Technologies
Best Beats Headphones and Earbuds for 2025
Looking for a new set of cans from Beats? Here are our current top picks.
Our Experts
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What to Consider
Budget
Before anything else, you’ll want to figure out how much you’re willing to spend on new Beats headphones.
Fit
It’s key that the headphones you buy fit your head well.
Durability
You want headphones that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality.
Performance
You want the best-sounding headphones with the best noise-canceling, call quality, and features for whatever you’re able to spend.
Return Policy
It’s critical to buy your headphones at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse.
Beats was acquired by Apple in 2014, but it still maintains its own distinct branding and iconic designs. In its early days, audiophiles rightly looked down upon the sound quality of Beats headphones, which served up a preponderance of bass that lacked definition. However, Beats headphones and earbuds have come a long way in terms of sound quality, and they now produce quite respectable sound while also offering very good noise-canceling and voice-calling performance.
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What are the best Beats headphones overall?
You can argue over which Beats models are the best, but if I had to choose, I’d say the Studio Pro and Powerbeats Pro 2 are probably its top headphones and earbuds, respectively. The new Powerbeats Fit are also quite good, but they’re simply a rebranded version of the 4-year-old Fit Pro buds with redesigned wingtips and a smaller charging case. Note that while some Beats headphones and earbuds have certain features that are exclusive to Apple users, there’s a Beats app for Android, and the company has made an effort to market its products to Android users.
Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds of 2025
Best Beats headphones and earbuds of 2025
Pros
- Improved sound quality, ANC and ear pad design
- Very good voice-calling performance
- Spatial audio with head tracking for Apple users
- USB-C audio
Cons
- No Apple H2 chip
- No ear-detection sensors
- No major design changes except for case
Love ’em or hate ’em, Beats Studio headphones are among the most popular headphones of all time, launching as wired headphones back in 2008. This is the fourth generation of them, and they carry the same list price as their predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have some big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I’m tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. However, that’s not quite accurate due to a choice in chipsets and one notable missing feature. But read our full review to find out what makes these very good headphones, albeit with some caveats.
Pros
- Improved design: buds are 20% lighter, case is 33% smaller, and ear hook is slimmer, incorporating nickel-titanium alloy
- Equipped with Apple’s more powerful H2 chip
- Improved noise canceling and natural-sounding transparency mode
- Very good sound quality
- Excellent voice-calling performance with new microphones and voice accelerometers to help pinpoint your voice
- Built-in heart-rate sensors
- Physical control buttons work well during athletic activities
- Improved design and sound quality with smaller case
- Strong battery life and wireless charging
Cons
- Premium price
- Some users may not get a tight seal with included ear tips
- A few features missing from AirPods Pro 2 (no Precision Finding, Conversation Awareness or Adaptive Audio)
- Some Apple-exclusive features unavailable to Android users
- Built-in heart-rate monitor may not seem like a needed feature to some people
Why I like them
The original Powerbeats Pro were released in May 2019, so Beats has had a lot of time to plot how to improve the second generation of its popular ear-hook style true-wireless sport earbuds. And improve they have — by quite a bit. Not only do they feature a new, more refined design with better ergonomics, but new drivers, a more powerful Apple H2 chip, a new built-in heart-rate sensor and, yes, active noise canceling for the first time in a pair of Powerbeats. And that noise canceling is quite good, as is the sound quality and voice-calling performance — so long as you get a tight seal from one of the five different included eartips. Read my Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review.
These new Powerbeats Pro 2 fit my ears better thanks to Beats improving the overall ergonomic shape of the earbud and completely redesigning the ear hook — it’s 50% smaller and incorporates nickel-titanium alloy, so it’s both flexible and durable. The buds themselves are 20% lighter.
Reasons to buy
Fitness enthusiasts prefer earbuds with ear hooks to prevent their buds from falling out of their ears during intense workouts. Typically, such earbuds don’t offer the greatest performance, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 share many of the same qualities and features as the AirPods Pro 2, featuring very good sound quality, along with strong noise cancellation and voice-calling performance. In short, they’re versatile, also performing well as everyday earbuds. It’s also worth noting that while the Powerbeats Pro 2 have some Apple-exclusive features, Beats does have an app for Android users that makes these more Android-friendly than AirPods.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
While Beats has improved the Powerbeats Pro 2’s design and ergonomics, they still may not be a comfortable fit for everybody’s ears, and some people may not get a truly tight seal from any of Beats’ eartips. (I had an issue and had to use another set of eartips from my collection.) If you don’t get a tight seal, you’ll likely be unimpressed with the sound quality and noise canceling and may want to return them to the store where you bought them. (Try to find some alternative eartips before you do that.)
