Apple Watch Series 11: Worth the Hype or Just More of the Same?

Apple’s back with the Series 11, and at first glance, you might be asking: “Is it just 5G and a little more battery life?” Well, yes and no. Let me walk you through my experience.

By Srijith KN,
Senior Editor

The Look and Feel

The first thing you notice is the design. The Series 11 has a larger LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina display, slimmer bezels, and a slightly more rounded shape. Apple has improved durability. The aluminum models use Ion-X front glass with a new ceramic coating that makes it twice as scratch-resistant as before. Titanium models, on the other hand, feature sapphire crystal for maximum toughness. Either way, it feels sturdier and more resistant to daily wear and tear.

Performance & Connectivity

Powering the watch is Apple’s new S10 chip, a dual-core processor with a 4-core Neural Engine. Everything runs smoothly, from apps to health tracking. But the real star of the show is 5G connectivity. Thanks to a redesigned antenna system, the Series 11 offers stronger, more reliable coverage—useful when you’re away from your iPhone or in an emergency.

Battery Life

This time, Apple finally bumps the “all-day” rating from 18 hours to 24 hours of normal use. In Low Power Mode, you can stretch it up to 38 hours. It’s still not multi-day like Garmin or Fitbit, but it does give you breathing room—you won’t feel like you’re chained to the charger every night.

Health & Sleep

Health tracking continues to be a big part of the Apple Watch story. The Series 11 offers:

• Heart rate monitoring & rhythm notifications
• ECG app
• Blood oxygen measurement
• Hypertension notifications
• Wrist temperature sensing for cycle and wellness insights
• Sleep Score

To be fair, wrist temperature tracking and many of these health features were already on the Series 8 and up. The new additions here are hypertension alerts and sleep score. Personally, I don’t enjoy wearing a watch to bed, so sleep tracking isn’t for me—but if you do, the data could be really helpful.

Sizes & Build

The Series 11 comes in 42mm and 46mm case sizes, with options in aluminum or titanium. The titanium version gets sapphire crystal glass, while the aluminum version uses the new tougher Ion-X glass.

It’s water resistant up to 50 meters (WR50), so swimming and showering are no problem. Built-in GPS means you can head out for a run, bike ride, or walk without your phone.

Everyday Stuff

I’ll admit—I wasn’t a fan of the Apple Watch until I actually started using it. The fact is that it’s the glue that ties your Apple ecosystem together. It lets me unlock my Mac without typing a password, approve MFA logins in seconds, keep track of noise levels, and, surprisingly, stay off my iPhone far more than I expected. And honestly, it just makes life a little simpler when I’m out biking, walking, or even scootering—I don’t have to keep pulling my phone out for reasons that really doesn’t require to do so.

Should You Upgrade?

If you already own a Series 10, I’d say hold off unless 5G and a longer battery life are must-haves for you. But if you’re coming from a Series 6 or 7, this is a huge upgrade in design, durability, performance, and features.

For first-time Apple Watch buyers, the Series 11 is an easy “yes.” It’s the most refined Apple Watch yet and gives you the full experience with enough polish to feel fresh for years.

My Verdict

I wasn’t a believer in smartwatches at first. But after using this Apple Watch, Series 11 for a while now, I get it. It won’t blow your mind with radical changes, but the combination of small upgrades—better glass, 5G, improved battery, and health refinements—add up. And now, I can’t stop glancing at my wrist.