Among the 12 press releases of the “base” Apple Watch models (original Apple Watch through the Series 11), 7 of the 12 have mentioned health and/or fitness features in the headline (or subhead). The Apple Watch Series 11 press release leads with “groundbreaking health insights” and specified hypertension notifications and sleep score as its primary new features along with battery improvements and a more scratch-resistant display.
Stan Ng, Apple’s vice president of Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing, said in the press release that “Apple Watch is the world’s most popular watch, using advanced sensing capabilities to empower millions of people around the world to better understand their health simply by wearing it, while also serving as a fitness coach, message center, mobile wallet, and beautiful timepiece.” He added that the “Apple Watch Series 11 is an indispensable companion that supports users’ health, fitness, safety, and connectivity throughout the day and night.”
The durability of the screen is described in more detail, noting that it is “Made from a unique Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) glass…treated with a breakthrough Apple-designed ceramic coating that bonds to the glass at an atomic level through a physical vapor deposition process, significantly hardening the surface.”
The Apple Watch Series 11 was released with watchOS 26, using the Liquid Glass design also available on all Apple devices as of late 2025. Some of the new features added:
- 2 new watch faces (Flow and Exactograph)
- A new one-handed wrist flick gesture to easily dismiss notifications
- Live Translation in Messages with Apple Intelligence
- A Watch version of the Notes app (finally!!)
The Aluminum case options for Apple Watch Series 11 were available in Rose Gold, Silver, Jet Black, and a new Space Gray option. Titanium case options included Gold, Natural, and Slate.
The 46 mm model measured 46mm x 39 mm and was 9.7 mm thick. The aluminum/GPS model weighed 37.8 grams.
The screen was 416 x 496 pixels at 326 pixels per inch with an always‑On Retina display with wide‑angle OLEDs. It could display up to 2000 nits peak brightness down to 1 nit minimum brightness.
The Series 11 had an impressive list of sensors:
- Electrical heart sensor
- Third‑generation optical heart sensor
- Blood oxygen sensor
- Temperature sensor
- Compass
- Always‑on altimeter
- High‑g accelerometer
- High dynamic range gyroscope
- Ambient light sensor
- Depth gauge to 6 meters
- Water temperature sensor
Connectivity options included support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks with Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n); Bluetooth 5.3; GPS systems including L1, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou. It used a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip.
This example is in the Aluminum Space Gray option in the 46 mm size. It shipped with a black M/L Sport Band.
Sources: Apple (newsroom, specs)
