Should You Upgrade To Apple Watch Series 11? Here's How It Compares To Older Models

Screenshot: Apple, Design: Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

I'm an Apple loyalist, but I don't upgrade my devices each year. Longevity is 1 of my favourite things astir Apple hardware; I tin beryllium reassured that my investments will past maine for years. 

When a shiny caller merchandise rolls around, I don't consciousness nan propulsion to switch retired nan 1 I person astatine location that still useful perfectly. This is why I still stone my Apple Watch Series 7 aft 4 years, and why I person yet to upgrade my iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

Also: Apple Event unrecorded updates 2025: iPhone 17, AirPods 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and much news

Every clip a caller Apple Watch drops, I measurement nan pros and cons of upgrading earlier making a decision. Most of nan time, nan upgrade doesn't look worthy it, but location are a batch of caller Apple Watch Series 11 features this twelvemonth that make it a compelling buy. Here's really nan caller Apple Watch 11 compares to nan astir celebrated older Apple Watch models.

Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 10

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Most caller Apple Watch models are visually very similar, and nan Series 10 and nan caller Series 11 are nary exceptions. The latest Apple Watch 11 follows nan erstwhile model's inclination of being nan thinnest Apple Watch and carries each of nan Series 10's features and past some, including extending nan Series 10's 18-hour artillery life to up to 24 hours. 

The Apple Watch Series 11 is doubly arsenic scratch-resistant arsenic nan Series 10, supports 5G cellular networks, and features nan biggest update yet: humor unit monitoring to alert you of imaginable hypertension indicators. Apple is besides adding a slumber people to springiness you amended insights into your slumber quality, taking into relationship slumber duration, interruptions, slumber cycles, and bedtime.  

Also: How to preorder Apple's latest devices, including nan iPhone 17 series

Even pinch each nan caller Series 11 features, you really can't spell incorrect sticking to nan Apple Watch 10. The truth is that galore users wouldn't warrant upgrading from nan Series 10 to nan 11, simply because it's an iterative upgrade -- location aren't immoderate awesome operational aliases creation changes. Many of nan astir eye-catching features, for illustration hypertension notifications and slumber score, will beryllium disposable successful older models, including nan Series 10. 

It's worthy noting that hypertension notifications are still nether FDA review. Apple expects this to beryllium cleared this month, aft which it will make it disposable connected Apple Watch 9 and newer, arsenic good arsenic Apple Watch Ultra 2 and newer. 

The Apple Watch 10 supports irregular hit notifications, nan ECG app, humor oxygen monitoring, slumber apnea monitoring, autumn detection, slumber tracking, and nan Vitals app.  

Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 9

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

Similar to nan Apple Watch 10, nan Series 9 is still a worthy replacement to nan latest model. The Series 9 is only a mates of years old, and Apple made a batch of nan newest features disposable for it via package updates. 

Now that oxygen monitoring is disposable again, nan Apple Watch 9 supports each of nan features from its predecessor, positive galore of nan ones introduced pinch nan Series 10, for illustration slumber apnea notifications, autumn and clang detection, and wrist somesthesia sensing. The Series 9 is besides nan first Apple Watch to present nan second-generation ultra-wideband chip, a much energy-efficient spot that supports precision finding.

Also: Why I'm sticking pinch my iPhone 12 for different twelvemonth - and I'm not alone

Like nan Series 10, nan older Series 9 will support hypertenstion notifications erstwhile it's cleared by nan FDA, and will besides support nan slumber score. 

The Series 9 is visually akin to nan 7 and 8, but it has doubly nan highest brightness of nan older models. Unfortunately, Apple Watch models earlier nan Series 10 person a somewhat smaller progressive surface area because their displays are astir 9% smaller. 

Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 8

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

If you person an Apple Watch Series 8 aliases older, an upgrade to nan caller Apple Watch 11 whitethorn beryllium justifiable. While nan Apple Watch hasn't ever been taxable to awesome redesign changes, noteworthy features person travel to nan wearable to make nan Series 11 a bully campaigner for an upgrade. 

Also: I've worn my Apple Watch Ultra for 2 years - and I can't judge nan style it's in

The Apple Watch 8 supports bosom complaint monitoring, ECG, humor oxygen tracking, clang detection, and an 18-hour artillery life. It supports WatchOS 26 but doesn't person nan built-in capabilities to capitalize connected immoderate of nan caller operating system's champion features, for illustration nan Vitals app, hypertension notifications, and slumber apnea monitoring. 

While Series 6 and newer Apple Watches will support Apple's slumber score, hypertension notifications requires an Apple Watch 9 aliases later, truthful nan Series 8 won't support it. 

Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 7

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

As a existent Apple Watch Series 7 user, I fishy nan Apple Watch 11 will beryllium nan first 1 successful 4 years that whitethorn really person maine to upgrade. Before this year, nan specified nonaccomplishment of humor oxygen monitoring was capable to put maine disconnected upgrading altogether, since a Series 9 aliases 10 meant losing nan feature. Yet this characteristic has already been reinstated, and galore much wellness features make nan move much compelling.

Also: Apple conscionable launched caller watches, but these are our favourite deals connected existing Apple Watch models

My Apple Watch 7 useful conscionable arsenic it did nan first time I group it up, albeit pinch a fewer scuffs and scratches. I've worn it regular since its motorboat pinch small deterioration to its artillery life. It besides still supports WatchOS 26, Apple's latest smartwatch operating system.

But arsenic personification who enjoys wearables' wellness monitoring features, I look guardant to testing nan caller Apple Watch's hypertension alerts, Workout Buddy, Vitals app, slumber apnea notifications, and somesthesia sensing connected a newer exemplary that supports them.