I write about smartwatches for a living — here's the 3 Apple Watch Series 11 changes I want to see

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We don’t have long to wait

Sleep stages on Apple Watch 10
(Image credit: Future)

We’re hours away from the potential launch of the Apple Watch 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3. As a fitness editor, I’ve been writing about Apple Watches for the past decade, and I’ve been keeping an eye on all the leaks and rumors as they drop ahead of today’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event in Cupertino.

Yet as a fitness editor and marathon runner, the potential update I’m most excited about is the revamped Health app. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on a major Health app revamp, which is code-named Project Mulberry. This update will see the app give users actionable insights based on their data, as well as an AI health coach that would provide recommendations. Here are the three changes to the Health app I’m hoping to see later today:

1. A sleep score

Apple Watch Sleep Schedule

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — people want a sleep score, Apple! It’s something I immediately miss when I switch from Garmin to Apple, and it’s why I wear my Oura ring 4 religiously every night. Sure, Apple gives you a ton of metrics with regard to your different sleep stages, and the Vitals app will tell you if anything is out of the norm; however, I really think breaking the data down into a single score out of 100 would make all the difference.

Luckily for me, there is a rumor that suggests this might be coming. Writer Steve Moser uncovered a graphic named "Watch Focus Score" from the code of Apple’s Health app (reported by MacRumors).

This score shows an Apple Watch with the number 84 in it, surrounded by three bars that curve to form a circle. The colors of the bars are red, light blue, and purple, which correspond to the sleep stages shown in the Health app — red reflecting time awake, light blue showing REM sleep, and purple reflecting time spent in deep sleep.

If this rumor is true, you might be able to quickly see what the different stages mean, and at a glance, how well you slept each morning.

2. An updated morning report

Vitals app on Apple Watch 10

(Image credit: Future)

Another feature I’ve always missed when switching between Apple and Garmin is Garmin’s morning report. Sure, the Apple Watch will say good morning, and tell you what the weather looks like for the day ahead, and how much charge your watch has, but that’s about it.

I wish, like Garmin, you could get a bit more information when you take your watch out of Sleep Focus. Namely, how well you slept, what your Vitals looked like overnight, where you are in your cycle if you’re tracking it, perhaps a suggested workout for the day, or a reminder of any medication you need to take. The Health app already has all of this information, and I’d love it to be more accessible.

Of course, another thing the Garmin morning report does well is show you your Body Battery — I’m still dreaming of Apple launching better recovery features, especially for the Ultra, which is marketed as an endurance watch.

3. The ability to see your steps during a workout

Apple Watch Workout Buddy

(Image credit: Apple)

Ok, maybe this one is a little niche, but if you’ve followed Tom’s Guide’s fitness content for a little while now, you’ll know how I love to compare the step-counting abilities of fitness trackers. One bugbear I’ve always had with Apple is its step counting — you can easily see your overall step count for the day, but if you want to see how many steps you took on a particular walking workout, you’ll need to download a third-party app.

Far from making my job easier, I believe it’s a metric people care about. My parents go on walking holidays, and it’s a feature my Mom has missed when moving from Fitbit to Apple last year. I’m not sure how much my brothers have missed the daily step report in the family WhatsApp, but again, it’s a metric Apple definitely records, and one I’m hoping to see added to the Health app soon.

The good news is, we don’t have long to wait. Keep an eye on the Tom’s Guide iPhone 17 live blog, as we’ll be bringing you all the updates as they’re announced.

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Jane McGuire
Jane McGuire
Fitness editor

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy. 

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