So, watchOS 11.2 wasn’t the astounding update you were expecting? Indeed, this version wasn’t as feature-packed as other releases Apple announced last Friday. If you were left wanting and now need to know the release date for watchOS 11.3, here’s everything we know.
When Will watchOS 11.3 Arrive?
Apple decided to release updates for all its products on the same day, this year. That makes sense for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, all of which now rely heavily on the development of Apple Intelligence. However, the company also announced the Release Candidate (RC) builds for tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS last Friday.
Considering this strategy continues, watchOS 11.3 will likely arrive with tvOS 18.3, visionOS 2.3, iOS/iPadOS 18.3, and macOS 15.3. That by itself doesn’t say much, but there’s more.
iOS/iPadOS 18.2 and macOS 15.2 have gone through an extensive pre-release cycle because they were more impactful updates. On the other hand, iOS/iPadOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3 are expected to be less feature-rich. This means a shorter testing period, with mid-January being a realistic launch window. That situation would match well with the simplified testing cycle of watchOS.
Can I Test watchOS 11.3 Before Release? How?
But what if that still seems like too much waiting for you? Well, there are some workarounds. You can try signing up for Apple’s Beta Program, which will allow you to test pre-release software. Bear in mind that these aren’t your usual updates, being riddled with bugs and instability. Some functionalities may be missing as well. But, at least, you’ll be able to use watchOS 11.3 way before the general release date.
If you opt for the Developer Beta, you’ll get more crude builds, but they’ll arrive faster. Crashes, freezes, and unexpected reboots may be common in these versions. The Public Beta isn’t perfectly stable either, but it’s definitely much more usable than its counterpart. The drawback is that they’re only available later in the development cycle.
watchOS 11.3: Supported Models
Lastly, there’s the point of compatibility. The above isn’t worth much if your device can’t run the OS version. For watchOS 11.3, Apple is expected to support the same models that are able to boot watchOS 11. They are:
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch Series 7
- Apple Watch Series 8
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Apple Watch SE
The Release Candidate of watchOS 11.2 was, to be fair, quite decent feature-wise. It even included the ability to pause and restart a video recording within the Camera Remote app. I won’t judge, though, if you feel a bit disappointed. Just don’t expect features like blood pressure monitoring or Apple Intelligence integration in watchOS 11.3. This kind of functionality isn’t on the horizon for the foreseeable future.