While the whole world awaits the arrival of iPhone 17 series at Apple’s next launch event in September, industry insiders are now bringing attention to the next-gen Apple Watch. Considered to be a crucial upgrade to last year’s Apple Watch Series 10, the Series 11 is expected to bring a breath of fresh air to Apple’s wearable collection and potentially introduce new health tracking features to give it a fighting chance against Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Series 8
The new Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to be joined by the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max at the rumoured September launch event. However, don’t discount Apple on releasing a new, lighter and more powerful variant of the now-dated Apple Watch SE.
Apple Watch Series 11: Any upgrades to performance?
The most significant changes are rumoured to be under the hood. The Series 11 is expected to feature a new and faster S11 chip. As is the norm, the new chip will be more powerful and efficient, which could lead to improvements in overall performance and battery life. Additionally, the new Apple Watch may include an updated modem with 5G support. This service is designed for wearables, offering better connectivity and faster speeds than the current LTE.
Watch Series 11 health monitoring: Anything new?
Following in the footsteps of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, Apple is reportedly bringing a blood pressure monitoring feature. While it may not provide precise measurements like a medical-grade device, it could be a significant step forward to getting indicative alerts. Furthermore, the iOS 26 code hints at a new sleep score feature, which would analyse sleep quality to predict a user’s daily function. It is not exactly cutting-edge but it could add to the watch’s sleep-tracking capabilities, thus adding value.
Apple Watch Series 11: Software and design
The Apple Watch Series 11 will launch with watchOS 26, the latter offering new software features such as a “Workout Buddy” and a “Liquid Glass” design. The new OS will also have a revamped Control Center for easier access to settings. All the updates to watchOS are expected to make the Series 11 the most polished smartwatch Apple has ever made.
Sadly, Apple is now expected to make any changes to the design, as previously suggested. The Series 10 had introduced a slimmer new watch body, retaining the old band attachment system. Apple won’t be making any changes to the design, which could spell good news for existing Watch users willing to upgrade but keep using their favourite watch bands/straps.
Apple Watch Series 11: Expected price
Since the changes will be more subtle than ever, you can expect Apple to keep the starting price of the Series 11 unchanged from its predecessor. With rumours suggesting a price hike for the iPhone 17 series, Apple would like to exercise a balance with unchanged price on the Series 11.
