We on the WIRED Reviews team are huge fans of smartwatches and fitness trackers in general. Rather than needing to pull out a phone for quick actions like accessing texts and music, you can do it at a glance at your watch. Plus, you can track your workouts, heart rate, and other health metrics without needing another device.
If you’re already an iPhone user, we think the Apple Watch Series 11 is the best Apple Watch for most people. It usually hangs around at an MSRP of $399 and a sale price of $299. At $279 right now, it’s more than $20 below its lowest price this year. (In fact, we don’t expect it’ll be this low price again until Bl*ck Fr*day.)
We gave the Apple Watch Series 11 a coveted 9/10 WIRED Recommends rating because of its long battery life, iOS-integrated health updates, satellite messaging for off-grid communication, and blood oxygen monitoring.
For a long time, short battery life plagued Apple Watches, but this watch can last a full 24-hour day. This helps to more accurately track important health metrics like your full workout routine, plus an entire night’s sleep. The watch has the typical fitness stats and workout tracking metrics, like heart rate, sleep score, and vitals and cycle tracking, which can be helpful for monitoring health problems or staying on track with health goals. It also has a new AI-enabled Workout Buddy that serves as an invisible fitness coach inside your watch.
The Watch Series 11 watch also includes the full suite of Apple’s advanced health features, including monitoring for signs of hypertension and the ability to take electrocardiograms and track blood oxygen levels. It also has even more advanced safety features, such as FDA-cleared high-blood-pressure notifications, Fall Detection, and satellite messaging (on models with cellular connectivity).
Not every new Apple iteration is worth upgrading to or investing in, but even nearly a year out from its launch, the Apple Watch Series 11 is the best smartwatch and fitness tracker for hands-free phone use and for monitoring health and day-to-day activities. At 30 percent off (or $120 less) than the lowest price we’ve seen this year, now’s the best time to buy.
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