I Finally Tried An Apple Watch After Years On iPhone — Here’s My Honest Take

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So after years of being perfectly happy with my iPhone and checking the time on, you know, my phone like a normal person, I finally caved and got the Apple Watch Series 11.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about getting your first Apple Watch: it’s kind of overwhelming. 

I knew it tracked steps and showed notifications, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer amount of stuff this thing does. Within the first hour, my watch was asking me to stand up, tracking my heart rate, reminding me to breathe, and apparently judging my entire existence through these colourful activity rings. It’s a lot.

Two weeks in and I’m here to tell you that I get why people get attached to it — and also why some don’t. Personally, I’m still processing how I feel about having this much technology strapped to my wrist.

First Impressions

When I first unboxed the Series 11, I expected a steep learning curve. To my surprise, it blended into my daily routine really well. No fuss — just a few taps and the thing was ready to go.

Apple kept the size options familiar (42mm and 46mm), and the watch is so light. For someone who doesn’t like wearing accessories, that alone was a win.

The Ion-X glass is twice as scratch-resistant as the previous generation. After two weeks of accidentally brushing against walls like a chaotic toddler, I can confirm it held up. Much less paranoia about banging it against doorframes now.

The Interface

The interface itself is surprisingly intuitive. Swiping between watch faces, checking notifications, navigating apps — it all feels natural after a day or two. The Digital Crown is honestly genius for scrolling without covering the screen with your finger.

That said, the sheer number of customisation options can be overwhelming at first. There are dozens of watch faces, complications you can add, app layouts to configure. I spent way too much time tweaking things in the first few days when I should’ve just stuck with the defaults.

Also, some third-party apps still aren’t perfectly tuned for the watch’s compact display. Scrolling through tiny text or tapping small buttons can be frustrating — and while it has improved over the years, the experience still varies depending on the app, your eyesight, and the simple reality of finger size versus tiny on-screen controls.

The Health Features Actually Matter

Once I got over the initial “why is my watch buzzing at me again” phase, some features genuinely started clicking.

The watch offers ongoing cardiovascular insights, and the hypertension notifications are actually pretty impressive — it can detect patterns of high blood pressure by analysing how your blood vessels respond over 30-day periods, which is kind of wild when you think about it.

Apple is careful not to call it medical advice, but it’s still reassuring if you come from a family where health surprises are… common. Nothing felt alarmist or dramatic — just small nudges that made me pay more attention to myself.

The Sleep Score feature has been eye-opening (pun intended). It also analyses things like heart rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, respiratory rate and sleep stages to give one clear score. Seeing “64 – OK” at 7am was… humbling. It also highlights what pulled my score down, so I actually know what to fix.

My only gripe? You need to wear the watch to bed, which means planning your charging schedule. Forget to top it up and you’re either sleeping without tracking or panic-charging in the morning. Minor, but annoying.

Sleep Score is available on watchOS 26 for Apple Watch Series 6 and newer (including SE 2 and Ultra), paired with an iPhone 11 or later.

Battery Life

Apple says the Watch Series 11 lasts up to 24 hours on a normal day and up to 38 hours in low-power mode. Realistically, I charged it every other night — but that’s with moderate use. If you’re constantly using cellular, GPS, or streaming music, expect to charge daily.

Fast charging is clutch though: 30 minutes gets you to 80% charge. Perfect for those “oh crap, I forgot to charge it” mornings.

For a first-time Apple Watch user, that felt comfortable enough. But compared to some competitors that last multiple days on a single charge, Apple still has room to improve here.

The Freedom of Leaving Your Phone Behind

Here’s the thing I genuinely didn’t expect to love: being able to leave my iPhone at home.

With the 5G cellular model, I can pop out for a quick run to the shop, go for a weekend jog, or grab matcha without lugging my phone around. I can still get calls, reply to messages, pay for things with Apple Pay, and even stream music if I want. It sounds small, but it’s genuinely liberating.

For someone who’s always felt tethered to their phone, this was the feature that sold me on the Apple Watch. It’s not about needing to be constantly connected, but having the option to stay light and still reachable if something urgent comes up.

That said, this freedom only applies if you get the cellular model and pay for a data plan. The GPS-only version still requires your phone to be nearby for most features, which feels like a missed opportunity for true independence.

The Little Conveniences Add Up

Beyond the big features, there are dozens of small conveniences that stack up over time. Tapping my wrist to pay for groceries. Checking my calendar without pulling out my phone in a meeting. Dismissing calls with a wrist flick. 

If you’re already living inside the Apple ecosystem, the Series 11 feels like an extension of your phone — but that’s also its limitation. Everything works beautifully if you have an iPhone, AirPods, a Mac, and other Apple devices. 

What Could Be Better

Screen brightness outdoors is fine, but on a harsh Malaysian noon, it sometimes needed a hand shade to see clearly. I was expecting the “up to 2,000 nits” to be more noticeable, but it’s only marginally better in direct sunlight.

The always-on display is great for glanceability, but it does drain the battery faster. You can turn it off to save power (which was what I did), but then you lose one of the key benefits of having a smartwatch in the first place.

Notification overload is real. Unless you spend time customising which apps can send alerts, your wrist will buzz constantly. It took me a solid week of tweaking settings to get it to a manageable level.

And the big one: no iPhone, no Apple Watch. If you’re using Android, Apple still isn’t inviting you to the party. Even basic setup requires an iPhone, which feels limiting in 2025.

So… Should You Get It?

If you’re anything like me — curious about smartwatches but overwhelmed by the choices — the Series 11 is a solid entry point, but it’s not without compromises.

It feels polished and mature, and if you’re already deep in the Apple ecosystem, it integrates beautifully. The health tracking is genuinely useful, and the freedom of leaving your phone behind (with cellular) is a game-changer for quick errands and workouts.

But you really need to commit to customising notifications to avoid constant buzzing. It’s also pricey, especially if you’re going for the cellular model.

Would I recommend it? If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem and curious, yeah, go for it. This is a genuinely excellent first one. Just know that it’s more of a “nice to have” than a “must have”. If you’re already on Series 10, maybe save your money unless health tracking or cellular independence is a huge priority. If your budget is tight, older Apple Watch models still hold up and you might not miss the new features.

Apple Watch Series 11 Pricing in Malaysia

Here’s what you’re looking at money-wise:

Aluminium Models:

– 42mm GPS: RM1,799

– 46mm GPS: RM1,949

– 42mm GPS + Cellular: RM2,299

– 46mm GPS + Cellular: RM2,449

Titanium Models:

– 42mm GPS + Cellular: RM3,299

– 46mm GPS + Cellular: RM3,549

The aluminium model comes in Silver, Space Grey, Rose Gold, and Jet Black. The titanium version offers Natural, Gold, and Slate finishes. 

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