All three Apple Watch models get an update this year, and while the changes may seem minor, they could just be the right reason to upgrade.
It’s a busy month for Apple, and definitely a busy week. You may have heard about the awe-dropping event where for iPhones were unveiled, including a standard iPhone 17, two Pro models with a triple 48 megapixel camera stack, and a super thin Air model on the way, as well.
But what is an iPhone launch without a set of Apple Watches? And that’s what this launch continued, as all three Apple Watches saw updates, some of them on the minor side, but still useful all the same.
The obvious update: Series 11 Apple Watch
First up, there’s the obvious update that happens every year, now in version 11: the Apple Watch.
For the Series 11 Apple Watch, the focus is on something Apple desperately needs to pay attention to: battery life. Officially, the expectation is on up to 24 hours of life, with a fast charge of 15 minutes delivering eight hours.
Surprisingly, there’s no new processor here, as Apple leaves the S10 from the previous model in this one. However, the battery may be bigger, and found in a slightly more durable design sporting improved scratch resistant glass, which glancing down at the Series 10 aluminium Apple Watch we reviewed may be necessary to last as long as possible.
Titanium models in the premium space will get improved scratch and crack resistance thanks to sapphire glass, and folks using an eSIM Apple Watch will find improvements due to a redesigned antenna system.
Most of the focus here in the S11 Apple Watch is on design and battery, but software plays a significant part, as well.
Part of that includes a sleep score using a combination of sensors and the recent Australian activation of sleep apnoea tracking, while the fitness experience on the Apple wearable now supports “Workout Buddy” that uses Apple Intelligence to process fitness history and data to provide spoken motivation, milestones, and more while using the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 11 replaces the Series 10 before it, priced from $679 locally.
A watch for sports and adventurers: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Moving from the S11 Apple Watch is the more impressive generation of that range, the Apple Watch Ultra, which is now in its third version.
A larger model than the S11, the Ultra 3 supports a 49 inch screen as its only size just like the Ultra 2 and the original Watch Ultra before it, but upgrades the hardware from the S9 chip to the same S10 used in the smaller model, and boosts the battery considerably. Interestingly, the screen is actually slightly different and now shows slightly more screen, while still being a 49 inch display.
By comparison to the 24 in the Series 11 and the up to 36 in the Apple Watch Ultra 2, there is closer to 42 hours in the Ultra 3, which is the most of any Apple Watch model not in a low power mode.
The sensors haven’t really changed — you’ll still get heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, and a few other things just like the standard Series 11 Apple Watch — but the Ultra 3 now also gets satellite connectivity support, meaning a connection to an emergency service when you desperately need it.
Like the Series 11, Apple’s other features are around, including sleep score Workout Buddy, though the sporty side of things offers more sports and fitness modes, too, all while keeping the watch in a titanium body.
Its price remains the same, launching in Australia from $1399.
The watch for everyone else: Apple Watch SE
Perhaps the most interesting of the models is the Watch SE, even if it sees a feature set tapered back from both the S11 and Ultra 3.
By comparison, the Apple Watch SE 3 doesn’t have anywhere near as much in the way of sensor technology. It will cover your heart rate, temperature, steps, sleep tracking and apnoea, but it doesn’t support the ECG app or the Blood Oxygen app, suggesting your heart’s electrical activity and SpO2 are off the cards. It also misses water temperature and depth sensing, using Apple’s second-gen optical heart rate sensor compared to a third-gen on the other two models.
Technically, the Apple Watch SE 3 reads as a spec drop, even though it uses the same S10 as the other models, and works with both sleep score and Workout Buddy.
But like the previous Apple Watch SE, it also comes with a much more wallet-friendly starting price, from $399 in Australia for the GPS only model and from $489 for the model with 4G built in.
For many, that will make the Apple Watch SE 3 the winner on money alone, while bringing some of the sensor and health tech found across the range, including ovulation estimates, fall detection, and cycle tracking, to name a few.
Pricing and availability
All three look set for updates very shortly, on their way to stores from September 19, starting from $399 in Australia for the Apple Watch SE 3 in 40mm with a slightly higher priced 44mm model, while the Series 11 Apple Watch starts from $679, available in both 42mm and 46mm. And the Apple Watch Ultra 3 launches at $1399 only in one size, 49mm.
