Hands-on Review: Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular

Apple's eleventh-generation smartwatch cements its role as the most comprehensive health companion yet. The new Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular 46 mm (which we tested with the Space Grey Aluminium Case) blends a noticeably tougher build with longer battery life and two significant wellness upgrades - hypertension notifications and sleep score tracking. Having spent several days wearing it around the clock, it's clear this iteration pushes Apple's health ambitions further while refining everyday usability.

Design and display

The first thing you notice is how thin and light it feels. At just 9.7 mm, the Series 11 sits closer to the wrist than ever, remaining comfortable during workouts and while sleeping. The aluminium finish in Space Grey looks refined and understated - the sort of design that disappears elegantly under a shirt cuff but feels durable enough for trail runs.

Apple has introduced a new Ion-X glass display treated with a custom ceramic coating that's twice as scratch-resistant as the previous generation. After several days of gym use and daily wear, there wasn't a mark in sight. The display retains its bright, crisp quality in direct sunlight, and the LTPO 3 panel supports a 1 Hz Always-On refresh rate, allowing second-by-second timekeeping even when your wrist is lowered.

Battery life and charging

Battery life has long been a pain point for smartwatch users. Apple finally answers with up to 24 hours on a single charge - enough for a full day's use plus overnight sleep tracking. In testing, after a day of notifications, messaging and a 60-minute run, the Watch still had around 20 percent left the next morning.

The inclusion of fast charging also makes a practical difference: a 15-minute top-up delivers roughly eight hours of use, while a half-hour gets you to 80 percent. It's easy to build charging into a morning routine without ever fully running out of power.

Cellular and connectivity

The Series 11 continues to justify its "GPS + Cellular" label. Calls and messages worked smoothly without the iPhone nearby, aided by a redesigned dual-antenna system that automatically boosts signal when coverage drops. Audio during calls was crisp, and LTE handoff proved faster than on last year's model.

Health innovation: hypertension notifications

The standout feature this year is hypertension detection, an industry-first that uses data from the optical heart sensor to identify consistent signs of chronically elevated blood pressure. The algorithm reviews patterns across 30-day periods, alerting users if potential hypertension is detected and directing them to log blood-pressure readings via a third-party cuff in the Health app.

Apple says it expects the system to notify over a million people with undiagnosed hypertension within its first year - a potentially life-saving use of passive data collection.

For now, the feature is approved by regulators in New Zealand, but not in Australia.

Sleep score: understanding rest

Sleep tracking on Apple Watch has matured steadily, but sleep score makes the insights far easier to interpret. Each morning, the Watch assigns a score from 0 to 100 - ranging from Very Low to Excellent - with a breakdown covering duration, bedtime consistency and interruptions.

The transparency of the scoring algorithm is notable: duration counts for half the points, bedtime consistency for 30 percent and interruptions for 20. The results feel actionable rather than arbitrary. In practice, late nights clearly reduced my score, while consistent bedtimes nudged it above 85. The data syncs neatly into the Health app and can be surfaced via a complication or Smart Stack widget.

Everyday use and watchOS 26

Running watchOS 26, the Series 11 introduces Liquid Glass animations, a refined Smart Stack, and two expressive new faces - Flow and Exactograph - that showcase the display's vividness. The new wrist flick gesture is surprisingly useful, letting you dismiss notifications or silence alarms one-handed.

For fitness, Workout Buddy brings AI-generated voice coaching via Apple Intelligence. During testing, it offered brief, well-timed prompts based on heart rate and pace, giving the sense of a virtual trainer without being intrusive.

Environmental and privacy credentials

Sustainability continues to underpin Apple's hardware strategy. The Series 11 is made with 40 per cent recycled materials, including 100 per cent recycled aluminium in the case and cobalt in the battery, all manufactured using renewable energy sources. Packaging is fully fibre-based and noticeably slimmer than before.

Apple also reinforces its privacy stance, ensuring health data remains encrypted on-device and in iCloud, accessible only with user consent.

Verdict

The Apple Watch Series 11 doesn't radically change the formula but meaningfully enhances it. The extended battery life finally matches its promise as a true 24-hour companion, while hypertension notifications and sleep score strengthen its position as a personal health guardian. Combined with a tougher display, a slimmer feel and the refinement of watchOS 26, the Series 11 GPS + Cellular 46 mm Space Grey Aluminium Case stands as the most balanced and capable Apple Watch yet.

For anyone invested in Apple's ecosystem, it's a compelling upgrade - not flashy, but quietly transformative where it matters most.