Apple has introduced the Apple Watch Series 11, its thinnest smartwatch to date, which incorporates enhanced health monitoring, durable materials, and 5G connectivity.
While the exterior design is similar to previous models, the Series 11 features significant internal upgrades, particularly in health tracking and connectivity capabilities.
The Apple Watch Series 11 marks the debut of 5G cellular connectivity in an Apple Watch. A redesigned modem and antenna aim to provide improved coverage without a significant impact on battery life.
Apple has also upgraded the display glass. Aluminum models now feature Ion-X glass with a ceramic coating, doubling the scratch resistance compared to the Series 10. Titanium models continue to use sapphire crystal for their displays.
The Series 11 maintains a battery life of up to 24 hours and supports fast charging, providing up to eight hours of power with a 15-minute charge.
A key new feature is hypertension notifications. Using data from the optical heart sensor, the watch analyzes blood vessel response patterns over a 30-day period and alerts users to potential high blood pressure. This passive monitoring system is designed to identify cases that may go undetected during routine medical checkups.
The hypertension notification feature was developed using data from over 100,000 participants and validated in a clinical study involving 2,000 people. Apple estimates that this feature could notify over one million users with undiagnosed hypertension within the first year of its availability.
Sleep tracking has also been significantly improved with the new Sleep Score feature. By analyzing metrics such as sleep duration, sleep stages, heart rate, and respiratory patterns, the Sleep Score provides users with an overall assessment and actionable insights to improve their sleep habits. Sleep data integrates seamlessly with watchOS 26 and the iPhone Health app.
Series 11 users will also have access to Workout Buddy, powered by Apple Intelligence. Workout Buddy offers spoken motivation tailored to the user’s pace, heart rate, and personal milestones. The Workout app now supports custom views, Pacer, Race Route, and simplified music and podcast integration.
watchOS 26 introduces a new Liquid Glass interface, redesigned watch faces, and a one-handed wrist flick gesture for dismissing notifications. Live translation in Messages and context-based action suggestions further enhance the watch’s functionality.
The Apple Watch Series 11 is available in 42mm and 46mm aluminum cases in space gray, jet black, rose gold, and silver, as well as polished titanium in natural, gold, and slate finishes.
New band colors, knit options, and reflective yarn loops are available for the Hermès and Nike collections.
Apple emphasizes sustainability with the Series 11, which is made with 40% recycled content, including cobalt in the batteries and aluminum or titanium in the cases. The titanium models use a 3D printing process that reduces raw material use by half. The watch is assembled using 100% renewable electricity, and the packaging is fully recyclable. These efforts align with Apple 2030, the company’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality across its global footprint.
The Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm GPS-only aluminum version. Preorders are available immediately, and shipping will begin on September 19.
watchOS 26 will be released alongside the new watch, bringing all the new features to compatible older models.
