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Apple Watch Series 11 — 5 upgrades Apple needs to make to stay relevant with Samsung and Google

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Better GPS, battery life, and AI features are all a must

Close up of an Apple Watch Series 10 showing the steps to install the Google Calendar app, including navigating to the app store, searching and downloading the app and syncing it with your iPhone
(Image credit: Future)
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The Apple Watch Series 11 is likely right around the corner. Every year, Apple tends to close out smartwatch launch season with a September release that follows new watches from Samsung and Google in July and August, respectively.

I already got my hands on the latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and put it through thorough testing, with impressive results. The Google Pixel Watch 4, meanwhile, is slated for a likely August 20 debut at the Made by Google event taking place on that date. While nothing has been confirmed, rumors hint at a seriously upgraded next-gen Pixel Watch from Google.

1. An upgrade to dual or multi-band GPS

Apple Watch Series 10 on a user's wrist showing the Map app; a topographic map of Olympic National Park is shown

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

Multi-band GPS isn’t just for super-high-end smartwatches anymore. Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 offer multi-band GPS, while the Apple Watch Series 10 relies on a single-band GPS antenna.

In short, more bands mean better connectivity in tricky locations where the sky might be obstructed. Think: city centers and heavily wooded areas.

While the Google Pixel Watch 3 similarly sports single-band GPS, rumors suggest that the new Pixel Watch 4 could get an upgrade to match the latest Galaxy Watches. If that occurs, Apple will be the only major smartwatch manufacturer whose flagship device doesn’t offer multi-band.

And even though the Apple Watch Series 10 is a fairly reliable fitness tracker, there’s certainly room for improvement. For example, when I recently biked 12 miles with the Apple Watch 10 vs the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, the latter proved more accurate. That bike route, notably, included a lot of trees and tall buildings.

2. A daily Sleep and Energy Score

Close-up of an Apple Watch 10 on a user's wrist with the screen showing that the sleep apnea safety feature is switched on

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Unlike Samsung, Google and Garmin, Apple doesn’t provide any sort of daily energy or sleep score to help users better understand their overall health. This is a shame.

Of course, the best Apple Watch models already provide a decent level of sleep insights, even if it's not as detailed as what you get from Samsung or Garmin. However, the addition of a numeric sleep score out of 100 would bring Cupertino’s sleep insights much more in line with industry leaders.

Likewise, some sort of score that takes into account both sleep quality and recent physical fitness would also be a major upgrade for Apple Watch owners (and something I've been wanting for a long time, too).

After all, Garmin’s Body Battery metric has been around since 2018, and Fitbit’s Readiness Score goes back to 2021. That said, Samsung’s Energy Score only debuted last summer, so Apple isn't alone in joining the energy score party late. Let's just hope this is the year it happens.

3. Battery life that lasts for 24 hours or more

Apple Watch Series 10 low power mode

(Image credit: Future)

Ever since the very first Apple Watch model arrived more than a decade ago, the flagship Apple Watch series has been stubbornly stuck at just 18 hours per charge in standard mode.

However, with the latest Galaxy Watch 8 models cruising for 30 hours per charge for the 40mm and 44mm models and 40-plus hours for the 46mm Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, Apple had better take battery life a bit more seriously this time around.

Likewise, in our testing, the smaller Pixel Watch 3 model was good for about 24 hours per charge, while the larger Pixel Watch 3 battery is good for 48 hours per charge. Expect those numbers to increase slightly when the Pixel Watch 4 debuts.

4. A brighter display

a photo of the Japanese walking workout set up on the Apple Watch 10

(Image credit: Future)

For the last handful of years, each new generation of the best smartwatch has debuted with a noticeably brighter screen, and 2025 sees the trend continuing. Samsung bumped up maximum brightness to 3,000 nits on the Galaxy Watch 8, an increase of 50% over the Galaxy Watch 7 (2,000 nits max brightness).

With rumors suggesting that the Pixel Watch 4 will see a similar increase to 3,000 nits, here’s hoping Apple follows suit. For reference, the Apple Watch Series 10 maxes at 2,000 nits while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 tops out at 3,000 nits.

5. A useful onboard AI assistant

Close-up of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic on a user's wrist with the Gemini AI app open

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how actually useful Google’s Gemini AI assistant is on the Galaxy Watch 8. Whether it’s inquiring about my dog eating too many blueberries or asking for clothing recommendations for an upcoming trip, what I get from Gemini on the Galaxy Watch is a far cry from the Apple Watch’s on-wrist Siri experience.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 will almost certainly debut with Gemini AI as well, leaving Apple Watch owners to ask, “What about us?” Unfortunately, as of right now, there’s little to suggest that an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri will show up in the Apple Watch Series 11 this fall (an overhauled Siri in spring 2026 is much more likely), and that’s a real bummer.

While folks with the best smartwatch models for Android are having all their most burning questions answered with ease from the wrist, watchOS fans will likely have to wait at least another six months or more before an AI assistant as good as Gemini makes its way to the Apple Watch.

More from Tom's Guide:

Dan Bracaglia
Dan Bracaglia
Senior Writer, Fitness & Wearables

Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others. 

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.

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