Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 11, which comes with its most advanced health features so far, longer battery life, a tougher cover glass, and 5G cellular support. This is also the thinnest and most comfortable Apple Watch yet. The Series 11 helps users stay on top of their health with notifications for chronic high blood pressure (also called hypertension) and new sleep insights via the Sleep Score feature, with up to 24 hours of battery life and Ion-X glass that is twice as scratch-resistant. It is easier than ever to wear the Apple Watch all day and night. The new watchOS 26C brings more ways to stay active, healthy, and connected, including Workout Body powered by Apple intelligence, a wrist-flick gesture, new watch faces, and more.
You can pre-order the Apple Watch Series 11 starting today with availability on Friday, September 19. The Series 11 comes in aluminum with new Space Gray, Jet Black, Rose Boyer, and Silver options, as well as rest titanium in natural gourd and slate.
Apple Watch is the world’s most popular watch, offering powerful sensors for personal health insights and acting as a fitness coach, message center, wallet, and timepiece. With hypertension notifications, Sleep Score, longer battery life, 5G, and a comfortable design, Series 11 helps users stay healthy, fit, and connected day and night, said Stan Ng, Apple’s Vice President of Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing.
Longer Battery Life, More Durable, Ion‑X Glass, and 5G Cellular
Apple Watch Series 11 now offers up to 24 hours of battery life in a thinner, more comfortable design. Fast charging provides up to 8 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes, making it easy to wear overnight.
The thin, elegant Apple Watch Series 11 is highly durable for the gym, running, or swimming. The aluminum model uses twice as scratch-resistant Ion-X glass, while titanium retains a sapphire front crystal, optimizing durability across all models.
With a cellular plan, Apple Watch users can make calls, send messages, and get help from emergency services even without their iPhone. The new 5G cellular support means faster downloads for music, podcasts, and apps, improving reception in areas with weak coverage. Series 11 has a redesigned antenna that covers more bands and can use both system antennas simultaneously to boost signal strength.
Hypertension Notifications
Apple Watch Series 11 adds new hypotension notifications to its health features. These alerts notify users when signs of chronic high blood pressure (hypertension) are detected. Hypertension is the top modifying risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. It affects about 1.3 billion adults worldwide. It often goes undiagnosed because it usually has no symptoms. Many people do not visit a doctor regularly, and a single measurement during a checkup can miss it.
The Apple Watch uses its optical heart sensor to track how your blood vessels respond to your heartbeat. Its algorithm runs in the background and reviews data over 30 days. It will alert you if it finds ongoing signs of hypertension. These notifications provide users with helpful health insights simply by wearing the watch. This makes it easier to start lifestyle changes or seek medical advice to lower the risk of serious health problems.
Like other Apple Health features, high-potential notifications are based on strong scientific research. This feature was built using advanced machine learning and data from studies with over 100,000 participants and then tested in a clinical study with more than 2,000 people. While it may not catch every case, Apple expects the feature to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension in its first year.
Hypertension remains a leading preventable cause of heart attack and stroke, yet millions are diagnosed each year, said Harlan Krumholz, MD-SM, cardiologist and scientist at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital. Integrating accurate detection into daily routines can help people get care earlier and prevent avoidable harm.
If you receive a hypertension notification, track your blood pressure for 7 days with a third‑party cuff and share the results with your doctor. Follow the American Heart Association guidelines for diagnosing and managing hypertension.
FDA and other regulatory clearance for hypertension notifications is expected soon, and the feature will be available in over 150 countries and regions, including the US and the EU, this month. Hypertension modifications will work on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later with WatchOS 26.
Sleep Score
Sleep is essential for good health and daily recovery. Apple Watch lets users track their sleep using sensors that measure heart rate, rest temperature, blood oxygen, and breathing rate. It can even detect signs of sleep apnea (a condition where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep). With watchOS 26, the new Sleep Score feature provides a summary based on multiple sleep factors, helping users understand and improve their sleep.
Many factors affect sleep quality, including how long you sleep, how consistent your bedtime is, how often you wake up, and how much time you spend in each sleep stage. The sleep score feature tracks all these factors and provides a clear, easy-to-understand matrix of your sleep. Each morning, you get an overall score and a breakdown of the most important parts in the Sleep app, so you know what to focus on and improve your rest. You can also see your sleep score on your watch face or in Smart Track and track your scores over time in the Health app on your iPhone.
The Sleep Score algorithm is based on recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the National Sleep Foundation, and the World Sleep Society. Apple used data from over 5 million nights in the Apple Heart and Movement Study to develop these algorithms.
