Apple has added more health insights to its Watch Series 11, including blood-pressure notifications and sleep score, along with up to 24 hours of battery life and a display that is twice as scratch-resistant.

The company says it offers the most comprehensive set of health features yet, longer battery life, an even more durable cover glass, and 5G cellular capabilities, all in its thinnest and most comfortable design.

It gives users notifications for signs of chronic high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, plus insights into sleep quality with sleep score, adding to the suite of health features included in the device. Featuring up to 24 hours of battery life and Ion-X glass that’s twice as scratch-resistant, Apple Watch is more convenient to wear throughout the day and night.

WatchOS 26 delivers more personalised ways to stay active, healthy and connected with Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence, the wrist flick gesture, new watch faces and more.

It is available from this month in aluminium in a space grey, as well as jet black, rose gold and silver, and also in polished titanium in natural, gold and slate.

“Apple Watch is the world’s most popular watch, using advanced sensing capabilities to empower millions of people around the world to better understand their health simply by wearing it, while also serving as a fitness coach, message centre, mobile wallet and beautiful timepiece,” said Stan Ng, Apple vice president. “With powerful new health features – hypertension notifications and sleep score – plus longer battery life, a more scratch-resistant glass display, and 5G cellular, all in a thin and comfortable design users love, Apple Watch Series 11 is an indispensable companion that supports users’ health, fitness, safety and connectivity throughout the day and night.”

It also supports fast charging, with just 15 minutes providing up to eight hours of battery life.

The cover glass of aluminium models offers more scratch resistance. Made from an Ion-X (ion-exchanged strengthened) proprietary glass, the display is now treated with an Apple-designed ceramic coating that bonds to the glass at an atomic level through a physical vapour deposition process, hardening the surface. The titanium models will continue to have a sapphire front crystal, the most scratch-resistant and crack-resistant material covering a display.

With a cellular plan, users can take calls, send messages and even get help from emergency services when their iPhone isn’t with them. Apple Watch offers 5G cellular capabilities, so music, podcasts and apps download faster. To boost reception in areas with weak coverage, a redesigned cellular antenna covers more bands, and simultaneously engages the two system antennas when needed, increasing the signal strength.

Hypertension notifications alert users if signs of chronic high blood pressure are detected. Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney disease, and impacts approximately 1.3 billion adults globally. It is frequently undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms, many people do not see a doctor regularly, and, even during a clinical visit, it can be easily missed with a single measurement.

Hypertension notifications use data from the optical heart sensor to analyse how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension. These notifications provide users with insights into their health as it relates to this widespread condition simply by wearing their Apple Watch, so they can begin making potentially lifesaving behavioural changes, or start treatment to reduce their risk of serious, long-term health events.

The hypertension feature was developed with machine learning and training data from multiple studies with more than 100,000 participants. Its performance was then validated in a clinical study of over 2000 participants. While hypertension notifications will not detect all instances of hypertension, with the reach of Apple Watch, the feature is expected to notify over a million people with undiagnosed hypertension within the first year.

“Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of heart attack and stroke, yet millions remain undiagnosed,” said Harlan Krumholz, cardiologist and scientist at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital. “Making accurate detection easy and part of daily life can help people get care earlier and prevent avoidable harm.”

If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their provider at their next visit, which is consistent with the latest American Heart Association guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension.

Clearance for hypertension notifications from the FDA and other regulators is expected soon, and the feature will be available in more than 150 countries and regions, including the USA and the EU, this month. Hypertension notifications will be available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, with WatchOS 26.

Users can track sleep, and the watch’s sensors capture data during sleep such as heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen and respiratory rate, and even discover possible sleep apnoea. With WatchOS 26, Apple Watch can help users understand the quality of their sleep and how to make it more restorative with a sleep score feature.

Sleep quality is influenced by several factors, such as duration, bedtime consistency, how often a person wakes up, and how much time is spent in each sleep stage. With sleep score, it helps track each of these categories to assign transparent and easy-to-understand metrics for a user’s overall sleep quality. After each night, sleep score provides an overall score and classification in the Sleep app on Apple Watch, plus a breakdown of the most critical components, so users know what to prioritise to improve their sleep. Users can also choose to access their sleep score in a watch face complication or in the Smart Stack, and they can track their sleep scores over time in the Health app on iPhone.

The scoring approach and prioritisation algorithm of sleep score is informed by guidance published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation and World Sleep Society. Over five million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study were used to develop and test the scoring algorithms.

Hypertension notifications and sleep score join other health features on Apple Watch, including irregular rhythm notifications, high and low heart rate notifications, ECG app, blood oxygen, sleep apnoea notifications, and retrospective ovulation estimates.

With WatchOS 26, Series 11 features Workout Buddy, a fitness experience powered by Apple Intelligence that analyses a user’s workout data and fitness history to deliver personalised, spoken motivation throughout their session, based on data such as heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings and personal fitness milestones. Workout Buddy will be available starting in English across some of the most popular workout types, and is available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby.

The latest layout of the Workout app makes it easier to customise workouts with Workout Views, custom workouts, Pacer, Race Route and more. Apple Watch users can now view and create workouts in the Fitness app on iPhone, including custom workouts, and then access them in the Workout app on Apple Watch.

Users can set up music and podcasts in the Workout app to play automatically when they start a workout.

A one-handed wrist flick gesture can dismiss notifications, stop a timer or silence an alarm, joining the double tap gesture to allow users to do more on Apple Watch (www.apple.com/apple-watch-series-11) when their other hand is occupied.