New Apple Watch superguide: Details of the 2025 Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and new Apple Watch SE

Macworld

New Apple Watch 2025: Summary

Release date: Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE (3rd-gen) were revealed at Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event on September 9, 2025, can be pre-ordered now, and go on sale on September 19.

Price: Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399, Ultra 3 from $799, and SE (3rd-gen) from $249.

Design: Aside from larger displays on the Apple Watch SE 3 and Ultra 3, there’s little change.

Specification changes: 5G is here for Series 11 and Ultra 3, while the latter gets satellite connectivity. No processor bump, though.

On September 9, Apple held its September event, dubbed “Awe Dropping“, and while the iPhone 17 was the focus, we got a trio of Apple Watch models, too. From the Apple Watch Series 11, which adds 5G, to the much more capable Apple Watch SE and rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3, there’s a lot to cover.

Perhaps the biggest news is that Apple did, in fact, manage to get blood pressure monitoring and hypertension detection onto its wearables this year. Apple says the condition is dubbed a ‘silent killer’, and has been fine-tuning its machine learning algorithm to help notify over 1 million users of potential hypertension.

Alongside that, sleep tracking is vastly improved. A new Sleep Score will help calculate an easy-to-understand number based on sleep duration, consistency of bedtime, and sleep stages, all wrapped up by an algorithm developed using 5 million nights of sleep data.

So, that’s the top-level stuff, but what about each device? Let’s get into it.




Apple

At a glance: What to expect from new Apple Watch models in 2025

Apple Watch Series 11

42mm and 46mm display options

Improved battery life

5G cellular

High blood pressure detection

watchOS 26

Priced from $399

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Larger display

5G cellular and satellite connectivity

High blood pressure detection

42 hours of battery life

watchOS 26

Priced from $799

Apple Watch SE (3rd-gen)

41mm and 45mm display options

S10 processor

Always-on display

watchOS 26

Priced from $249



New Apple Watch 2025 design & dimensions

Apple Watch Series 11: More scratch-resistant, but mostly the same as the Apple Watch Series 10 on the outside.

Apple Watch Ultra 3: Larger display due to thinner bezels, but not massively different to the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Apple Watch SE 3: Finally has an always-on display, and can play media through a built-in speaker.

Apple updates its mid-range Apple Watch every year, but it doesn’t always deliver major changes. Last year’s Series 10 brought a larger display and thinner design, and at a quick glance, the Apple Watch Series 11 is much the same.

It comes in Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold, and Space Gray colorways for the standard versions, with Titanium options in Natural, Gold, and Slate. The new display is twice as scratch-resistant as last year’s model, but you’re probably not going to want to test that.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is, as was rumored, getting a slightly larger (50mm) display. It’s got the largest Apple Watch display ever, but with no increase in size. That’s achieved through thinner bezels and a new, wide-angle OLED panel that’s brighter when viewed at an angle.

The SE is getting a third model, and it’s finally gaining an always-on display. That’s a great addition, but it’s also getting a wrist temperature sensor underneath and an internal speaker.




Apple



New Apple Watch 2025 colors

Apple Watch Series 11: Available in Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold, Space Gray in the standard aluminum body, or Natural, Gold, and Slate Titanium versions.

Apple Watch Ultra 3: Comes in the same natural and black titanium options.

Apple Watch SE 3: Available in Starlight and Moonlight.

The Series 11 will now come in four colors for the aluminum version, and three for titanium, while Apple Watch SE 2 will have two colors: Starlight and Moonlight.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 comes in Black and Natural titanium hues, which is… about what we’d expect.

All come with fresh band options, though, so you can customize after you’ve purchased them.



New Apple Watch 2025 features & specs

Health: Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 now have blood pressure monitoring, while SE 3 adds a wrist temperature sensor.

Connectivity: 5G has come to Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3, while the latter gains satellite connectivity, too.

AI features: Live transcription, translation, adaptive notifications, and contextual suggestions via Apple Intelligence on iPhone.

Processor: All models are packing the S10 chip.

Health and fitness

As we mentioned at the top of this page, Apple is placing a high degree of importance on its hypertension detection algorithm. Apple the Series 11 and Ultra 3 could help identify hypertension for more than a million users.

Sleep Score will also be a key part of this year’s models, and Apple has improved the battery life of the Series 11 and Ultra 3 models to accommodate it. The Series 11 will now get up to 24 hours of battery, with the Ultra 3 reaching 42 hours.

The SE still hits 18 hours, but it’s a little behind the curve. It’s gaining a wrist temperature sensor for now, though.




