Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 10: Just What’s Different Between These Flagships?

When Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 11, it got here with a way of déja vu, as its options appeared fairly near the Series 10 that it changed. If you are on the lookout for a brand new smartwatch, is it higher to discover a refurb or used Series 10 than purchase the most recent? Read on as I’ve put collectively all of the variations that may assist making a decision, particularly for those who’re coming from an older mannequin. 

Let’s examine the fashions aspect by aspect and tease out the finer particulars.

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Pricing the Apple Watch Series 11

The Series 11 has stored the identical worth because the Series 10. It begins at $399 for the mannequin with an aluminum physique or $699 for one made from titanium.

Add $30 for the bigger 46mm case measurement in aluminum, or $50 for titanium. Opting for a mannequin with a mobile radio that connects independently to networks provides $100. And for those who select a band made from one thing apart from rubber or textile — a stainless-steel hyperlink bracelet, for instance — the value climbs additional. Unfortunately, you possibly can’t order simply the watch case; you must choose a brand new band, even when it leads to your drawer in favor of 1 you already personal and like.

There’s additionally a titanium Apple Watch Hermès mannequin accessible in silver titanium in each sizes that begins at $1,249.

Apple not sells the Series 10, because the Series 11 replaces it, however you possibly can nonetheless discover refurbished Series 10 fashions for much less from Apple, and new fashions from different retailers whereas provides final.

 

Watch this: Apple Watch Series 11 Review: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

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Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 10: Outward design

The Series 11 and Series 10 share the identical case design and supplies. The bigger mannequin measures 46mm tall by 39mm large, whereas the smaller is available in at 42mm by 36mm. (Kudos to Apple for persevering with to supply two sizes to accommodate individuals with different-sized wrists.) They’re each additionally 1mm slimmer than the Apple Watch fashions that got here earlier than, at 9.7mm.

 

Despite having related dimensions, the Series 11 is barely heavier than the Series 10. For instance, the 46mm aluminum GPS Series 11 weighs 37.8 grams in comparison with 36.4 grams for the Series 10. The 42mm variations are available in at 30.3 grams and 30.0 grams, respectively.

For colours, the Series 11 provides house grey aluminum to associate with rose gold, silver and jet black. Both fashions are additionally accessible in titanium finishes of slate, gold and pure.

 

The bodily controls are unchanged between the collection, together with the dial that Apple calls the Digital Crown and a aspect button (that Apple cleverly calls the “aspect button”). Only the Apple Watch Ultra features a third bodily management, the Action button.

Also noteworthy: The titanium Series 11 is made from 100% recycled titanium, up from 95% recycled materials within the titanium Series 10. The show glass is made from 40% recycled glass within the Series 11; no quantity is listed for the Series 10. And the battery within the Series 11 makes use of 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium. (The Series 10 lists solely 100% recycled cobalt.)

Series 11 vs. Series 10 screens

The screens on each the Series 11 and Series 10 watches have a wide-angle LTPO 3 OLED show. That means it is simpler to see the contents from an angle, and the always-on show refreshes as soon as per second, permitting the seconds counter to maneuver even when the watch is in inactive mode.

LTPO3 screens are additionally extra energy environment friendly. The screens attain as much as 2,000 nits for clear visibility in daylight and dim down to simply 1 nit in darkness.

The key distinction between the Series 11 and Series 10 screens lies within the glass protecting. On the Series 11 aluminum fashions, Apple makes use of Ion-X glass, which it claims is twice as scratch-resistant because the glass on earlier aluminum variations. The titanium Series 11 makes use of a sapphire crystal show.

 

Apple Watch processor and chips

Normally we might spotlight how the brand new processor improves on its predecessor, however for 2025 Apple caught with the identical S10 processor discovered within the Series 10. That additionally means the opposite chips stay the identical, too: the W3 Apple Wireless chip, the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (for exact Find My location monitoring), a four-core Neural Engine, and 64GB of storage.

Battery energy: Series 11 vs. Series 10

Battery life is the place the 2 fashions get actually attention-grabbing. Apple would not reveal how giant the built-in lithium-ion battery is or its capability, however it’s claiming as much as 24 hours for the Series 11 in comparison with 18 hours for the Series 10. In Low Power Mode, that is as much as 38 hours for the Series 11, up from 36 hours within the Series 10.

It’s not fully clear the place Apple squeezed an additional six hours of battery life out of what seems to be principally similar {hardware}. Both use the identical S10 processor, although there are doubtless software program optimizations in WatchOS 26. CNET lead author Vanessa Hand Orellana discovered that, not less than initially, Apple could also be undercounting the battery efficiency, writing in her evaluate, “With notifications turned on (heavy Slack-ing and texting), not less than one 30- to 45-minute outside exercise a day, a full evening of sleep monitoring and a few gentle flashlight use, I’ve persistently managed to squeeze between 27 and 32 hours per cost.”

(*11*)

 

As for charging the watches, each the Series 11 and Series 10 might be charged as much as 80% in about half-hour. Apple says that with a 20W energy adapter, quarter-hour of quick charging offers as much as 8 hours of standard use, whereas simply 5 minutes is sufficient for eight hours of sleep monitoring — due to the watch’s a lot decrease energy calls for whilst you’re asleep. Apple’s comparability info for the Series 10 would not listing these final two metrics, however that appears extra as a consequence of it being a advertising and marketing level final yr versus a brand new functionality within the Series 11.

Comparing the sensors of the Series 11 and Series 10

The Apple Watch’s sensors energy well being options that vary from heart-rate monitoring to depth sensing to specific location monitoring. That stated…

They’re similar within the Series 11 and Series 10. No adjustments right here.

Another change: Connectivity within the Series 11 and Series 10

One of the extra notable adjustments within the mobile fashions of the Series 11 is assist for 5G networks, particularly a power-efficient sort known as 5G Reduced Capacity (or 5G RedCap). That permits it to hook up with each 5G and LTE networks with out having to undergo a related iPhone, and the 5G speeds ought to be higher. By comparability, the mobile Series 10 helps LTE and UMTS (3G).

 

Part of incorporating 5G into the Series 11 fashions is a redesigned mobile antenna and an algorithm that “concurrently engages the 2 system antennas when wanted, considerably rising the sign power,” in accordance with Apple’s Series 11 press launch. That algorithm is unique to the Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, in accordance with Apple.

Both Apple Watch fashions assist Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.5GHz and 5GHz speeds. (Apple’s comparability web page solely lists the speeds for the Series 11, however an Apple Watch Wi-Fi assist web page notes 5GHz has been supported because the Series 6 watches.)

Both watches discuss to the iPhone and different peripherals utilizing Bluetooth 5.3.

WatchOS 26 on the Apple Watch Series 11 and Series 10

The new options of WatchOS 26 come to each watch fashions, together with hypertension notifications, Sleep Score and the Blood Oxygen app (making its reappearance within the US amid an ongoing authorized dispute). Apple’s comparability web page lists the brand new Wrist Flick gesture for the Series 11 however not the Series 10, though that have to be a typo as a result of I can affirm that it really works on my Series 10 watch.