There’s been a flurry of new devices launched by Apple in the last week, including the new iPhone 17 lineup and Apple Watch Series 11. As with all major device announcements, the question inevitably becomes whether or not upgrading from a prior device is worth it. For Apple Watch Series 10 owners, it’s a valid question, and one we hope to help you solve.
The Apple Watch Series 11 comes in two sizes (42mm and 46mm), two case materials (aluminum and titanium), three band options (rubber, textile, and stainless steel), and seven total colors. That’s quite a lot to choose from, but fortunately, the tech underneath is largely the same for all of them, so we’ll be able to compare the two pretty evenly.
Apple Watch Series 11 vs. 10 price
The least expensive Apple Watch Series 11 is the 42mm aluminum variant that runs for $399. Stepping up to the 46mm option changes the price to $429. Apple then adds a $100 upcharge for cellular connectivity, putting the prices at $499 and $529, respectively.
It’s a similar story with the titanium variant, which starts at $699 for the 42mm version and goes up to $749 for the 46mm. From there, the watches get the same $100 upcharge for cellular, putting the final prices at $799 and $849, respectively. The $849 figure is the highest price you can pay for a standard Apple Watch Series 11.
At launch, the Apple Watch Series 10 had the same prices as its Series 11 successor, and for the same configurations. The lowest price was $399 for a 42mm aluminum Wi-Fi only model, and maxed out at $849 for a 46mm titanium model with cellular connectivity. Looking around at retail sites like Best Buy, the prices seem largely unchanged from launch, although that’s likely to change once the Series 11 officially launches.
Apple Watch Series 11 vs. 10 specs
The story is going to be very similar for the specs as well. Here’s how they shake out.
Apple Watch Series 11 specs
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Chip – S10 chip with 64-bit dual-core processor
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Storage – 64GB
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Display – A 374 by 466 (42mm) or 416 by 496 (46mm) resolution OLED screen with LTPO3.
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Battery life – 24 hours
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Connectivity – Wi-Fi 4, 5G and 4G LTE, and GPS
Apple Watch Series 10 specs
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Chip – S10 chip with 64-bit dual-core processor
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Storage – 64GB
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Display – A 374 by 466 (42mm) or 416 by 496 (46mm) resolution OLED screen with LTPO3.
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Battery – 18 hours
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Connectivity – Wi-Fi 4, 4G LTE, GPS
So, as you can see, the case for an upgrade isn’t going too well. Both watches have virtually identical specs and screens. With the Apple Watch Series 10 getting watchOS 26, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the two apart in any capacity when looking at the spreadsheet.
However, there are some subtle improvements. Apple’s optimizations have increased the battery life on the Apple Watch Series 11 to 24 hours instead of 18 from the prior generation, and it added 5G connectivity. The battery life is a pretty big deal, and some folks may want to upgrade for that alone. However, if the battery on the Series 10 is fine with you, then you won’t see any demonstrable improvements with an upgrade.
Design
This one is going to be pretty easy. The design for both the Series 10 and Series 11 watches is virtually identical in every way, down to the measurements. As an example, the 42mm version of both the Series 10 and Series 11 measures 42mm high by 36mm wide and 9.7mm deep. Even the dial is in the same spot on the right side of the watch body.
The only difference appears to be in color. The Series 10 had three aluminum colors and three titanium colors. Apple increased this to four aluminum colors with the Series 11. All of the colors are identical except the Series 11 gets a Space Gray version. Other than that, everything else here is the same.
According to the rumor mill, Apple is waiting for the Series 12 before making any adjustments to the overall design of the watch. So, if aesthetics matter to you, we’d wait until next year to see what the new design is like.
Sensors
One of the big reasons to get an Apple Watch is its myriad sensors that measure everything from body temperature to heart rate. Apple keeps it simple here, and the sensors available in both watches are the same. They include:
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Electrical heart sensor
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Third-generation optical heart sensor
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Temperature sensor
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Compass
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Always-on altimeter
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High-g accelerometer
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High dynamic range gyroscope
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Ambient light sensor
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Depth gauge
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Water temperature sensor
So, if you’re looking for a new sensor, the Series 11 isn’t the place to find it, and your Apple Watch Series 10 still has all the same stuff. However, Apple did some health and wellness stuff for the Series 11. As of this writing, both watches have the following features.
Health features
Apple’s health features are one of the main selling points of the Apple Watch. The company is quite proud of the fact that the Apple Watch has saved people’s lives, and uses those stories often in its marketing. In any case, both the Watch 10 and 11 have mostly the same features. They include:
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Blood oxygen app
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ECG app
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Menstrual cycle tracking (with ovulation estimates)
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Heart rate app
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High and low heart rate notifications
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Medications app
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Mindfulness app
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Sleep app (including sleep stages)
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Noise app (notifies you if nearby sounds are too loud)
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Sleep Apnea notifications
Like with everything else, the two are mostly the same, but with one or two small differences. The Apple Watch Series 11 has added hypertension notifications, but patient Apple Watch Series 10 users will also get the feature in a future software update. So, eventually, there will be complete parity here as well.
Software
Lastly, we come to software. The Apple Watch Series 11 will ship with watchOS 26, and the Series 10 will receive the update on September 15, 2025. Thus, starting on September 16, these two watch generations will run the same software. There are a load of features coming with the update, like a new AI workout buddy that encourages you when you hit exercise milestones and four new watch faces for Apple Watch users to choose from.
In short, don’t upgrade
In general, the people who should consider upgrading are those with much older Apple Watches that haven’t yet received the S10 chip and all of the cool stuff it comes with. However, if you have an Apple Watch Series 10, you’re only missing out on a small handful of improvements, like better battery life, a new watch color, and more scratch-resistant glass. The overwhelming majority of the experience is going to be largely identical. Since Apple intends to give the Apple Watch a more serious update for the Series 12, your best bet is to wait for that unless you really want that extra six hours of battery life.
