Upgrading from an old Apple Watch? Here’s how the new features stack up

The Apple Watch has received incremental updates in recent years, with significant upgrades becoming fewer and fewer as the device progresses. Since the improvements in the Apple Watch from one generation to the next are relatively small, it’s even more important to determine when an upgrade is warranted and whether an older model might be sufficient for your needs.

The Apple Watch Series 12 brings a more substantial set of changes than the Series 11, which was one of the smallest refreshes in the device’s history. Although Apple has discontinued previous series models, older watches may still be available at lower prices from third-party or second-hand retailers.

Read on to see the breakdown below of every new feature, change, and improvement added with each Apple Watch model over its direct predecessor. Viewing each generation’s changes in this way helps weigh the cumulative upgrades one receives by skipping multiple generations when purchasing a new device, as well as getting an idea of ​​which generations offer the largest overall upgrades.

Apple Watch Series 12 (2026)

• S11 chip (based on A20 Pro)
• 4 GB of RAM
• New health detection system
• Second generation electrical heart sensor
• Fourth generation permanent optical heart sensor
• Background heart rate measurements every five seconds throughout the day
• Heart rate variability measured up to 24 times more often
• Recovery HRV Metric
• Prep app
• Day view in the Vitals app
• More accurate step tracking
• Real-time heart rate watch face complications and steps
• Audio intelligence with sound recognition and automatic Shazam detection
• Live Rewind and Siri Recap
• Ceramic Shield 2 front glass, 60% stronger than Series 11 Ion-X glass (aluminum models only)
• The aluminum or titanium and zirconia back replaces the metal and sapphire crystal back
• Up to 10 hours of outdoor workout tracking (25% more than Series 11)
• 15 minutes of charging provides up to 12 hours of normal use (instead of eight hours)
• Five minutes of charging provides up to 10 hours of sleep tracking (up from eight hours)
• Aluminum and titanium cases are 1mm wider and approximately two grams heavier
• Slightly larger bezels and display area are approximately 2% smaller despite unchanged screen resolutions
• Ceramic case option introduced in Pearl White and Night Blue, with slightly larger dimensions than aluminum and titanium models
• Dark Bronze, Light Gold and Black aluminum finishes replace Silver, Rose Gold and Jet Black; Space Gray remains available
• Radiant Gold titanium replaces gold and slate; Natural titanium remains available

Apple Watch Series 11 (2025)

• 2x more scratch-resistant Ion-X glass (aluminum models only)
• 5G connectivity (cellular models only)
• 7-10% larger battery
• Reintroduced space gray aluminum option

Apple Watch Series 10 (2024)

• Refined design with a thinner body, a screen with rounder edges and a wider aspect ratio, and a front glass that extends further to the sides for a higher screen-to-body ratio
• 42mm and 46mm case sizes
• Bigger screens
• LTPO3 display for faster refresh rate in always-on mode, enabling live second hand on select watch faces
• Wide-angle OLED (up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle)
• S10 chip (same CPU as S9, but more compact)
• Water temperature sensor
• Depth app and depth gauge up to 6m
• Microphone with voice isolation
• Redesigned speaker with media playback
• Metal back with larger charging coil and built-in antenna
• Faster charging (0-80% in about 30 minutes)
• The titanium case replaces the stainless steel option, now in silver (matches previous stainless steel case, Apple Watch Hermès only), gold, slate, and natural.
• Starlight, Midnight, Pink and (PRODUCT)RED finishes have been discontinued and replaced with polished Silver, Rose Gold and Jet Black finishes.

Apple Watch Series 9 (2023)

• Retina display with up to 2,000 nits of brightness
• Display may become dimmer in dark rooms and at night (up to 1 nit brightness)
• Double tap gesture
• Wrist flick gesture
• Sleep apnea detection
• Hypertension detection
• S9 chip (based on A15 Bionic)
• 2 GB of RAM
• 4-core Neural Engine (2x faster than Series 8)
• ‌Siri‌‌ processed on the device for requests that do not require information from the Internet
• ‌‌Siri‌‌ can access health and fitness data
• 25% more accurate dictation
• Second generation Ultra Wideband chip
• Precision search for iPhone 15 models
• HomePod proximity integration
• 64 GB of storage
• Introducing the Pink Aluminum Case

Apple Watch Series 8 (2022)

• S8 chip (same CPU as S6)
• More powerful gyroscope and high dynamic range accelerometer
• ‌Crash detection
• Body temperature sensor
• Wrist temperature detection during sleep

