Apple’s big iPhone 17 event is over – and there was plenty for Apple Watch fans to get excited about. We got the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Series 11 as expected, and we also saw a new Apple Watch SE – so an entire range refresh for the best Apple Watches. Even the new AirPods Pro 3 got fitness features.
Between the three new models, the new features, and the all-important pricing, there was a lot of news across for fans of everything health and fitness to take in, and if you missed anything don’t worry, as I’m recapping everything you need to know right here.
1. Apple Watch Series 11
Apple‘s thinnest new watch, the Apple Watch Series 11, is even more durable than its hardy predecessor, with a custom ceramic coating that’s twice as scratch resistant. The Series 11 finally gets 5G connectivity for LTE models, made possible by a new antenna architecture that’s more power efficient than ever, using less battery during cellular connectivity.
The new watch face known as Flow uses Apple’s Liquid Glass design language to refract colors as if they were real. A second new watch face called Exactograph separates hours, minutes and seconds in an Ultra-inspired aesthetic.
The long-rumored LED blood pressure feature has landed, in the form of Hypertension. Using data from Apple’s Heart and Movement Study with 100,000 participants, Apple expects to identify one million cases of possible hypertension in its first year, although it won’t detect all instances.
Sleep tracking is improved with the new Sleep Score, although I’d hardly call this feature revolutionary – Apple must be the last wearable on planet earth to introduce it! Sleep duration, bed time consistency, and interruption data provides you a sleep score out of 100, underpinned with insights from sleep experts.
Finally, the standout feature: 24 hours of battery life! Finally, an upgrade from the old, paltry 18 hours. The Apple Watch Series 11 is available in Jet Black, Rose Gold and Space grey, and users have the option of 100% recycled aluminum or titanium, plus new colors for bands and loops, new Hermes bands. It starts at $399 (around £300 / AU$600).
Watch: our Apple Watch Series 11 TikTok
2. Apple Watch Ultra 3
Yes, it looks the same at first glance, but there’s more going on under the hood. A new wide-angle OLED display means a brighter, increased screen area without changing the case size, making it the largest display ever on an Apple Watch.
The display refreshes more often in always-on mode, and showcases a new Waypoint watch face. Like the Series 11, it offers 5G cellular, and as rumored, satellite connectivity. Just a few taps gathers critical information and offers emergency messaging features, and to enable satellite connectivity the in-watch radio has been redesigned to double signal strength.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 also gets a battery life boost, with Apple promising a massive 42 hours battery life. Case options are the sexy Titanium Black introduced last year, along with the brushed Natural Titanium of previous editions. This titanium is 100% recycled, and said to be crafted using an innovative 3D printing process. It also gets new band colors, and the aforementioned new Hypertension and Sleep Score features. Pricing starts at $799 (around £700 / AU$1,200).
3. Apple Watch SE 3
Offering core features and benefits of an Apple Watch at its most affordable price, the SE 3 upgrade gets the same powerful chip as the current-gen Apple Watches, the S10. It offers always-on display, and supports gestures such as the double-tap and wrist-flick introduced in previous years.
The SE 3 adds more wellness features, like wrist temperature sensing (enabling cycle tracking), the vitals app, sleep apnea detection and Sleep Score. It even plays media!
There’s no increase in battery life with the SE 3 stuck at 18 hours like its predecessor, but it does get fast charging – just 15 mins of juice adds eight hours. The Apple Watch SE 3 comes in Starlight and Midnight, and starts at $249 (around £200 / AU$375).
4. AirPods Pro 3
More people work out with the AirPods Pro than any other headphones in the world, and Apple has leaned into that with the new AirPods 3 Pro, which feature heart rate sensing during workouts. Apple’s smallest heart rate sensor is included in these tiny headphones, and uses machine learning algorithms to process data from sensors and accelerometers.
The AirPods Pro 3 can be used with the Workout app, along with Apple Fitness+, gathering data just like an Apple Watch. You can earn badges and close movement rings, track workouts in the gym from apps like Ladder, and even use the AI Workout Buddy – all without a watch.
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matt.evans@futurenet.com (Matt Evans)