Hypertension notifications and sleep score are now part of a powerful lineup of health features on Apple Watch, which also includes irregular rhythm notifications, high- and low-heart rate alerts, the ECG app, blood oxygen, sleep apnea notifications, and retrospective ovulation estimates.
Updates to the Workout Experience
With watchOS 26, Apple Watch Series 11 introduces Workout Buddy, a new fitness feature powered by Apple Intelligence. It analyzes your workout data and fitness history to give you personalized spoken motivation during your session. It uses information like heart rate, pace, distance, activity rings, and personal targets. Workout Buddy will launch in English for some of the most popular workout types and works with Bluetooth headphones when you have an Apple Intelligence–supported iPhone nearby.
The Workout app now features a new layout for easier workout customization with workout views, custom workouts, pacer, race route, and more. You can view and create workouts in the Fitness app on your iPhone and quickly access them in the Workout app on Apple Watch.
To boost notifications, set music and podcasts to play automatically when exercising. Apple Music can now pick the best music based on workout type and your preferences, or suggest music or podcasts based on recent listening during similar sessions.
Featuring WatchOS 26
Along with new health features and Workout Buddy, watchOS 26 brings a refreshed design, smarter tools, and more ways to stay active, healthy, and connected.
- A beautiful new software design with liquid glass brings a bright, expressive look to photos, watch face, smart stack widgets, smart stack hints, notifications, Control Center, and in-app controls and navigation.
- The watch face gallery has now been redesigned and includes two new faces: Flow, which uses liquid dust—numerals that reflect colorful swirls and respond to your wrist’s movement—and Exactograph, a modern take on a traditional regular clock that separates hours, minutes, and seconds for exact timekeeping. More than 20 faces have also been updated, so you can see the time at a glance without raising your wrist.
- A new one-handed wrist-flick gesture lets you easily dismiss notifications, stop a timer, or silence an alarm. This joins the double-tap gesture, making it easier to use your Apple Watch when your other hand is busy.
- Smart Stack hints are proactive points that offer practical, context-specific solutions tailored to your sensor data and daily routine.
- Live translation in messages with Apple intelligence automatically translates incoming texts to your preferred language on your Apple Watch when it is paired with an Apple intelligence–supported iPhone. If your device language is set to English, Apple Watch will also suggest relevant actions in the Messages app, such as starting a check-in when a friend asks you to share when you get home, or using Apple Cash. When someone asks you to chip in for a group gift. When a user is waiting for a live region, HoldAssist detects when it becomes available and notifies the user to return the call. Call screening helps users manage incoming phone calls from unknown numbers more efficiently by collecting a name and the reason for the call before the call rings, so they can make an informed decision on whether to pick up, decline, or request additional details.
Lineup
- Apple Watch Series 11 comes in 42 mm and 46 mm sizes with aluminum cases in jet black, rose gold, silver, and new space gray. It’s also available in brushed titanium, natural gold, and slate.
- Apple Watch Hermès is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes with a silver titanium case. Colors include Forest, Neon Yellow, Anchor Blue, Purple Fog, and more.
Nike offers the Spoke Band and Sport Look in different colors. The Nike sport look now features reflective yarn woven into the fabric.
The Apple Watch Hermes Collection now offers the Faubourg Party Knit band. It features a matching animated watch face inspired by the brand’s Paris flagship. Both are available for 42mm and 46mm sizes. There is also a new narrow Grand H Metal Link band for the 42mm case. This collection features new colors for all bands.
Apple Watch Series 11 And The Environment
Apple 2030 is the company’s plan to become carbon neutral. By the end of the decade, it aims to cut emissions from materials, electricity, and transportation. The Apple Watch Series 11 uses 40% recycled content. Its battery uses 100% recycled cobalt. Its case is made from 100% recycled titanium or aluminum. The titanium cases are made using a 3D printing process that uses half as much raw material as before. Only renewable electricity, such as wind and solar, is used throughout the supply chain. Apple Watch Series 11 is built to last, can be repaired, and offers top-of-the-line performance while meeting Apple’s standards for energy efficiency and safe materials. Its paper packaging is made entirely from fiber and is easy to recycle.
Apple 2030 covers more than just products. Today, Apple’s global corporate operations are carbon neutral. All facilities use only renewable electricity. This includes Apple’s intelligence data centers. Together, these states have cut Apple’s global greenhouse gas emissions by over 60% since 2015.
Source: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/apple-debuts-apple-watch-series-11-featuring-groundbreaking-health-insights/
