The 2025 Apple Watch lineup sees minor hardware changes, but a big focus on your health

Having worn an Apple Watch for the past six years or so, I can comfortably say that last year's Apple Watch Series 10 has been the most comfortable and best fitting I've ever tested.

So it's probably not a huge surprise that Apple didn't really change too much on the hardware front this year. There are subtle tweaks, obviously, but the key updates this year come more on the software front.

Apple Watch Series 11: Improved durability

So what's new?

The glass on the aluminium framed models is now more robust. Apple says it's 2x more scratch resistant than previous versions, but also argues that the sapphire front crystal on the titanium models are more robust still.

The Series 11 also introduced 5G connectivity on the cellular version for the first time, though that particular feature doesn't appear to making its way to Australia. The local media release makes no mention of 5G, nor does the Australian Apple website, so it's unlikely we'll see that arrive.

Apple's boosted the battery this year, claiming 24 hours of battery life, and 8 hours of use from a 15 minute charge. That's a good thing, but still feels underwhelming...

There's a new Space Grey colour option on the aluminium front, but beyond that, the bulk of the other updates this year will come on the software front. More on that in a bit.

Apple Watch SE 3: For the kids

Apple updated its Apple Watch SE lineup today as well. Powered by the S10 chip (up from the S8 in the Apple Watch SE 2), you now get 18 hours of battery life and an always-on display for the first time in an SE watch.

Apple has boosted the fast charge capability of the SE watch so 15 minutes on the charge gets you 8 hours of use.

Compared to the SE 2, there's also a new wrist temperature sensor, which is used to help identify health issues. It also has the integrated speaker introduced in the Series 10 last year, so you can be that guy if you don't have headphones.

(Don't be that guy, though.)

Finally, you get support for gestures like double-tap, and the new wrist flick gesture to swipe away notifications.

Apple Watch Ultra 3: For the adventurous

The beast of the Apple Watch family, the Ultra 3 gets a better screen this year. It's brighter, bigger and has a smaller bezel, making it ideal to read even in the most difficult environments.

In Always-On mode, the display can refresh more frequently without draining battery life, so you can monitor time by the second without the battery being eaten away.

These screen improvements also help on the battery front, with Apple claiming a 42-hour lifespan from a single charge. 15 minutes on the charger gives 12 hours of use, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 now gets 20 hours of battery life in Low Power Mode with full GPS and heart rate readings.

But the Ultra is designed to be more of an extreme device, and so the Ultra 3 offers two-way satellite communications. That means Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services and notify emergency contacts with a few simple taps if you get into trouble without any mobile or Wi-Fi signal.

You can also use Find My via satellite, updating your location once every 15 minutes to contacts you've previously added to the Find My app.

WatchOS 26: Sleep score and Workout Buddy

The hardware may not have seen major changes this year, but Apple has added a few new interesting software features.

At the top of the list is a new Sleep Score, that takes all the information captured by the Watch while you sleep and turns it into a score.

Apple has also launched Workout Buddy, a fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that analyses your workout data and fitness history to deliver personalised, spoken motivation throughout their session.

It's based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, and personal fitness milestones.

Pricing and availability

Apple Watches are a bit of a confusing mess given the sheer number of variations there are, so here's a table of prices and variants. Everything will hit stores on 19 September, with pre-orders from 12 September.

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