The Powerbeats Fit in orange. They have the same physical button to control playback as the Fit Pro.
Pros
- Lightweight design with integrated wingtip that fits securely
- Very good sound and noise canceling
- Powered by Apple’s H1 chip
Cons
- No wireless charging
- No enhanced My Find with proximity view (only standard Find My)
Why I like them
Beats has redesigned the wingtips of its popular Fit Pro earbuds, trimmed down their charging case by 17% and rebranded them as the Powerbeats Fit. While I’m disappointed we didn’t get the Fit Pro 2 this year, the changes do make this set of top-notch sports earbuds (that work well as everyday earbuds) a little better. Read my Powerbeats Fit review.
Reasons to buy them
If you don’t like the ear-hook design of the Powerbeats Pro 2, the Beats Powerbeats Fit are a good alternative (I personally prefer the fit of the Powerbeats Fit). While the Powerbeats Pro 2 offer slightly better performance overall and are equipped with Apple’s H2 chip and heart-rate sensors, the Powerbeats Fit still sound good and offer decent noise canceling. They also frequently go on sale, so they can be had at a decent discount. Definitely don’t buy them at full price.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
The Beats Fit Pro were launched at the end of 2021. Yes, the Powerbeats Fit are slightly improved over that model, thanks to their smaller case and redesigned wingtips. However, the reality is that they’re 4-year-old earbuds and are still in need of an upgrade.
Pros
- Lightweight and discrete, they fit comfortably with upgraded performance all-around (voice-calling is good now)
- Android friendly (iOS users get hands-free Siri)
- Improved battery life
Cons
- Missing: wireless charging, spatial audio with head tracking and in-ear detection sensor
Why I like them
Compared to the original Beats Studio Buds, which remain on the market, the newer Studio Buds Plus buds are significantly improved, with better sound, noise canceling and battery life. Additionally, they now deliver top-notch voice-calling performance. Read my Beats Buds Plus review.
The transparent version got a lot of attention at launch (who doesn’t like transparent electronics?), but the big changes are on the inside. Beats says 95% of the components are new and improved, and the buds’ «acoustic architecture» has been revised. The speaker drivers remain the same, but the Studio Buds Plus are powered by a new, more powerful custom chipset and have three new microphones in each bud, which are three times larger and more sensitive than the ones found in the Beats Studio Buds.
Reasons to buy
The compact Beats Studio Buds Plus offer good sound quality and strong all-around performance for an affordable price, especially when they’re discounted, which they often are. It’s also worth noting that like with other Beats headphones and earbuds, these are more Android-friendly than Apple’s AirPods (there’s a Beats app for Android) and the only feature that Apple users get that Android users don’t is hands-free Siri.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
The Studio Buds Plus were released in May of 2023, so they’re over two years old and may be due for an upgrade. Also, while the AirPods Pro 2 may cost more, they have a more robust feature set — for Apple users anyway.
Pros
- Improved sound and voice-calling performance
- Strong battery life
- USB-C audio
- Spatial audio with head tracking for Apple users
- Android compatible
Cons
- No active noise canceling
- No ear-detection sensors
In a nutshell, the Beats Solo 4 on-ear headphones have pretty much the same look on the outside as the 3s, but some notable improvements on the inside bump their performance by about 25% to 30% when it comes to sound quality, battery life and voice-calling.
Would I pay $200 for them? No, I wouldn’t. But if you look at what’s happened with the Studio Pro’s pricing — they’re sporadically discounted to $200 or $150 off their list price and even dropped to $180 for Prime Day — the Solo 4s won’t always be $200. I’m certain we’ll see them fairly soon for what the Solo 3s now cost, which is around $130. They make a lot more sense at that price, particularly if you’re looking for a more compact on-ear headphone and don’t need active noise canceling.
Pros
- Affordable
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Very compact case
- Good sound and voice-calling performance
- Strong battery life
Cons
- Few features
- No battery or LED charging indicator in charging case
Why I like them
Available in four color options, the Solo Buds are missing some key features found in more premium buds, including a battery in their very compact charging case, ear-detection sensors and active noise canceling. But they get the fundamentals right. They’re lightweight and not only offer decent sound quality and strong battery life but also very good voice-calling performance that rivals what you get with the company’s more expensive Studio Buds Plus. Read my Solo Buds review.
