The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the flagship smartwatch in the brand’s lineup, and as a keen runner, I’ve generally gravitated towards the Ultra over the Series line because of its extra sports features.
However, the slim design of the Apple Watch Series 11 definitely appeals to me more as someone with thin wrists, so I wanted to see how swapping the Ultra 3 for the Series 11 would go, in particular, looking at whether its workout tracking was good enough for me.
I’ve listed the main likes and dislikes I’ve noticed since making the switch, and my overall takeaway would be that I’d love Apple to make a smaller version of the Ultra with its enhanced sports features, even if it didn’t have as impressive battery life as the Ultra 3.
Like #1: Thinner, lighter design
I much prefer the design of the Apple Watch Series 11 to the Ultra 3, because it’s so much thinner, lighter and smaller. It has a sleeker look that fits better on my thin wrists, and also works better with my favorite Apple Watch straps, like the sport loop and braided solo loop.
While the Ultra 3 is still an elegant watch, its extra bulk means that it sticks out further from my wrist and catches on the sleeves of jackets and hoodies.
The Ultra 3 is more durable thanks to its titanium case and sapphire crystal display, but the Series 11 is still hardy enough for my general use.
Like #2: Extra comfort, especially when sleeping
The smaller watch doesn’t just look better; I also found it more comfortable to wear 24/7 than the Ultra 3, which I notice in a bad way when sleeping. The Series 11 has a barely-there feel, especially when paired with a lightweight nylon band.
When I wear the Ultra 3 as my only watch, this isn’t so noticeable — you do get used to the larger, heavier design — but when swapping between the two watches, it was clear how much more comfortable the Series 11 feels to wear.
Like #3: Most of the same features, for less
The Apple Watch Series 11 is half the price of the Ultra 3 and for the most part, you get a very similar software experience from the two watches. For most of my day-to-day use, the Series 11 had all the apps and features I need and use regularly on the Ultra 3, all packed into a much cheaper and smaller watch.
There are some missing features, which I’ll come to, but if they don’t strike you as something you’d miss much, then the Series 11 will work just as well for you as the Ultra 3, and cost you $400 less.
Miss #1: Shorter battery life
The Apple Watch Series 11 lasts longer on a charge than the Series 10 and comfortably made it through 24 hours for me, even with a long run using GPS — I usually stuck it on a charger at that point and it would still have 20-30% of its battery left.
However, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a big step up for battery life, lasting me a lot longer than the 42 hours listed by Apple. I used it for a marathon weekend and it lasted three full days, even including tracking the marathon itself.
When I’m in my usual routine, finding time to charge the Series 11 isn’t hard, but for trips or when I’m busier than expected, the extra juice on the Ultra 3 reduces battery anxiety significantly.
Miss #2: No dual-band GPS
The Apple Watch Series 11’s GPS tracking during runs and other outdoor workouts is good, and mostly matches up with the best sports watches. However, it doesn’t offer the dual-band GPS you get on the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and this is noticeable at times.
I did a couple of runs under tree cover in a forest near me, as well as one in a city center, and the GPS tracks on the Series 11 show a few more errors than dual-band watches. The Ultra 3 offers a little extra accuracy on this front, which will be reflected in your pace and distance stats. As someone who obsesses over this stuff, it gives me more peace of mind.
Miss #3: No lap button
I’m a marathoner and follow a training plan each week that contains a couple of structured workouts, and there’s usually at least one run a week where I use the lap button on a watch to mark different segments in a session.
This is annoyingly hard to do on the Apple Watch Series 11 — you have to double-tap the screen, or swipe and tap a button. Even with third-party Apple Watch apps like WorkOutDoors, where you can configure the buttons on the watch, you have to press both buttons on the Series 11 to take a lap.
Like most sports watches, the Ultra 3 has a simple lap button, and it’s much easier to use for certain workouts as a result. This isn’t a complete dealbreaker for me on the Series 11 — you can set up workouts in advance to mark segments automatically — but I’d sure love it if I could use one of the buttons on the watch to take a lap manually.
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