Apple's Watch 11th Series Evaluation: Excellent Gesture Control with Improved Power Endurance
The newest wearable 11th generation delivers the feature the majority actually want from a smartwatch: extended battery performance.
Otherwise, the updated device functions as a direct replacement to the Series 10, matching it in design, size measurements and features, with many of improvements derived from the operating system.
The Series 11 is also £30 cheaper in the UK, priced starting at £369 (€449/$399 USD/A$679), and sits above the recently updated Watch SE at £219 in the budget category and the premium Ultra 3 at £749 at the high end.
Appearance and Screen
Like last year's tenth series, the latest iteration comes in at 9.7mm thick, creating a slim fit on your arm, easy to sneak under cuffs and easier to wear at night.
The 2,000nit display offers excellent visibility for seeing inside and outside, staying legible when viewed from different angles, making quickly looking for timekeeping or messages simple.
It is covered by glass that is twice as scratch resistant compared to previous models, though not quite as tough as sapphire, that remains exclusive on the pricier titanium versions.
Power and Endurance
The new watch features identical S10 processor found in earlier versions while adding support for 5G connectivity option and stronger reception for those times when you're in the wilderness.
The batteries have increased in storage approximately 10 percent with the smaller and 46mm watches respectively.
Bigger version lasted a good two full days during evaluation featuring overnight analysis but without exercise.
The majority of users will just about be able to track two days and two nights before needing a charge, requiring 66 minutes employing 20W or higher charger (sold separately), achieving around 70 percent in half an hour.
Should you engage in exercise, it will last around 8 hours for monitoring, adequate time for endurance events or extended activities.
Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: 42mm and 46mm
- Device slimness: 9.7mm
- Mass: around 30 to 37g
- Chip: S10 silicon
- Storage: 64GB capacity
- Software platform: watchOS 26
- Swim capability: 50 metres (5ATM)
- Sensors: Heart rate, Electrocardiogram, spO2, Temperature, Depth gauge, mic, speaker, NFC, Global navigation, compass, Altimeter
- Wireless features: Bluetooth technology, wifi 4, NFC capability, UWB, 5G cellular option
Software Enhancements
The Series 11 comes preloaded with watchOS 26, functioning on each iteration starting from Series 6 and subsequent.
It adds recently introduced Liquid Glass design, which makes interface components somewhat see-through, plus introducing fresh interface options: a big digital interface named Flow sensitive to gestures and traditional watch face called Exactograph, which breaks out chronological elements into their own dials.
The standout addition centers on gesture control, involving quick rotation your arm outward then returning to exit screens and return to the watch face.
This functions without looking at the device to view the screen, meaning you can stop notifications through simple motion via arm movement.
Activity Analysis
This smartwatch incorporates a complete wellness tracking package of capabilities available in prior generations but adds a couple of new features and revamped workout app.
Hypertension alerts check for symptoms of hypertension through extended monitoring, informing wearers to get yourself checked out when pulse information shows possibility of underlying conditions.
Enhanced sleep analysis improves sleep monitoring more straightforward to analyze, like other brands including various manufacturers.
Every day the watch shows a numerical rating that is broken down into three categories: duration, bedtime and interruptions, all being self-explanatory and accessible in the Health app on your smartphone also.
Exercise companion is an AI coach utilizing your past activity records to provide pep talks around exercise sessions, like detecting that you have already run regular activity patterns plus intensity measurement you put it.
Also featuring verbal notifications upon achieving particular goals while working out, like specific speed, pulse rate, length, duration or additional measurements.
There is a choice from three speaking tones, providing audio feedback via wireless earbuds connected to your watch across twelve exercise types, like strolling, sprinting or cycling.
However, it only works if you have with you your iPhone 15 Pro or later with you, which I found irritating enough that I would forgo this capability preventing inconvenience carrying mobile devices.
Green Initiatives
Reports indicate energy storage maintains more than 1,000 complete charging sessions with at least 80% of initial performance and is replaceable for £95.
Fixings require approximately £300-400 according to device type.
It contains significant amounts of reused components including aluminium, cobalt metal, copper, glass components, gold materials, lithium components, uncommon minerals, steel parts, tin elements, {titanium|