Reasons to buy
They’re the most affordable Beats earbuds, and their charging case is quite compact and doesn’t take up much room in a pocket. They also have great battery life.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
Having no battery in the case may be a deal-breaker for some people (using a USB-C cable, your phone can supply power to charge the buds in the case, but not everybody likes that concept).
Best budget Beats headphones
Beats Flex
Pros
- Price is right
- Improved sound, voice calling and battery life
- Rock-solid wireless connection
- Auto-pause magnetic buds
- Easy pairing with Apple devices
- Android app for Android users
Cons
- They have wires
- No carrying pouch included
- No official water-resistance (no IPX certification)
- Ear tips don’t have integrated wings to lock buds in your ears.
Yes, these are «wired wireless» earbuds — with a cable connecting the left and right earbud, but they’re also the most affordable wireless Apple headphones you can buy (Beats is a subsidiary of Apple). Equipped with Apple’s older W1 chip, not the H1 found in the AirPods 3rd Generation, AirPods Pro and Beats Fit Pro, they don’t have such extra features as spatial audio. However, they sound good and work well for making voice calls.
Some people like the concept of neckband-style wireless earbuds. You can leave the earbuds dangling from around your neck, wearing them like a pendant. Gone is the fear of losing an AirPod by dropping it. Going from listening to not listening to the earbuds requires simply lifting them to your ears — or pulling them out. And forget about having to drop them in a charging case when you’re not using them.
Factors to consider when choosing Beats headphones
Budget
Before anything else, you’ll want to figure out how much you’re willing to spend on new Beats headphones. The quality of value-priced Beats headphones continues to improve, so you can find good affordable headphones for less than $100. But the premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost $200 or more — sometimes much more.
Fit (comfort)
It’s key that whatever Beats headphones you buy fit your head well. They should offer a comfortable fit that’s snug yet not too snug. If you don’t get a tight seal with noise-isolating earbuds, sound quality and noise cancelling can be dramatically impacted for the worse. Open earbuds, like the Beats Flex, don’t have that issue, but they should be comfortable to wear and sit securely in your ears. Ideally, you want headphones you can wear over the course of a day with minimal breaks.
Durability
You want earbuds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality. This is especially important with true wireless earbuds, which are more susceptible to loss or damage due to their size.
Maximize performance and features for your budget
You want the best-sounding headphones with the best noise-canceling, call quality, and features for whatever you’re able to spend.
Return policy
It’s critical to buy your headphones at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days, and then return one.If you’re buying Beats headphones directly from Apple, you have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you received it. Otherwise, return policies vary by retailer.
How we test Beats headphones and earbuds
We test Beats headphones and earbuds based on six key criteria. These criteria include design, sound quality, noise-canceling performance, voice-calling performance, features and value.
Design
We assess not only how comfortable the Beats fit (ergonomics) but their build quality and how well included features like touch control are implemented. We also look at water- and dust-resistance ratings, but keep in mind that only a few full-sized headphones offer water and dust protection (IP ratings). Models with a more durable build are highlighted as great picks for those who may need a set of earbuds that can withstand a heavy workout or a long trip in your work bag.
Sound quality
We evaluate sound quality and music experience by listening to a set playlist of music tracks and comparing the earbuds to top competing products in their price range. Sonic traits such as bass definition, clarity, dynamic range and how natural the headphones sound are key factors in our assessment. Some of my test tracks include Spoon’s Knock Knock Knock, Athletes of God’s Don’t Wanna Be Normal, The Doors Touch Me — Take 3, Orbital’s Dirty Rat, Taylor Swift’s Vigilante Shit, Jvke’s Golden Hour and Drake’s Passionfruit.
Noise-canceling performance
We evaluate Beats’ noise-canceling performance by wearing the headphones in the same spot indoors near a noisy HVAC unit to see how well they do at muffling lower frequencies. Then we head out to the streets of New York to test the headphones in a real-world environment where we see how they do at muffling not only street noise but people’s voices.
Extra features
Some of the best-sounding Beats headphones and earbuds aren’t loaded with features, but we do take into account what extra features are on board. These include everything from quick-access awareness to transparency modes (your music pauses and the headphones open up to the outside world so you can have a conversation) to special sound modes to ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off your ears. We also take a look at the Beats companion app for the headphones and see how user-friendly it is with the particular model.
