At just over halfway through the year, 2025 has already been one of the busiest years on record for Apple product launches. This Summer, Apple released new operating systems for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch (iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and WatchOS 26, respectively). September’s Apple event unveiled a slew of new hardware, including four new iPhone models and an updated AirPods Pro design. The event also marked the debut of the next generation of Apple Watch Models – namely, the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. The new Watch generation marks a significant update to the product line, introducing a range of cosmetic and performance updates supported by the smooth WatchOS 26 operating system.
Thinking of upgrading your Apple Watch? Here, we detail every new feature of the new 2025 models.
Apple Watch Series 11
The world’s best-selling smartwatch enters its 11th generation with the Apple Watch Series 11. On the surface, the new model closely resembles last year’s slimline Series 10, with some slight refinements. The 11 is even thinner than the Series 10, offering a barely-there feel on the wrist that highlights its popularity as an exercise companion. The 11’s health and fitness credentials are further boosted by new cardiovascular health sensors, which Apple claims can alert wearers to high blood pressure and hypertension. While these are Apple’s most sophisticated cardio sensors yet, it should be noted that the Apple Watch is not a medical device and has yet to be cleared by the FDA.
The Series 11 also carries over the 10’s IP6X water dust resistance (the highest industry standard for dust-resistant devices). Like the Series 10, the Apple Watch 11 is available in a choice of casing materials (aluminium or titanium), sizes (42mm or 46mm), and colors, including the new “Space Gray” finish. Aluminium models have a beefed-up “Ion-X” glass screen, advertised as twice as scratch-resistant as the Series 10, while titanium models feature an even tougher sapphire crystal display.
In use, the Series 11 is noticeably smoother and faster thanks to a new S10 chip, and enhanced by the glossy “liquid glass” UX of WatchOS 26. Despite this increased speed and slimmer dimensions, the Series 11 battery has also improved. While overall battery life remains the same, the 11 charges faster than the Series 10: a 15-minute charge is enough to power the Watch for up to 8 hours of sleep tracking or light usage.
Apple has made small steps towards environmental responsibility with the Apple Watch Series 11, following criticism from the European Union and environmental groups about its disputed claims about the “carbon neutrality” of previous Watch generations. There are no such assertions around the Series 11, though the titanium used is now 100% recycled, while the lithium batteries contain recycled materials for the first time. The glass, too, is now partially recycled for both versions. The aluminum-body Series 11 models are available as either GPS-only models or GPS + Cellular models with eSIM connectivity and the ability to access mobile data and get online anywhere.
Titanium versions of the Apple Watch Series 11 come with eSIM connectivity as standard.
Apple Watch SE 3
The entry-level member of the Apple Watch family, the SE, received a significant update in September with the Apple Watch SE 3. Billed as a stripped-back version of the Series 11, the SE is still one of the most feature-rich smartwatches on the market.
Like the Series 11, the SE 3's S10 chip delivers high-speed performance and smooth usage across the new WatchOS 26 interface. Some concessions are made to sizing (the SE 3 is available in 40mm or 44mm options, instead of 42mm and 46mm), and material (the SE 3 is only available with an aluminium body), but the SE 3 still admirably resembles the Series 11 in appearance and performance.
For the first time, the SE line is now capable of gesture control, allowing wearers to manipulate the Watch’s controls without touching the screen. Other updates to the SE 3 include an always-on display, faster charging, and a more durable screen (which Apple claims is 4 times more scratch-resistant than the previous generation). This relatively low cost and heightened toughness make the SE 3 an ideal option as an Apple Watch for kids. The Apple Watch SE 3 is available in GPS-only and cellular-enabled versions with eSIM connectivity.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple’s top-of-the-line smartwatch model received a revamp for 2025. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the most powerful and feature-rich Apple Watch to date.
The new, larger dimensions of the Ultra 3 house a 49mm screen capable of producing 3000 nits of brightness (or three times as bright as the SE 3). Elsewhere, the Ultra 3 retains its ancestor's rugged form factor, with a customizable action button, built-in 50dB siren, and a range of outdoor-ready interchangeable bands in an array of new colors.
Under the glass, the Ultra 3 has an overhauled battery, providing up to 42 hours of normal usage on a single charge (or 17% longer than the Ultra 2) and operating for 12 hours on a single 15-minute charge.
The most notable difference, however, concerns the model’s connectivity. The Ultra 3 is the first Apple Watch model to feature satellite connectivity, allowing users to stay in contact in even the remotest areas of Earth. The satellite SOS capability of the Ultra 3 reaffirms its status as one of the world’s best adventure watches, smart or not.
Apple Watch Hermès
With the new generation of Apple Watch models, Apple has continued its collaboration with the Parisian fashion house Hermès. The luxury brand has designed a series of new bands and watchfaces for the new models, including the illustrative “Fauborg Party” band for the Hermès Series 11 and the space-age Scub’H Diving band for the Hermès Ultra 3.
5G connectivity
While the three 2025 Apple Watch models differ in terms of features, design, and target audience, one key update was applied across the entire line: 5G connectivity. The first cellular Apple Watch, the Series 3, debuted in 2017. It marked a turning point in consumer electronics, allowing users to download an Apple Watch mobile data plan from an official partner like BetterRoaming and get online via the built-in eSIM anywhere in the world.
Now, the entire Apple Watch lineup features 5G connectivity.
Cellular Apple Watch plans
The renewed focus on connectivity with the new Apple Watch generation underlines the popularity of cellular Apple Watch plans – mobile plans that can be downloaded from a selected group of Apple Watch carriers like BetterRoaming. Apple Watch data plans are completely independent from regular iPhone plans, and can be from a separate carrier. It’s even possible to set up Apple Watch mobile plans for users who don’t have an iPhone.
Owners will require an iPhone to set up and manage the features of the Watch initially – but after that, the watch functions as a standalone device, with its own cellular plan and provider, independent of the iPhone. This feature, known as Apple Watch For Your Kids (formerly Family Setup) has seen considerable popularity among parents who use it to keep tabs on multiple Apple Watches at once and send their kids off into the world with a cellular Apple Watch instead of a smartphone.
Find out more about BetterRoaming Apple Watch plans and try a 7-day free trial here.
