WatchOS 11 will be a minor update, but that might actually be a good sign

WatchOS updates are usually not as packed with changes as iOS typically is, but last year we got a substantial software update with WatchOS 10. The WatchOS 11 update, however, is said to be fairly unimpressive. That is at least what the latest newsletter from Mark Gurman, a famous and highly reputable Apple insider, seems to imply when describing WatchOS 11 as a ‘minor update.’

Gurman doesn’t mention how small the update will be, or any of the changes that will come with it. He also doesn’t say why, but he does mention in one of his previous reports that the iOS 18 update coming with the iPhone 16 series is ‘seen within the company as one of the biggest iOS updates—if not the biggest—in the company’s history.’

Couple that with visionOS 2.0—the first software update for the Apple Vision Pro VR/AR headset that was the source of numerous internet memes in February and March—and you just might have at least one of the reasons for this year’s supposed “minor update” to WatchOS 11.

We are getting the Apple Watch X this year, also known as Apple Watch Series 10, which will mark the tenth anniversary of Apple’s smartwatches. Rumor has it that this generation will be the most significant overhaul of the company’s wearable gadget so far.

Given Apple’s tendency to focus either on software or hardware when introducing new generations of its products (a tendency in the mobile tech industry in general), it is safe to take this as another sign that we shouldn’t expect anything too exciting with WatchOS 11.

Apple Watch X (Series 10) rumors

One of the design changes with the Apple Watch X is a thinner, more compact body. This would make the wearable much more comfortable to wear, especially with long sleeves. There are also speculations that you will be able to attach new bands via magnets instead of the traditional locking mechanism.

Another rumor says the 2024 Apple Watch will come with a miniLED display, although this upgrade might end up being specific to the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It would help to prolong the battery life of the premium Apple Watch Ultra even more than it currently is.

The feature that Apple will most likely market the most, however, is the rumored Blood Pressure Monitoring, although it probably won’t come with spectacular accuracy, at least with this generation of Apple Watches. Besides monitoring your blood pressure, the new Apple Watch X is also said to come with Sleep Apnea Detection and Hypertension Detection.

When will Apple release WatchOS 11 and Apple Watch X?

Apple usually releases its Apple watches and the latest WatchOS software update alongside the new iPhones and the latest iOS update. In other words, we can expect the Apple Watch X to come out sometime in September.

However, the company announces its latest software development and upcoming software changes during WWDC, Apple's annual developer conference that is usually carried out in June.