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• Cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates
• Discontinued blue and green aluminum enclosures, reintroduced silver aluminum
• Discontinued Apple Watch Edition

Apple Watch Series 7 (2021)

• 41mm and 45mm case sizes
• 1.7mm screen bezels for almost 20% more screen real estate compared to Series 6
• QWERTY keyboard
• Up to 70% brighter screen than Series 6 indoors when wrist is down
• S7 chip (same CPU as S6)
• Crack-resistant front glass (50% thicker)
• IP6X dust resistance
• Fast charging up to 80% charge in around 45 minutes (33% faster than Series 6)
• Discontinuation of Silver and Space Gray aluminum cases, introduction of Midnight, Starlight and Green

Apple Watch Series 6 (2020)

• Always-on display up to 2.5 times brighter
• Access Notification Center, Control Center, and Complications when the screen is asleep
• S6 chip (based on A13 Bionic, 20% faster than S5)
• 1.5 GB of RAM
• Altimeter always active
• First generation Ultra Wideband chip
• 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi
• Blood oxygen sensor
• Faster charging for a full charge in less than 1.5 hours
• Improved battery life for tracking certain workouts, such as indoor and outdoor runs
• Blue and (PRODUCT)RED aluminum case options introduced
• Space Black stainless steel case available with Apple Watch Hermès only, Graphite option introduced
• Apple Watch Ceramic Edition is discontinued

Apple Watch Series 5 (2019)

• Retina display always on
• Force Touch removed
• S5 chip
• Compass
• 32 GB of storage
• Apple Watch Edition reintroduced with White Ceramic, Natural Titanium, and Space Black Titanium case options

Apple Watch Series 4 (2018)

• 40mm and 44mm case sizes
• More than 30% larger screen with curved corners
• 3.0mm display bezels
• S4 chip (2x faster than S3)
• Gyroscope and accelerometer
• Barometric altimeter
• Fall detection
• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
• Optical heart sensor and electric heart sensor for ECG
• 16 GB of storage
• Digital crown with haptic feedback
• 50% more powerful speaker
• Microphone moved for reduced echo and better sound quality
• Faster charging for a full charge in 1.5 hours
• Introducing the gold-tone stainless steel case
• Discontinued Apple Watch Edition

Apple Watch Series 3 (2017)

• S3 chip (70% faster than S2)
• Barometric altimeter
• Bluetooth4.2
• ‌Siri‌ capable of speaking through the built-in speaker
• LTE cellular model available with red Digital Crown
• Discontinued Rose Gold Aluminum Case
• Presentation of the Apple Watch Edition model in gray ceramic

Apple Watch Series 2 (2016)

• Retina display with up to 1,000 nits of brightness (2x brighter than previous generation)
• S2 chip (dual core)
• 1 GB of RAM
• GPS and GLONASS receiver
• Water resistant up to 50 meters
• Gold and rose gold aluminum case options added
• Apple Watch edition discontinued in 18k gold and rose gold, ceramic model introduced in white
• Apple Watch Nike+ variant introduced

The 12 Series has a stronger case than the 11 Series as an upgrade in general, but most 11 Series owners still have little reason to get a new device. Its new heart sensors, more frequent HRV measurements, Readiness app, and longer workout battery life are most important if you rely on your Apple Watch for training and recovery insights. Sound Recognition will also appeal to deaf or hard of hearing users, while the ceramic case offers a finish not available with the Series 11.

Upgrading from a 10 Series brings these changes alongside the 11 Series’ 5G connectivity on cellular models and longer daily battery life. Starting with a Series 9, you’ll also get the Series 10’s slimmer design, a larger screen, a depth gauge and a water temperature sensor.

Cumulative upgrades become more attractive for Series 8 and up users, especially if battery wear affects daily usage. Series 7 owners benefit from collision and temperature detection, as well as the new design and health features of the Series 12. The biggest differences will be felt by those who own a Series 6 or older, although the condition of your current watch and the cost of replacing it still matters.

watchOS 27 supports Series 9 and later, leaving Series 8 and earlier without the latest major software release. This doesn’t mean they will immediately stop working or receiving all security updates, but they are now considered legacy devices. If you’re looking for a replacement, a discounted or used Series 11 may offer better value if you don’t need the health features of the Series 12, provided you can find it at a low enough price. watchOS 26 is not supported on Series 5 or earlier, so anyone with one of those devices should definitely consider upgrading soon.

Looking ahead, it appears that next year’s Apple Watch Series 13 could feature some major improvements, including a redesign and new sensors. This could make it a great upgrade for those who own a Series 11 or earlier.