Screenshot: Apple, Design: Maria Diaz/ZDNET
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
I'm an Apple loyalist, but I don't upgrade my devices every year. Longevity is one of my favorite things about Apple hardware; I can be reassured that my investments will last me for years.
When a shiny new product rolls around, I don't feel the pull to swap out the one I have at home that still works perfectly. This is why I still rock my Apple Watch Series 7 after four years, and why I have yet to upgrade my iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Also: Apple Event live updates 2025: iPhone 17, AirPods 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and more news
Every time a new Apple Watch drops, I weigh the pros and cons of upgrading before making a decision. Most of the time, the upgrade doesn't seem worth it, but there are a lot of new Apple Watch Series 11 features this year that make it a compelling buy. Here's how the new Apple Watch 11 compares to the most popular older Apple Watch models.
Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 10
Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET
Most recent Apple Watch models are visually very similar, and the Series 10 and the new Series 11 are no exceptions. The latest Apple Watch 11 follows the previous model's trend of being the thinnest Apple Watch and carries all of the Series 10's features and then some, including extending the Series 10's 18-hour battery life to up to 24 hours.
The Apple Watch Series 11 is twice as scratch-resistant as the Series 10, supports 5G cellular networks, and features the biggest update yet: blood pressure monitoring to alert you of potential hypertension indicators. Apple is also adding a sleep score to give you better insights into your sleep quality, taking into account sleep duration, interruptions, sleep cycles, and bedtime.
... continue reading