32 facts in comparison

Apple Watch Series 11 vs Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

DesignDisplayHealth & fitnessBatteryConnectivitySoftware

Tap a category to see which one wins it.

95Points
76Points

Why is Apple Watch Series 11 better than Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum?

  • 1 mm more Case size ?46 mm vs 45 mm
  • 0.06 " more Display size ?1.96 " vs 1.9 "
  • 12 px more Resolution ?496 px vs 484 px
  • 6 h more Battery life ?24 h vs 18 h
  • 15 min less Charging time ?30 min vs 45 min
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What matters to you?

Drag the sliders to weight each category and re-rank the products to suit your priorities.

Design
Display
Health & fitness
Battery
Connectivity
Software
Your ranking
Apple Watch Series 11Your pick95
Apple Watch Series 9 AluminumYour pick79

Score breakdown

Design
Apple Watch Series 1175
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum88
Display
Apple Watch Series 11100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum33
Health & fitness
Apple Watch Series 11100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Battery
Apple Watch Series 11100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum24
Connectivity
Apple Watch Series 11100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Software
Apple Watch Series 11100
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100

Design

Weight ?
34.6 g
31.9 g

A lighter watch is more comfortable to wear all day.

Case size ?
46 mm
45 mm

The case diameter; larger cases fit bigger displays, smaller ones suit slimmer wrists.

Case material ?
Sapphire crystal front
Glass front

The case material (e.g. aluminium, titanium).

Water resistance ?
5 ATM
5 ATM

A higher ATM rating allows swimming and diving.

Always-on display ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Shows the time and stats without raising your wrist.

Sapphire glass ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the screen.

Colors ?
Slate, Gold, Natural
Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Pink, Red

The case and band colour options the watch is sold in.

Display

Display size ?
1.96 "
1.9 "

A larger display is easier to read and interact with.

Resolution ?
496 px
484 px

A higher pixel count produces sharper text and graphics.

Display type ?
Retina LTPO3 OLED
Retina LTPO OLED

The screen technology (e.g. AMOLED).

Peak brightness ?
2,000 nits
2,000 nits

A brighter screen is easier to read in sunlight.

Health & fitness

Heart rate monitor ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Continuously tracks your heart rate.

Blood oxygen (SpO2) ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Measures blood-oxygen saturation.

ECG ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Takes an electrocardiogram to check heart rhythm.

Blood pressure ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Estimates blood pressure from the wrist.

Sleep tracking ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Monitors sleep stages and quality.

Built-in GPS ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Tracks routes and distance without a phone.

Skin temperature ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Senses skin temperature for health insights.

Fall detection ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Detects hard falls and can call for help.

Sport modes ?
? Unknown (Apple Watch Series 11)
? Unknown (Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum)

More tracked workout types suit more activities.

Battery

Battery life ?
24 h
18 h

Estimated hours of use between charges.

Fast charging ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Tops up quickly from empty.

Wireless charging ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Charges on a wireless pad or puck.

Charging time ?
30 min
45 min

How long a full charge takes; lower is better.

Connectivity

Bluetooth version ?
5.3
5.3

A newer Bluetooth version improves range and efficiency.

Wi-Fi ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Connects to Wi-Fi for updates and sync without a phone.

Dual-frequency GPS ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

L1+L5 GPS gives more accurate tracking in cities and forests.

LTE / cellular ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Make calls and stream without your phone nearby.

NFC payments ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Pay contactlessly from your wrist.

Speaker & microphone ?
Apple Watch Series 11
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum

Take calls and use a voice assistant on the watch.

Software

Operating system ?
watchOS 26
watchOS 10

The watch software platform.

Onboard storage ?
64 GB
64 GB

More storage holds more offline music and apps.

The bottom line

The Apple Watch Series 11 is the clear winner, scoring 95 to 76 on our VS Score. It leads on Display and Battery. The Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum answers back with stronger Design. Pick the Apple Watch Series 11 unless Design matters most to you — then the Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum is the smarter buy.

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