Apple Watch Series 11 announced: What you need to know

Is the Apple Watch Series 11 worth the money it'll take to strap one on your wrist? Short answer: It depends how important battery life is to you.

Apple unveiled the new version of its signature smartwatch at its Apple event Tuesday. While most viewers were waiting to catch their first glimpse of iPhone 17, a significant chunk of the audience was hoping to find out if the Series 11 was a minor upgrade like the series 10. The rumor mill said Apple was waiting until Series 12 in 2026 to introduce major changes like a more energy-efficient screen or Apple Intelligence-powered camera for FaceTime calls. Turns out the rumor mill was right.

So now we know. The Apple Watch Series 11 comes in 3 colors — jet black, rose gold and a new space grey. The release date is September 19. Here are the specs:

• 24 hours of battery life, a significant improvement

• S11 chip, with minor tweaks to the design of the previous Apple Watch chips, the S9 and S10.

• 5G support

• Blood pressure hypertension detection, pending FDA clearance in the U.S.

• A "sleep score" similar to the one found on the Oura ring.

Apple announced the Series 11 alongside its smaller, cheaper Apple Watch SE 3 and larger, pricier Apple Watch Ultra. That's three new Watches — making this launch a big deal compared to 2024, when Apple unveiled only one smartwatch, the Series 10. But if you're on the hunt for a more exciting, groundbreaking list of features, you might want to wait until the Series 12.

For more Apple event coverage, follow Mashable's live blog and get real-time updates on the iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3 launch.