Apple Watch Series 11

The Apple Watch Series 11 is an evolution, not a reinvention. It looks and measures almost the same as the Series 10 and runs the same S10 chip. Anyone hoping for a performance leap will be disappointed. What Apple has done is spend the year on the things people actually notice day to day: a bigger battery, more scratch-resistant glass on the aluminium models, optional 5G and new health features such as hypertension notifications and a sleep score.

This watch is best suited to iPhone owners on an older Apple Watch, or buying their first one, who want a capable all-rounder for notifications, health tracking and casual fitness. Series 10 owners have little reason to upgrade. Serious runners should note the omissions that matter to them: no dedicated lap button, no dual-band GPS, and battery life that still trails dedicated sports watches.

Our verdict rests on whether small, sensible upgrades justify a new model. In this case they largely do, helped by a £30 price cut in the UK to £369.

• Battery: This is the headline improvement. Capacity is reportedly up 9% on the 42mm model and 11% on the 46mm model. In testing, the 46mm model managed about two days with sleep tracking, as long as you skipped workouts. That makes overnight sleep tracking far more practical than on earlier generations, which matters given the new sleep score. Fast charging to 80% in around 30 minutes also helps fit top-ups into a routine.
• Durability: Ion-X glass with twice the scratch resistance is a welcome change for the aluminium models, which most buyers choose. Titanium buyers keep the sapphire crystal.
• Health and connectivity: Hypertension notifications are a notable addition for health-conscious users. Optional 5G is a useful future-proofing step for cellular buyers.
• Stagnation: Reusing the S10 chip and an essentially unchanged design makes this feel like a refinement year. The new Space Grey aluminium colour is the most visible change.
• Sports limitations: Committed runners and athletes will miss the dual-band GPS and the physical lap button. Multi-day training use is still not a strength.

Overall, the Series 11 is a strong, sensible smartwatch that improves where it counts and costs less in the UK than its predecessor. It earns a high score as a mainstream recommendation, held back by the lack of new silicon and the compromises it makes for serious athletes.