Apple Watch Series 11 rumors, price, design & specs

Apple Watch Series 11 at a glance

• Release in the second half of 2025, likely alongside iPhone 17 range
• New modem tech could introduce 5G connectivity
• Blood pressure monitoring capabilities
• Overhauled watchOS software experience

Apple Watch Series 11 rumored release date and pricing

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims that the Apple Watch Series 11 should appear sometime in the second half of 2025. Given that Apple tends to release new iPhones and Apple Watches at the same time, and that the iPhone 17 range is rumored for a September 2025 release, it’s almost certain that we’ll see the Apple Watch Series 11 at the same time.

There are no solid rumors on pricing, but given that Apple is keen to keep the price of the Apple Watch somewhat steady across generations, it should cost a similar amount to the Apple Watch Series 10 collection, which starts at £399/$399. 

Apple Watch Series 11 leaks and rumors

Though we’re still months away from its potential reveal, Apple Watch Series 11 rumors are swirling around online, giving us a good idea of what to expect. 

Improved Apple S11 chipset

An upgrade to a new SoC with the new Apple Watch is almost a given at this point; every generation of Apple Watch has utilised a new SoC, with the Apple Watch Series 10 getting the aptly named S10 chipset.

Following that logic, it’d make sense for the Apple Watch Series 11 to feature the yet-unannounced S11 chipset. Let’s hope that means improved performance and better efficiency. 

Blood pressure monitoring

If you feel like blood pressure monitoring has been a rumored feature of past Apple Watches, you’d be correct; it has consistently appeared in leaks and rumors for the past few generations of Apple Watch, only for Apple to not actually ship the hardware. 

Well, it seems it could finally make its debut with the Apple Watch Series 11, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Per Gurman, the updated tech should work similarly to sleep apnea detection, with alerts about elevated readings rather than constant measurements. 

More advanced sensors, like those that allow for glucose monitoring, are also said to be in the works, but these won’t make an appearance on the Apple Watch later this year. 

Faster cellular connectivity

Despite most smartphones now having made the switch to 5G, the Apple Watch is still stuck on LTE connectivity – but maybe not for much longer, if Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is to be believed.

The notoriously accurate reporter claimed back in late 2024 that the Apple Watch Series 11 would sport modems made by MediaTek – a big change to the Intel-based modems used up until now.

Per Gurman, the inclusion of MediaTek modems should pave the way for 5G Reduced Capacity. 5G RedCap, as it’s better known, is essentially a pared-down version of 5G connectivity for devices like wearables that don’t need full-fat 5G. 

Still, the new modem could bring boosted speeds to the cellular Apple Watch experience if it does appear on the next wearable.  

Overhauled watchOS experience

Rather than focusing on hardware, it seems like much of the effort for this year’s wearable has gone into software improvements. 

Like the iOS 19 redesign rumored to hit iPhones later this year, watchOS 12 is set to get the same overhauled look and feel, said to be heavily inspired by Apple’s VisionOS software. 

That essentially means a move towards a more transparent design with floating elements, though what this will look like in practice is yet to be seen. Unlike iOS 19, watchOS 12 is yet to be leaked in any significant way, so take this with a pinch of salt for now.

Aside from a redesigned look, Apple is rumored to be working on an AI-powered health coaching app, which we assume would utilise the swath of data collected by the Apple Watch on a daily basis. This could give you personalised insights into your health and fitness data or provide custom workouts based on your metrics, depending on the route Apple wishes to take.  

Blood oxygen monitoring

Blood oxygen monitoring is a bit of a sore spot for Apple; despite the functionality being readily available in regions like the EU, following a patent dispute with Masimo, Apple has removed the functionality from its wearables in the US. 

To be clear, the hardware is still there and needs only to be activated via software, but with ongoing patent disputes and no clear end in sight, it seems unlikely that the Apple Watch Series 11 will offer blood oxygen monitoring in the US.