The Apple Watch Series 11 finally went on sale on Friday, September 19. People have been eagerly waiting for it since, well, almost exactly one year ago, when the Apple Watch Series 10 launched.
That’s how it goes with Apple products. The second day after one release, people are already thirsting for the next. The Series 11 doesn’t include many updates from the Series 10, but it does differ in a few key ways.
Apple Watch Series 11 (opens in a new window)
Available at Apple
Buy Now (opens in a new window)
Apple Watch 10 vs. Apple, Watch 11
Park them side by side and you can see that the Series 11 is an evolutionary creep forward from the Series 10, not a redesign. Physically, they’re just about the same in form and dimensions. If you can use a Series 10 intuitively, you can use a Series 11.
Apple’s watchOS 26 update rolled out to the Series 10 just as it did for the Series 11, so there’s no software difference between them currently, either. And the processor is the same between the two watches, so don’t expect the new Series 11 to be faster or more powerful.
At least it’ll run for longer between charges. The Series 10 could manage 18 hours on a full charge, whereas the Series 11 increases battery life by a third to a total of 24 hours.
The base-level aluminum Series 11 only comes with GPS, while $100 more adds 5G cellular network connectivity. That’s a noticeable jump from the Series 10, which could only muster support for a 4G LTE connection.
Let’s face it. The Series 10, which debuted in September 2024, was already long in the tooth when it came out four years after 5G networks were becoming widespread in the US. The move to 5G was overdue.
While the titanium version of the Series 11 comes with extremely scratch-resistant sapphire glass, the aluminum Series 11’s standard glass is twice as resistant to scratches as the Series 10’s, according to Apple.
If you already own an Apple Watch Series 10, I’d say you could save your money. Wait to see if next year’s Series 12 includes any more significant technology jumps before dropping a few hundred bucks.
But if you’ve got an even older Apple Watch, the Series 11 could be worth your dollar. It’s a sleek, fast device that, even if it’s by a hair, is the best Apple Watch that Apple has made yet. At least until next year.
Apple Watch Series 11 (opens in a new window)
Available at Apple
Buy Now (opens in a new window)
The post Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 11: What’s Actually Different? appeared first on VICE.
