Skip to content
MobileIQ

Head to head

Apple Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mmvsApple Apple Watch Series 11 42mm

Released
2026-09-18Apple UK Newsroom — Apple Watch Ultra 4, retrieved 2026-09-13
Price
£749Apple UK store, retrieved 2026-09-13
Security updates until
Not published by the makerApple UK — watchOS 27 compatible models, retrieved 2026-09-22
Released
2025-09-19Apple UK Newsroom — Apple Watch Series 11, retrieved 2026-09-13
Security updates until
Not published by the makerApple UK — watchOS 27 compatible models, retrieved 2026-09-22

2 wins for Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mm1 win for Apple Watch Series 11 42mm1 gap borderline0 differences you won’t notice

Verdict: Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mm ahead on 2 rows, Apple Watch Series 11 42mm on 1 row

On the makers’ published figures, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mm wins on peak brightness (3,000 nits against 2,000 nits) and battery life (maker's claim) (50 h against 24 h); the Apple Watch Series 11 42mm wins on weight (case only) (30.3 g against 63 g). One gap is borderline, a difference most people would not notice: charge to 80% (30 min against 45 min) for the Apple Watch Series 11 42mm. The other 25 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.

True to scale

Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mm · 49 × 44 mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm · 42 × 36 mm

Case outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.

Specifications

A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice on the wrist. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.

Body

SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm
DimensionsDiffers, but not ranked.
49 x 44 x 12 mmOfficial
42 x 36 x 9.7 mmOfficial
Case size
Case shapeSame.
rectangularOfficial
rectangularOfficial
Weight (case only)
30.3gOfficialwins this row

Apple Watch Series 11 42mm is ahead here, by a gap you’d notice.

Case materialDiffers, but not ranked.
TitaniumOfficial
AluminiumOfficial
Water ratingDiffers, but not ranked.
Water resistance 100m (swim, snorkel, scuba, high-speed water sports) under ISO standard 22810:2010; EN13319 recreational scuba diving to 40mOfficial
Water resistance 50m (swimproof)Official

Display

SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm
Display typeSame.
Always-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3Official
Always-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3Official
Display areaDiffers, but not ranked.
1245mm²Official
989mm²Official
ResolutionDiffers, but not ranked.
422 x 514Official
374 x 446Official
Peak brightness
3000nitsOfficialwins this row
2000nitsOfficial

Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mm is ahead here, by a gap you’d notice.

Always-on displaySame.

Platform

SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm
Operating systemDiffers, but not ranked.
watchOS 27Official
watchOS 26Official
ChipDiffers, but not ranked.
S11 SiPOfficial
S10 SiPOfficial
StorageSame.

Battery

SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm
Battery life (maker's claim)
50hOfficialwins this row

Apple Watch Ultra 4 49mm is ahead here, by a gap you’d notice.

Charge to 80%

Marginal — most people won’t notice.

ChargingSame.
Fast-charge capable, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C CableOfficial
Fast-charge capable, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C CableOfficial

Health

SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm
SensorsDiffers, but not ranked.
Health Sensing System (third-generation electrical heart sensor, always-on optical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, temperature sensor), depth gauge, water temperature sensor, compass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, ambient light sensorOfficial
Electrical heart sensor, third-generation optical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, temperature sensor, compass, always-on altimeter, high-g accelerometer, high dynamic range gyroscope, ambient light sensor, depth gauge to 6 metres, water temperature sensorOfficial
ECGSame.
Blood oxygenSame.
Skin temperatureSame.
GPSDiffers, but not ranked.
Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou)Official
L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDouOfficial

Connectivity

SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm
Cellular modelSame.
UK networks with eSIMDiffers, but not ranked.
EE, Vodafone, Three3rd party
EE, Vodafone, O2, Three3rd party
Wi-FiSame.
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)Official
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)Official
BluetoothSame.
NFC paymentsSame.

Compatibility

SpecificationApple Watch Ultra 4 49mmApple Watch Series 11 42mm
Works withDiffers, but not ranked.
iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27 or laterOfficial
iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 26 or laterOfficial
CompatibilitySame.
iPhone onlyOfficial
iPhone onlyOfficial
6 attributes neither watch has a sourced figure for

Strap width · Display size · RAM · Battery capacity · Blood pressure · Cellular model price. Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either watch.

The pairs a buyer of either watch would also weigh. Any two watches in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.