Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 10: How These 2 Almost-Identical Watches Compare

For those who took a fast have a look at the options of the brand new Apple Watch Series 11 and its predecessor, the Series 10, I would not blame you in case you did not see a lot distinction. They’re awfully shut in specs — however not completely. I’ve put collectively all the small print from the 2 smartwatches that can assist you resolve whether or not it is price getting the brand new one or shopping for a reduced Collection 10.

Let’s evaluate the fashions aspect by aspect and tease out the finer particulars.

Pricing the Apple Watch Collection 11

The Collection 11 has stored the same price because the Collection 10. It begins at $399 for the mannequin with an aluminum physique or $699 for one made from titanium.

Add $30 for the bigger 46mm case dimension in aluminum, or $50 for titanium. Choosing a mannequin with a mobile radio that connects independently to networks provides $100. And in case you select a band made from one thing aside from rubber or textile — a chrome steel hyperlink bracelet, for instance — the worth climbs additional. Sadly, you may’t order simply the watch case; it’s important to choose a brand new band, even when it leads to your drawer in favor of 1 you already personal and like.

There’s additionally a titanium Apple Watch Hermès mannequin out there in silver titanium in each sizes that begins at $1,249.

Apple now not sells the Collection 10, because the Collection 11 replaces it, however you may nonetheless discover refurbished Collection 10 fashions for much less from Apple, and new fashions from different retailers whereas provides final.

Watch this: Apple Watch Collection 11 Evaluation: Is It Definitely worth the Improve?

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Apple Watch Collection 11 vs. Collection 10: Outward design

The Collection 11 and Collection 10 share the identical case design and supplies. The bigger mannequin measures 46mm tall by 39mm extensive, whereas the smaller is available in at 42mm by 36mm. (Kudos to Apple for persevering with to supply two sizes to accommodate folks with different-size wrists.) They’re each additionally 1mm slimmer than the Apple Watch fashions that got here earlier than, at 9.7mm.

Regardless of having related dimensions, the Collection 11 is barely heavier than the Collection 10. For instance, the 46mm aluminum GPS Collection 11 weighs 37.8 grams in comparison with 36.4 grams for the Collection 10. The 42mm variations are available at 30.3 grams and 30.0 grams, respectively.

For colours, the Collection 11 provides house grey aluminum to associate with rose gold, silver and jet black. Each fashions are additionally out there in titanium finishes of slate, gold and pure.

The bodily controls are unchanged between the collection, together with the dial that Apple calls the Digital Crown and a aspect button (that Apple cleverly calls the “aspect button”). Solely the Apple Watch Extremely features a third bodily management, the Motion button.

Additionally noteworthy: The titanium Collection 11 is made from 100% recycled titanium, up from 95% recycled materials within the titanium Collection 10. The show glass is made from 40% recycled glass within the Collection 11; no quantity is listed for the Collection 10. And the battery within the Collection 11 makes use of 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium. (The Collection 10 lists solely 100% recycled cobalt.)

Collection 11 vs. Collection 10 screens

The screens on each the Collection 11 and Collection 10 watches have a wide-angle LTPO 3 OLED show. Meaning it is simpler to see the contents from an angle, and the always-on show refreshes as soon as per second, permitting the seconds counter to maneuver even when the watch is in inactive mode.

LTPO3 screens are additionally extra power-efficient. The screens attain as much as 2,000 nits for clear visibility in daylight and dim down to simply 1 nit in darkness.

The important thing distinction between the Collection 11 and Collection 10 screens lies within the glass protecting. On the Collection 11 aluminum fashions, Apple makes use of Ion-X glass, which it claims is twice as scratch-resistant because the glass on earlier aluminum variations. The titanium Collection 11 makes use of a sapphire crystal show.

Apple Watch processor and chips

Usually, we might spotlight how the brand new processor improves on its predecessor, however for 2025, Apple caught with the identical S10 processor discovered within the Collection 10. That additionally means the opposite chips stay the identical, too: the W3 Apple Wi-fi chip, the second-generation Extremely Wideband chip (for exact Discover My location monitoring), a four-core Neural Engine, and 64GB of storage.

Battery energy: Collection 11 vs. Collection 10

Battery life is the place the 2 fashions get actually fascinating. Apple would not reveal how giant the built-in lithium-ion battery is or its capability, nevertheless it claims as much as 24 hours for the Collection 11 in contrast with 18 hours for the Collection 10. In Low Energy Mode, that is as much as 38 hours for the Collection 11, up from 36 hours within the Collection 10.

It isn’t completely clear the place Apple squeezed an additional six hours of battery life out of what seems to be largely an identical {hardware}. Each use the identical S10 processor, although there are seemingly software program optimizations in WatchOS 26. CNET lead author Vanessa Hand Orellana discovered that, a minimum of initially, Apple could also be undercounting the battery efficiency, writing in her review, “With notifications turned on (heavy Slack-ing and texting), a minimum of one 30- to 45-minute out of doors exercise a day, a full evening of sleep monitoring and a few delicate flashlight use, I’ve persistently managed to squeeze between 27 and 32 hours per cost.”

As for charging the watches, each the Collection 11 and Collection 10 could be charged as much as 80% in about half-hour. Apple says that with a 20W energy adapter, quarter-hour of quick charging supplies as much as 8 hours of normal use, whereas simply 5 minutes is sufficient for eight hours of sleep monitoring — because of the watch’s a lot decrease energy calls for when you’re asleep. Apple’s comparison information for the Collection 10 would not checklist these final two metrics, however that appears extra as a result of it being a advertising level final 12 months versus a brand new functionality within the Collection 11.

Evaluating the sensors of the Collection 11 and Collection 10

The Apple Watch’s sensors energy well being options that vary from heart-rate monitoring to depth sensing to express location monitoring. That stated…

They’re an identical within the Collection 11 and Collection 10. No modifications right here.

One other change: Connectivity within the Collection 11 and Collection 10

One of many extra notable modifications within the mobile fashions of the Collection 11 is help for 5G networks, particularly a power-efficient sort referred to as 5G Lowered Capability (or 5G RedCap). That enables it to hook up with each 5G and LTE networks with out having to undergo a linked iPhone, and the 5G speeds ought to be higher. By comparability, the mobile Collection 10 helps LTE and UMTS (3G).

A part of incorporating 5G into the Collection 11 fashions is a redesigned mobile antenna and an algorithm that “concurrently engages the 2 system antennas when wanted, considerably rising the sign power,” in response to Apple’s Series 11 press release. That algorithm is unique to the Collection 11 and Apple Watch Extremely 3, in response to Apple.

Each Apple Watch fashions help Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.5GHz and 5GHz speeds. (Apple’s comparability web page solely lists the speeds for the Collection 11, however an Apple Watch Wi-Fi support page notes 5GHz has been supported because the Collection 6 watches.)

Each watches speak to the iPhone and different peripherals utilizing Bluetooth 5.3.

WatchOS 26 on the Apple Watch Collection 11 and Collection 10

The brand new options of WatchOS 26 come to each watch fashions, together with hypertension notifications, Sleep Rating and the Blood Oxygen app (making its reappearance within the US amid an ongoing authorized dispute). Apple’s comparability web page lists the brand new Wrist Flick gesture for the Collection 11 however not the Collection 10, though that have to be a typo as a result of I can verify that it really works on my Collection 10 watch.