Apple

5G and satellite

The Apple Watch has had an option for LTE cellular connectivity since the Series 3, and now the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 will finally move to 5G speeds.

Not only that, but Apple Watch Ultra 3 will add satellite connectivity for emergency contacts, messaging, and location sharing when you don’t have any connectivity at all. Apple says it doubled the strength of the internal radio to achieve that feat.

Apple Intelligence

While the Apple Watch doesn’t officially support Apple Intelligence, a few AI-powered features are coming to Apple’s smartwatches using a paired iPhone. Live Listen transcription and Live Translation will automatically transcribe phone calls and messages on your Apple Watch screen in real time. Workout Buddy will use Apple Intelligence from your iPhone to provide you with words of encouragement based on your workout data and fitness history. 

Other AI-powered features coming in watchOS 26 include automatic volume adjustment, so that notifications are adjusted depending on your environment. And new Smart Stack hints that will make proactive, context-aware suggestions when your watch detects a specific situation like an appointment or new location.

S10 processor

The Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3 were expected to see a spec bump to a new chipset, but that’s not the case. In fact, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 will have the S10 chip – the same as the Apple Watch Series 10 last year.

If you’ve been waiting for a new Apple Watch SE model, though, your patience is being rewarded. It’s jumping to S10, too.




SE is finally getting a speaker.Apple



New Apple Watch 2025 release date

Announcement date: 9 September, 2025.

Preorder date: 9 September, 2025.

Onsale date: 19 September, 2025.

You can preorder all three models of Apple Watch right now, with devices shipping on September 19.



New Apple Watch 2025 price

Apple Watch Series 11: From $399.

Apple Watch Ultra 3: From $799.

Apple Watch SE 3: From $249.

Apple hasn’t changed its pricing structure since the Apple Watch Series 3, and it’s still holding firm today. That means the Series 11 will start at $399 for the 42mm model, and $429 for the larger 46mm version, with an extra $100 for cellular, while the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will likely cost $799/£799 (which includes cellular connectivity).

New this year is the Titanium Series 11, which will start at $699 and comes with cellular included.

The Apple Watch SE currently starts at $249/£219, but can often be found for as low as $189 at Amazon U.S. With the rumors of a new plastic design, it’s possible the Apple Watch SE gets another price cut, as it did when the 2nd-gen model arrived in 2022.



New Apple Watch 2025 FAQ

FAQ
1.
When is the new Apple Watch coming out?

The new Apple Watch is actually three watches – Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE (3rd-gen). All were announced at Apple’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event on September 9, 2025. Preorders are live, and you can get them from September 19.

2.
How much will the new Apple Watch cost?

Apple pricing has stayed the same again this year. This means Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399, Apple Watch Ultra 3 at $799, and the third-gen Apple Watch SE at $249.

3.
Will the new Apple Watch include blood pressure monitoring?

Yes! Despite being expected last year, Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 will offer blood pressure monitoring and hypertension detection. However, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is still thought to be a few years off.

4.
Will the new Apple Watch have Apple Intelligence?

Live Translation, Live Listen Transcription, and Workout Buddy are AI-powered, but they’re powered by your iPhone.

5.
Will the new Apple Watch support satellite connectivity?

Satellite connectivity is exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

6.
Will the new Apple Watch be faster?

While we had expected a fresh processor for this year’s Series 11 and Ultra 3 models, both will stick with the Series 10’s S10 system in package (SiP).

7.
What will the new Apple Watch look like?

As we covered above, there’s very little that’s changed design-wise with the Series 11, but that makes sense since Apple Watch Series 10 was seen as a sizeable refresh. Thankfully, the SE 3 looks more modern, while the Ultra 3 has a subtle change that gives it a larger display.

8.
What colors will the new Apple Watch come in?

Apple Watch Series 11 will have Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold and Space Gray versions in aluminum, while the titanium variant will come in Natural, Gold, and Slate. The Apple Watch SE 3 will come in Starlight and Moonlight colors, while the Ultra 3 will stick to Black and Natural titanium.

9.
Will the new Apple Watch be called Series 26?

No. While Apple is moving its software numbering into line with the year it is available, it is not expected to be doing the same with its hardware. The new Apple Watches will be known as Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE (3rd-gen).

10.
Will the new Apple Watch battery life be better?

Battery life is improved on Series 11, now finally hitting 24 hours on a single charge, while Ultra 3 sees a jump to 42 hours. The SE 3 still has 18 hours, but Apple says it’ll charge twice as fast.