Apple Watch Series Eleven Review: Wrist-Flickingly Good with Extended Battery Performance
Our latest Apple Watch 11th generation introduces the one thing many users really need from a smartwatch: improved power endurance.
Apart from that, the updated device acts as an immediate successor from the previous model, maintaining similarity in appearance, proportions and functions, with the majority of enhancements originating from software.
The latest version is also £30 cheaper in the UK, costing from £369 sterling (€449/399 dollars/679 Australian dollars), and sits above the newly revamped Watch SE at £219 in the budget category and the premium Ultra 3 at £749 for top-tier users.
Build and Interface
Similar to the previous Series 10, the new model comes in at under 10mm slim, resulting in a slender profile to the wrist, convenient to tuck under cuffs and more comfortable during sleep.
This 2,000-nit OLED screen is plenty bright for viewing inside and outside, remaining clear to read off-angle, making taking a peek to check time or messages straightforward.
Protecting the display using glass reportedly significantly more durable compared to previous models, though not quite as tough compared to sapphire, that remains exclusive on the pricier titanium models.
Power and Endurance
This latest device utilizes equivalent S10 silicon as last year's model while adding support for 5G connectivity option plus enhanced signal strength for those times away from civilization.
The batteries have increased in storage approximately 10 percent for the 42mm and larger versions respectively.
The 46mm lasted a good 48 hours during evaluation featuring overnight analysis but without exercise.
Typical wearers should approximately be able to track 48 hours including sleep prior to requiring power, needing about 66 minutes employing 20W or greater power adaptor (sold separately), achieving around 70 percent in half an hour.
Should you participate in workouts, the device can continue about eight hours for monitoring, sufficient duration to complete marathons or two.
Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: Two size variants
- Profile depth: Under 10mm
- Device weight: around 30 to 37g
- Chip: S10
- Memory: 64GB
- Software platform: latest watchOS
- Water resistance: 5ATM rating (5ATM)
- Monitoring features: Heart rate, Electrocardiogram, spO2, temp, Depth gauge, mic, Speaker, NFC, GNSS, Compass, Altimeter
- Wireless features: Bluetooth technology, wifi 4, NFC, UWB, 5G cellular option
watchOS 26 Features
The latest device includes updated software, functioning on all models from 2020's Series 6 and newer.
It adds recently introduced transparent design elements, creating most elements somewhat see-through, and adds fresh interface options: an expansive digital display called Flow that responds to movement and traditional watch face titled Exactograph, which breaks out chronological elements into individual displays.
The standout addition centers on gesture control, involving quick rotation your arm outward then returning to dismiss things returning to the main interface.
It works even without raising your wrist to view the screen, enabling wearers to dismiss alarms using a quick gesture via arm movement.
Wellness Monitoring
The wearable device includes an extensive health monitoring suite of capabilities available in prior generations plus including a couple of new features and revamped workout app.
Hypertension alerts check for symptoms of elevated BP over a 30-day period, notifying you to seek medical advice when pulse information shows possibility of undetected issues.
The new sleep score metric makes Apple's sleep tracking more straightforward to analyze, like other brands from multiple companies.
Daily upon waking the screen presents a percentage score divided into categories across three areas: time asleep, schedule and wakeups, each easy to understand and accessible via the health software on your smartphone too.
Fitness assistant functions as intelligent training employing your historical exercise information to deliver encouragement during fitness activities, including identifying previous running sessions regular activity patterns plus intensity measurement you achieved.
Also featuring audible heads-up upon achieving specific targets during exercise, like specific speed, cardiac rhythm, range, duration or other metrics.
Users can select among three vocal styles, delivering verbal guidance via wireless earbuds paired with the device for multiple workout categories, like strolling, sprinting or cycling.
But, this feature depends on if you have with you your iPhone 15 Pro or later with you, creating frustration enough that I would forgo this capability eliminating hassle bringing phones during exercise.
Sustainability and Environment
Apple says the battery should last exceeding 1000 full charge cycles maintaining 80 percent of its original capacity and can be replaced at £95 cost.
Fixings require approximately £300-400 according to device type.
It contains more than 40% reused components including aluminium, cobalt, copper, glass, gold materials, lithium, rare earth elements, steel parts, tin, {titanium|