Voice-calling
When we test voice-calling performance, we make calls in the noisy streets of New York and evaluate how well the earbuds reduce background noise and how clearly callers can hear your voice. The best headphones and earbuds for voice calling pick up your voice clearly while significantly reducing background noise. Onboard microphones, sophisticated noise-reduction algorithms and voice accelerometers that detect when you’re speaking all factor into call quality. Plus, a sidetone feature allows you to hear your own voice when chatting with noise-isolating buds, helping you avoid talking too loudly.
Value
Beats headphones and earbuds span a wide range of price classes, from the budget-friendly $47 Beats Flex to the pricer $200 Beats Studio Pro. We determine value after evaluating the strength of the headphones against all these criteria and what the buds are able to deliver compared to other models in their price class. Great sounding, feature-packed headphones that offer a great bang for your buck earn top marks in this category.
Other Beats headphones and earbuds we tested
Beats Fit Pro: Beats has replaced the Beats Fit Pro with the Powerbeats Fit, which feature redesigned wingtips and a smaller charging case but are otherwise the same. As a result of the Powerbeats Fit release, you may be able to find the Beats Fit Pro at a nice discount.
Beats Studio Buds: The Studio Buds were once a good value, but the Studio Buds Plus offer significant improvements, so we tend to recommend that newer model. The cheaper Solo Buds also offer superior sound to the standard Studio Buds. These are worth considering only if you see them substantially discounted, but still be sure to check out our full review of the Studio Buds to see if they’re right for you.
Beats Powerbeats Pro: A lot of people like the Powerbeats Pro and you still see many people wearing them. They remain good ear hook-style buds, but they’re rather pricey for earbuds that have been on the market for several years. Learn more about the Powerbeats Pro in our full review.
Beats Solo Pro: The Solo Pro were a more premium version of standard Beats Solo headphones and featured active noise canceling. But they were too expensive ($300 list) and were discontinued in late 2021. If you’re still looking to grab yourself a pair, check out our full review of the Solo Pro for more information.
Beats headphones FAQ
Technologies
Prime Video Hits Pause on Error-Filled AI Recaps
People reported the AI tool struggling with interpreting key scenes properly.
Amazon launched a limited beta of AI-generated Video Recaps for selected in-house Prime Video shows last month — titles like Fallout, Jack Ryan, The Rig, Upload and Bosch. But now the feature has made a generative AI about-face, with reports of it being removed from the app after fans found errors in the Fallout recap and posted about them online.
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The Video Recaps feature stitches together video clips, audio effects, snippets of dialog, music and an AI-generated voiceover narration. According to Amazon, it «analyzes a season’s key plot points and character arcs to deeply understand the most pivotal moments that will resonate with viewers as they enter the next season.»
But as reported earlier by GamesRadar, a viewer recently posted in the r/Fallout subreddit that the season one recap incorrectly dated Cooper Howard’s flashbacks to 1950 when they were actually set in 2077.
«‘Cooper offers Lucy a choice in the finale: die, or join him’ phrased as if he’d be the one to kill her,» another viewer posted on X, describing one of the other AI errors in the recap.
Several outlets then noted that the recap option in the app seems to have disappeared. CNET Senior Editor Corinne Reichert’s app still displays the recap option, but nothing happens when it’s clicked.
As someone with a terrible memory, I would really, really like these types of features to work. Hope springs eternal, I guess.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Dec. 13
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 13.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s so long, it’s almost not a mini version today. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Field trip vehicle
Answer: BUS
4A clue: Peter’s antagonist, in a musical tale
Answer: WOLF
8A clue: «Keep me posted,» in texts
Answer: LMK
9A clue: Opera solo
Answer: ARIA
10A clue: ___Pen (emergency device)
Answer: EPI
11A clue: With 12-Across, gets in order
Answer: SETS
12A clue: With 14-Across, what a tennis champ might win a match in
Answer: STRAIGHT
14A clue: See 12-Across
Answer: SETS
15A clue: «A long time ___ in a galaxy far, far away …»
Answer: AGO
16A clue: Shy and gentle
Answer: MEEK
17A clue: Prefix with apology or answer
Answer: NON
18A clue: Comes to a close
Answer: ENDS
19A clue: Have to pay
Answer: OWE
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: «Goodness gracious!»
Answer: BLESSME
2D clue: Indefinitely many, informally
Answer: UMPTEEN
3D clue: Avoided, as an issue
Answer: SKIRTED
4D clue: «Now, where ___?»
Answer: WASI
5D clue: Green topping at a pizza parlor
Answer: OREGANO
6D clue: John who played Churchill on «The Crown»
Answer: LITHGOW
7D clue: Sneaky trick to «pull»
Answer: FASTONE
13D clue: Doesn’t just assume one has permission
Answer: ASKS
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Technologies
Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 10: Are the Differences Enough to Justify Upgrading?
