Which 2025 Apple Watch to buy? Series 11, SE 3 & Ultra 3 reviewed

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I’m a huge fan of the Apple Watch — it’s my proudest tan line. 

A new fall means a new lineup of Apple Watches, and this year that means the Series 11 (starting from $549), SE 3 (starting from $329) and Ultra 3 (starting from $1,099). I’m graduating from the Series 10, which I love, but I did scratch it within the first week of wearing it. So I’m excited that one of the new features on the Series 11 has a more durable screen — twice as scratch-resistant, according to Apple. It’s one of many new features I’m excited about in the 2025 lineup of Apple Watches.

With three new devices, it’s worth asking: Which watch is right for me? (Or a giftee.) Also, should I consider upgrading my current Apple Watch? Here’s what you need to know. 

Which Apple Watch is right for me?

In terms of the new watches, it’s pretty simple:

• Series 11: Great for most users.
• Series SE 3: More affordable option, great for kids and those okay with a more basic option.
• Ultra 3: Athletes, adventurers, sport-forward folk who rely on their watch for increased functions and added safety features, especially in remote areas.

In terms of upgrading current models:

• Series 11: The latest software update, watchOS 26, is compatible with Apple Watch Series 6 and later. The Series 10 received a big upgrade from previous models as it’s thinner with a bigger display. Visually, it’s identical to the Series 10. I’d check your watch’s battery life and go from there. 
• Series SE 3: This entry-level watch now has Always-On display, a huge upgrade for the SE lineup.
• Ultra 3: Two major upgrades from Ultra 2 are the added Emergency SOS via satellite and the increased battery life to 42 hours (from 36).

The above is a decent summary if you’re looking for a quick snapshot of which Apple Watch may be right for you. I had my hands on the three devices and have taken them out and about to test their features, so have more to say. Below, I go over a more in-depth review of each of the new Apple Watches and three of my favourite features of watchOS 26. 

Apple Watch Series 11 review: Scratch-resistant, 24-hour battery life, fast charging

Scratch-resistant: As my Apple Watch tan line attests, I wear the wrist accessory every day. Not to sound too Dr. Suess, but I wear it on a trip, I wear it on a hike, I wear it on a bike, I wear it everywhere I go, and I though I do care, I’m just not delicate with it. The Series 11 is upgraded with an Ion-X glass (the toughest glass available in a smart watch, according to Apple) with an Apple-formulated PVD coating of silicon oxynitride ceramic. The coating hardens the

surface. There’s also an upgraded sapphire front crystal. So far, so great. I’ll update this section if I end up scratching the watch.

24-hour battery life: To charge the watch overnight or to charge it in the morning — my charging dilemma. I’ve gone with the overnight charge because I don’t like sleeping with the watch (I don’t find it comfortable — I use the silicone band and will try another type so I can take advantage of the new sleep features). The Series 11 has a reengineered battery from the Series 10 to increase its charge to a full 24 hours (up from 18 hours in Series 10). This is another huge upgrade.

If the watch is almost out of juice before bed, you can now charge it for five minutes to get eight hours of sleep use. To get eight hours of regular use, you only need to charge the watch for 15 minutes. Just like the Series 10, you can get an 80 per cent charge in around 30 minutes.

What: Apple Watch Series 11
Cost: Starting from $549 (same as Apple Watch Series 10 and Series 9)
Where to buy: Apple | Amazon | Best Buy
Date available: Sept. 19, 2025

Apple Watch SE 3 review: Always-On display, S10 chip, health features

Always-On display: This is the SE’s game-changing upgrade. In previous models, you’d have to lift your wrist or tap the screen to see the time and watch face. What time is it? Time for the SE to finally get the basic function of a watch.

S10 chip: The SE 3 has the same chip as the other two 2025 Apple Watches, the S10. The S10 is what powers the Always-On display. It also creates a smoother experience as it can process animations twice as fast as the SE 2 (which has the S8 chip).

Health features: The SE 3 has the same temperature sensor as the Series 11 and Ultra 3. The sensor improves the accuracy of temperature reading by distinguishing the wearer’s temperature and the environment’s. This works well with understanding your sleep patterns and other metrics like heart and respiratory rate. The SE 3 can also provide sleep apnea notifications and Cycle Tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates.

The Series 11 is brighter and bigger (has a larger screen with thinner bezels), it has the ECG and Blood Oxygen apps, a longer battery life and added water gauge sensors.

What: Apple Watch SE 3
Cost: Starting from $329 (same as Apple Watch SE 2)
Where to buy: Apple | Amazon | Best Buy
Date available: Sept. 19, 2025

Apple Watch Ultra 3 review: Satellite communication, battery life, Fast Charging, display

Satellite communication: “From far and wide, O Canada,” — Oh, Canada, you’re far and wide. I sometimes don’t get service in the middle of Toronto, never mind remote areas of our massive country. For those who like to explore beyond the beaten path, you can now text contacts and share your location as well as contact emergency services even when in locations without cellular service and Wi-Fi. Satellite communications also works with the Find My app. Once you’re off-grid, you can send your location once every 15 minutes to selected contacts (this requires a cellular plan).

This feature requires you to have an iPhone 14 or later and is available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S. You can only message via satellite in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Battery life: The Ultra 3 can hold a charge up to 42 hours of regular use (up from 36 hours for the Ultra 2). For those competing in an Iron Man competition, you can now wear the Ultra 3 for up to 20 hours during an Outdoor Workout in Low Power Mode while using heart rate sensors and GPS.

Fast Charging:  You can get an 80 per cent charge in about 45 minutes or 12 hours of battery life in a 15-minute charge.

Display: Baby bezels and the brightest screen at any angle. The thin borders increase the overall screen area without making the device larger. The wide-angle OLED allows you to see a brighter screen when viewed from an angle. The screen also has a faster refresh rate so you can now see seconds tick on a clock. 

What: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Cost: Starting from $1,099 (same as Apple Watch Ultra 2)
Where to buy: Apple | Amazon | Best Buy
Date available: Sept. 19, 2025

Favourite watchOS 26 features: Workout Buddy, Sleep Score, wrist flick

Workout Buddy: This little activity friend is by Apple Intelligence. It gives you personalized tips, pep talks and other info about your workout during and after your activity based on your fitness history. So far, I like the feature, but it could be because it’s new and shiny. I wonder if I will get bored with it over time. (It will likely get even better before I get bored.)

Note: To use Workout Buddy, you need to have an Apple Watch Series 6, SE 2 or later and all Ultras as well as an iPhone with Apple Intelligence — 15 Pro and later. 

Sleep Score: I like this in theory, but will need to find a better band for me to sleep with to better test the feature (as of now, I take off my watch sometime during the night). Sleep Score provides a numerical rating of your sleep from zero to 100. It analyzes the quality of your snooze, including duration, consistency of bedtime and sleep interruptions. The report helps you understand what you need to do to increase your Sleep Score.

Note: To use Sleep Score, you need to have an Apple Watch Series 6, SE 2 or later and all Ultras as well as an iPhone 11 or later.

Wrist flick gesture: With the flick of a wrist, you can now mute notifications, like a call, timer or alarm and return to your watch’s home screen. I’ve tried this feature and love it.

Note: Wrist flick is only available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, as well as Ultra 2 and later.

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