watch models that run watchOS 26, which includes Apple Watch Series 6 and newer.
Series 10 is on sale
Last but not least, you can save money by not getting the latest and greatest. You can currently buy a Series 10 (42mm) brand new for $329 on Amazon, saving you $70 compared to a new Series 11. Same applies to the 46mm model, where you can get it for just $359 currently.
Those savings stack up even further if you want a Titanium watch for the more premium build. You can get a Gold Titanium Apple Watch Series 10 for $609 on Amazon currently, over $140 cheaper than if you were to buy a brand new Series 11.
What’s worthwhile with Series 11?
With Apple Watch Series 11, the best upgrade for most people will likely be the new Ceramic Shield display coating, which Apple claims will offer double the scratch resistance. Physical battery capacity is also slightly larger, just not to the degree that Apple’s numbers initially suggested.
If you’re a cellular Apple Watch user – 5G is also a pretty big upgrade this year, across the entire lineup. Carriers have slowly been ramping down their LTE spectrum over the years, so you’ll likely notice better coverage if you get a new 5G Apple Watch, even if on paper it seems overkill.
Also, if you like Space Gray, Apple Watch Series 11 offers that for the first time in a while. Series 6 was the last Apple Watch to launch in Space Gray, but even then that was a darker gray than typical.
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