Everything We Know About the Apple Watch Series 11
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Just like every year, we expect Apple to launch a new Apple Watch this September, alongside the iPhone 17. It’s almost a tradition at this point, and according to the rumors, this year it won’t be any different.
Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the new Apple Watch has died down somewhat. Global sales have been in decline, and frankly, for a good reason. Since Apple hasn’t provided a substantial update in years, people are not particularly interested in the company’s upcoming wearable.
Unfortunately, if the rumors are right, this year might not be a good year for Apple Watch lovers either. That is, unless Apple releases a brand new health update that we’re all waiting for.
Still, a few changes are coming to the Apple Watch Series 11, some of which might make you want to make an upgrade this year. Here’s everything we know.
Will We See a New Apple Watch Design This Year?
Unfortunately, if you’re someone who wants that new look and feel when you buy a new Apple Watch, you probably won’t get it this year.
At the time of this writing, there have been a few rumors regarding the Apple Watch Series 11’s design, all of which suggest that Apple will continue to use the same body as the current generation of Apple Watches.
By current standards, the Apple Watch Series 10 has already undergone a “redesign,” featuring a thinner body and a larger display. Apple is likely to retain that design for the Apple Watch Series 11 as well.
Apple Watch Series 11 Internals
The inside of the Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to be upgraded this year. As always, we expect Apple to introduce a new and more powerful S11 SiP (System-in-Package), which will enhance the Apple Watch’s capabilities.
But how powerful will it be? Well, according to some rumors, Apple might finally introduce Apple Intelligence to the Apple Watch. Not only would we see a “smarter” Siri, but it will also pave the way for the rumored AI coach that Apple is supposedly working on.
It’s worth mentioning, of course, that we’ve already been introduced to at least one of Apple’s AI coaches during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote. Apple calls it Workout Buddy, and it’s available on all Apple Watch models that can run watchOS 26, as long as they’re paired with an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone model (and iPhone 15 Pro or later). However, the new Apple Watch may still come with other specific AI features the current generation of wearables can’t handle.
Additionally, Apple might introduce 5G to the Apple Watch, which would be an upgrade over the current LTE-only models. Rumor has it that the company is planning to use a MediaTek 5G RedCap modem, likely something in the M60 lineup, which are designed to bring 5G to lower-power devices.
What About Battery Life?
Based on what we know so far, it appears that Apple won’t upgrade the battery on the Apple Watch Series 11, but it may not be necessary.
Thanks to the more powerful chip inside, it is expected that the Apple Watch will have improved battery life, which means it will last longer than the current generation model without adding the extra weight of a larger battery.
According to Apple, the Apple Watch Series 10 has a battery life of up to 18 hours; therefore, the new Apple Watch Series 11 could last up to 20 hours with a single charge. Of course, once you use it in your day-to-day life, the results will be different, but you should still notice an upgrade.
Will We Finally Get a New Health Feature?
It’s been years since Apple introduced a new health feature to the Apple Watch. Technically, the last health feature was the body temperature sensor in the Apple Watch Series 8, but the blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch Series 6 was arguably the last significant update — and now, even that feature is gone, at least for Apple Watch models sold in the United States.
However, there’s still hope. We might finally see a new health feature come to the Apple Watch this year. Some rumors suggest that Apple might finally introduce blood pressure monitoring. However, it won’t work as a regular blood pressure monitor.
Regular monitors show you two results. The first is the systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure of your blood when it pushes against your arteries during each heartbeat.
The second number is the diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure of your blood when it pushes against your arteries when your heart is at rest.
Rumor has it that the Apple Watch won’t show you these results. Instead, it will monitor your blood pressure and alert you if you’ve had high blood pressure for a long time, which usually means you might have hypertension.
This essentially means that it’ll function as a preventive feature rather than an actual blood pressure monitor, but it’ll be extremely helpful for many people around the world.
With all of that said, it’s worth noting that this blood pressure monitoring feature has been rumored for a long time, and some current rumors even suggest that Apple might have to delay this feature for at least one more year. So don’t get your hopes up just yet.
Is the Blood Oxygen Sensor Coming Back to the Apple Watch Series 11?
The short answer, unfortunately, is no. As of now, it’s highly unlikely that Apple will settle the legal issues surrounding this feature, although it’s still fighting the good fight.
However, it’s worth mentioning that this only affects Apple Watch models sold in the United States. It’s business as usual for folks in every other country. Additionally, even for the US models, the hardware for the blood oxygen sensor remains in place — it’s merely disabled via software. If Apple settles the patent issues, the company could reactivate this feature with a software update.
With that said, we may have to wait a bit longer before the issue is resolved. The good news is that the patents causing these problems will expire in 2028, so there’s still hope for blood oxygen monitoring to return to US Apple Watch models eventually.
What About the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch SE?
There is good news for people who love Apple’s most affordable and most expensive wearables: it appears the company will release new versions of the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Ultra this year.
The Apple Watch SE is rumored to feature a redesign. Rumors suggest that Apple will utilize the design of the Apple Watch Series 8 for its affordable model, which is expected to feature a larger body, display, and battery.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to retain the same design as the current generation. However, it will feature a few upgrades. For starters, rumors suggest that this Apple Watch will also feature a blood pressure monitor. Additionally, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to feature satellite connectivity, which would enable you to send messages or make emergency calls even when you don’t have cellular service.
Apple Watch Series 11: Release Date and Price
As we mentioned earlier, we expect Apple to release the brand-new Apple Watch Series 11, alongside the new Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Ultra 3, during the iPhone 17 event, which typically takes place in September.
As for the price, the whole tariff situation could potentially make all Apple Watch models more expensive this year. However, we haven’t heard many rumors about a price increase yet, so it’s possible that Apple will maintain the same $399 and $429 starting prices for the smaller and larger models, respectively.
The same applies to the other Apple Watch models launching this year. We expect Apple to keep the same $249 starting price for the Apple Watch SE and the same starting price of $799 for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Will You Get a New Apple Watch This Year?
The Apple Watch hasn’t been everyone’s favorite Apple product lately, which is why there have been rumors that Apple might stop the yearly updates and focus on more substantial updates in the near future.
However, if the rumors about the Apple Watch Series 11 prove to be true, the new blood pressure monitoring feature might be enough of a selling point for many of us to make an upgrade this year. However, we’ll have to wait a few more months until Apple announces all the new Apple Watch models to see what the company really has in store for us.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