At first glance, the new Apple Watch Series 11 looks a lot like its previous-year model. We compare the specs to see what’s changed.
If you’re looking at getting an Apple Watch this holiday season, you have a tough choice: Should you buy the latest Apple Watch Series 11, or find a Series 10 that has most of the same features at a lower cost? Apple made incremental changes to its flagship smartwatch, while also introducing significant improvements to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3.
There are still enough differences to make you look twice at moving up (especially if you’re coming from an older model). Let’s compare the models side by side and tease out the finer details.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Pricing the Apple Watch Series 11
The Series 11 has kept the same price as the Series 10. It starts at $399 for the model with an aluminum body or $699 for one made of titanium.
Add $30 for the larger 46mm case size in aluminum, or $50 for titanium. Opting for a model with a cellular radio that connects independently to networks adds $100. And if you choose a band made of something other than rubber or textile — a stainless steel link bracelet, for example — the price climbs further. Unfortunately, you can’t order just the watch case; you have to select a new band, even if it ends up in your drawer in favor of one you already own and prefer.
There’s also a titanium Apple Watch Hermès model available in silver titanium in both sizes that starts at $1,249.
Apple no longer sells the Series 10, since the Series 11 replaces it, but you can still find refurbished Series 10 models for less from Apple, and new models from other retailers while supplies last.
Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Series 10: Outward design
The Series 11 and Series 10 share the same case design and materials. The larger model measures 46mm tall by 39mm wide, while the smaller comes in at 42mm by 36mm. (Kudos to Apple for continuing to offer two sizes to accommodate people with different-sized wrists.) They’re also both 1mm slimmer than the Apple Watch models that came before, at 9.7mm.
Despite being mostly the same in dimensions, the Series 11 is slightly heavier than the Series 10. For example, the 46mm aluminum GPS Series 11 weighs 37.8 grams, up slightly from 36.4 grams for the Series 10. The 42mm versions come in at 30.3 grams and 30.0 grams, respectively.
For colors, the Series 11 adds a space gray aluminum option to go along with rose gold, silver and jet black. Both models are also available in titanium finishes of slate, gold and natural.
The physical controls are unchanged: the dial that Apple calls the Digital Crown and a side button (that Apple cleverly calls the «side button»). Only the Apple Watch Ultra includes a third physical control: the Action button.
Also noteworthy: The titanium Series 11 is made of 100% recycled titanium, up from 95% recycled material in the titanium Series 10. The display glass is made of 40% recycled glass in the Series 11; no amount is listed for the Series 10. And the battery in the Series 11 uses 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium. (The Series 10 lists only 100% recycled cobalt.)
Series 11 vs. Series 10 screens
The screens on both the Series 11 and Series 10 watches have a wide-angle LTPO 3 OLED display. That means it’s easier to see the contents from an angle, and the always-on display refreshes once per second, allowing the seconds counter to move even when the watch is in inactive mode.
LTPO3 screens are also more power efficient. The screens reach up to 2,000 nits for clear visibility in sunlight and dim down to just 1 nit in darkness.
The key difference between the Series 11 and Series 10 screens lies in the glass covering. On the Series 11 aluminum models, Apple uses Ion-X glass, which it claims is twice as scratch-resistant as the glass on previous aluminum versions. The titanium Series 11 uses a sapphire crystal display.
Apple Watch processor and chips
Normally we’d highlight how the new processor improves on its predecessor, but for 2025 Apple stuck with the same S10 processor found in the Series 10. That also means the other chips remain the same, too: the W3 Apple Wireless chip, the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (for precise Find My location tracking), a four-core Neural Engine and 64GB of storage.
Battery power: Series 11 vs. Series 10
Battery life is where the two models get really interesting. Apple doesn’t reveal how large the built-in lithium-ion battery is or its capacity, but it is claiming up to 24 hours for the Series 11 compared to 18 hours for the Series 10. In Low Power Mode, that’s up to 38 hours for the Series 11, up from 36 hours in the Series 10.
It’s not entirely clear where Apple squeezed an extra six hours of battery life out of what appears to be mostly identical hardware. Both phones use the same S10 processor, though there are likely software optimizations in WatchOS 26. CNET lead writer Vanessa Hand Orellana found that, at least initially, Apple may be undercounting the battery performance, writing in her review, «With notifications turned on (heavy Slack-ing and texting), at least one 30- to 45-minute outdoor workout a day, a full night of sleep tracking and some mild flashlight use, I’ve consistently managed to squeeze between 27 and 32 hours per charge.»
