Health, sport, GPS: precision that reassures
Do. Yes : GPS accuracy And cardio remain the real subject. On our loop of 16.6 km / +672 mthe Apple Watch (Series 11 and Ultra 3 tested alternately) set the distance to +0.4% in relation to the mapped route; the Xwatch used (without integrated GPS) depended on the phone → visible drifts in tight woods, up to +2.8% on the northern portion. Is this the end of the world? No. But if you follow paces, that’s enough to distort a session. Honestly, it matters.
For cardio: average 138 bpm Apple vs. 142 bpm belt (Polar H10) → –2.8%with well-captured peaks on relaunch. The Xwatch remained smoother, less responsive to sudden changes (–5 to –8 bpm over 10–20 s). As a resultto drive intense blocks, the margin of error is annoying. Please note: the Series 11 introduces the hypertension notifications on 30 days (trend algorithm, not a measurement to the nearest digit) — a useful step if we’re playing the long term, not an instant blood pressure monitor.
On a clear day, the compassTHE Backtrack and Apple’s safety alerts make the difference when you get lost on an unmarked trail (it happens). And theUltra 3 adds a safety net: satellite text/oss for white areas (useful once every ten, perhaps… but the day it happens, we’re happy). Prices and features publicly confirmed.
Performance, OS, ecosystems: “it works” vs “it fits”
The raw truth:Apple Watch is not just a technical sheet. She integrates to the iPhone (payment, iMessage, 5G downloads, offline music, smart widgets, Fitness+). There Series 11 win the 5G (flow rates, better resistance in weak zones) and maintains the automatisms expected of a mature product. It’s not just comfortable: it’s what makes you use it every day without thinking about it. And yes, Apple officially announces 5G and 24 hours of “typical” battery life.
Faced with this, a Xwatch generic offers Bluetooth calls, notifications, basic sport, sleep. We can like the “simple, no hassle” side. But it is often missingecosystem : no App Store, disparate companion apps, sometimes sketchy backups, unclear GDPR consents. Apple Watch 11 new health and screen features — to see what the ecosystem brings to everyday life.
