Apple has just refreshed its entire smartwatch lineup for the first time in three years, unveiling the Series 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3.

Visually, the Series 11 doesn’t deviate much from the Series 10, but the upgrades make it the most practical version yet for everyday users.

Whatever your budget, there’s a new Apple watch that can meet your needs

While each targets a different segment of the market, they share a common theme – incremental but meaningful upgrades, with health monitoring and connectivity taking centre stage.

The Series 11 flagship

The Series 11 is Apple’s mainstream model, priced from A$679.

It introduces two headline features, a hypertension detection and a sleep score tracker.

Using sensors in the wrist and machine learning, the watch can flag signs of high blood pressure. That’s a potentially life-saving feature that could end up saving more than a few lives.

(Apple has built the hardware in, but the hypertension detection system won’t be switched on until regulators sign off, a process Apple expects to conclude soon in more than 150 countries.)

Battery life has finally crept up to 24 hours (from 18), narrowing but not eliminating the gap with Samsung and Garmin.

Apple credits a more efficient S10 processor and a redesigned 5G modem, which also enables satellite SOS messaging in some regions

Tougher glass – twice as scratch resistant as the Series 10 – adds durability.

The affordable SE 3

Apple hasn’t neglected the entry-level SE, now in its third generation and starting at A$399.

Long a compromise model, the SE 3 finally closes much of the gap with pricier siblings.

Key additions include an always-on display (a first for SE), temperature sensing, and the same sleep score feature as the Series 11.

It runs on the S10 chip, first introduced last year, meaning snappier performance and longer software support. Apple also claims twice-as-fast charging and four-times-stronger glass.

This makes the SE 3 a compelling option for first-time buyers or those uninterested in titanium casings and satellite messaging.

It’s still missing advanced sensors, like ECG, but it now feels far less like a stripped-down afterthought.

The premium Ultra 3

For power users and outdoor enthusiasts, the Ultra 3, starting at A$1399, is Apple’s rugged flagship.

Its headline upgrade is satellite connectivity, bringing iPhone-style emergency messaging to the wrist—an invaluable feature for hikers or remote workers.

The battery has been boosted to 42 hours (72 in low-power mode), cementing it as the longevity leader in Apple’s stable

The Ultra 3 also benefits from the hypertension detector and sleep score tools, plus a slightly larger screen with thinner bezels for easier readability.

Internally, the new S10 chip promises better performance and efficiency.

If the Series 11 is the sensible everyday watch, the Ultra 3 is the one you want on an expedition—though its bulky frame and price tag keep it niche.

This year’s Apple Watch upgrades are less about fashion tweaks and more about health and safety.

Age wearies all of us, even Apple fanboys and fangirls.

Many of those who embraced Apple’s ecosystem after the launch of the first iPhone (2007) or first iPod (2001) or even first iMac (1998) are now of an age where they need to keep an eye on their health.

That’s presumably while Apple has doubled down on preventative care. In the latest watches, hypertension detection joins the fall detection, ECG, and heart-rate features introduced in previous series.

Likewise, a new ‘sleep score’ gives users a simple nightly rating, borrowing from Fitbit and Garmin’s playbook.

Apple has also added more AI-driven features: the hypertension system relies on machine learning, while watchOS 26 integrates with the company’s broader Apple Intelligence strategy, promising smarter suggestions and context-aware notifications

Of course, the new watches aren’t just standalone gadgets; they’re cogs in Apple’s broader ecosystem strategy.

Paired with the iPhone 17 and refreshed AirPods, they form part of what Tim Cook calls a “functional AI” suite.

That suite of practical features – live translation, computational photography, and now health insights – is designed to keep users inside Apple’s walled garden.

The design choices, such as longer battery, tougher casings, and added safety tools, reflect Apple’s ambition to make its watches indispensable daily companions.

Rather than status symbols, Apple’s watches are becoming health monitors, fitness trainers, and emergency lifelines, binding customers tighter to the iPhone at the centre of Apple’s ecosystem