As for charging the watches, both the Series 11 and Series 10 can be charged up to 80% in about 30 minutes. Apple says that with a 20W power adapter, 15 minutes of fast charging provides up to 8 hours of regular use, while just five minutes is enough for eight hours of sleep tracking — thanks to the watch’s much lower power demands while you’re asleep. Apple’s comparison information for the Series 10 doesn’t list those last two metrics, but that seems more due to it being a marketing point last year versus a new capability in the Series 11.
Comparing the sensors of the Series 11 and Series 10
The Apple Watch’s sensors power health features that range from heart-rate monitoring to depth sensing to precise location tracking. That said…
They’re identical in the Series 11 and Series 10. No changes here.
Another change: Connectivity in the Series 11 and Series 10
One of the more notable changes in the cellular models of the Series 11 is support for 5G networks, specifically a power-efficient type called 5G Reduced Capacity (or 5G RedCap). That allows it to connect to both 5G and LTE networks without having to go through a connected iPhone, and the 5G speeds should be better. By comparison, the cellular Series 10 supports LTE and UMTS (3G).
Part of incorporating 5G into the Series 11 models is a redesigned cellular antenna and an algorithm that «simultaneously engages the two system antennas when needed, significantly increasing the signal strength,» according to Apple’s Series 11 press release. That algorithm is exclusive to the Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, per Apple.
Both Apple Watch models support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.5GHz and 5GHz speeds. (Apple’s comparison page only lists the speeds for the Series 11, but an Apple Watch Wi-Fi support page notes 5GHz has been supported since the Series 6 watches.)
Both watches talk to the iPhone and other peripherals using Bluetooth 5.3.
WatchOS 26 on the Apple Watch Series 11 and Series 10
The new features of WatchOS 26 come to both watch models, including hypertension notifications, Sleep Score and the Blood Oxygen app (making its reappearance in the US amid an ongoing legal dispute). Apple’s comparison page lists the new Wrist Flick gesture for the Series 11 but not the Series 10, but that must be a typo because I can confirm that it works on my Series 10 watch.
Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Apple Watch Series 10
| Apple Watch Series 11 | Apple Watch Series 10 | |
| Design & sizes | Rectangular, 42mm, 46mm | Rectangular, 42mm, 46mm |
| Display | 42mm: 446 x 374 pixels, LTPO3 OLED Retina display, Wide-angle OLED 46mm: 416 x 496 pixels, LTPO3 OLED Retina display, Wide-angle OLED | 446 x 374 ppi, LTPO3 OLED Retina display, Wide-angle OLED |
| Brightness | Between 1 and 2000 nits | 2000 nits |
| Thickness & weight | 46mm size: 9.7mm; 37.8g (aluminum), 36.9g (aluminum GPS+Cellular), 43.1g (titanium) 42mm size: 9.7mm; 30.3g (aluminum), 29.7g (aluminum GPS+Cellular), 34.6g (titanium) | 9.7mm; 30-41.7g (46mm titanium model) |
| Material & finish | Aluminum: jet black, rose gold or silver finish; titanium: slate, gold or natural finish | Aluminum: jet black, rose gold or silver finish; titanium: slate, gold or natural finish |
| Durability | 5ATM Water + IP6X (dust) | 5ATM Water + IP6X (dust) |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours, up to 38 hours Low Power (always-on) + Fast charge: 80% in 30 min, 100% in 60 min | 24-30 (always-on) + Fast charge: 80% in 30 min, 100% in 60 min |
| Sensors | ECG, 3rd-gen optical heart sensor, skin temp, depth gauge, SpO2, Noise monitoring, water temperature, compass | ECG, heart rate, skin temp, depth gauge, SpO2, Noise monitoring |
| Emergency features | Satellite SOS, Emergency SOS, Fall detection, Crash detection, Check in and Backtrack | Emergency SOS, Fall detection, Crash detection, Check in and Backtrack |
| AI & coaching | Siri (voice assistant); Workout Buddy | Siri (voice assistant); Workout Buddy |
| Processor | S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 Apple wireless chip | S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 Apple wireless chip |
| RAM/Storage | 64GB (storage) | 64GB (storage) |
| Payments | Apple Pay | Apple Pay |
| Price (US) | $399-$750 (titanium) | $399-$750 (titanium) |
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