Apple Watch Series 10 review: The ultrafication era

When Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 10 at its recent fall hardware event, the company described the smartwatch as a significant overhaul of the long-running line. “Finally, we’re getting the redesign that’s been rumored for roughly four years now,” I thought to myself, and I expected a flashy new look. After all, the Apple Watch has featured nearly the same aesthetic since its reveal in 2015, and this was to be its 10th edition. Surely it was Apple Watch X time, right?

Once again, however, a redesign wasn’t in the cards. Instead, the Series 10 offers incremental updates in line with the last few Apple Watch generations, including a slightly bigger display, a thinner and lighter design and slightly more rounded corners. The Series 10 looks more refined compared to the Series 9, but unless you’re in tune with the tech world, you likely won’t notice the subtle improvements. With the Pixel Watch 3 and Samsung’s Galaxy smartwatches finally hitting their stride in the Android world, hopefully, we’ll see more innovation from the Apple Watch over the next few years.

With this in mind, if you own an Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8 or Series 9, you can probably hold off another year before upgrading, unless you’re a hardcore Apple fan that absolutely needs to have the latest. However, those still using an Apple Watch Series 6 and below will find a lot to like about the Series 10.

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Apple Watch Series 10

The Series 10 is Apple’s thinnest Apple Watch yet. It also features the company’s largest smartwatch screen to date, allowing the device to display more text and a bigger keyboard for typing.

Pros

• Slightly bigger display
• Audio playback through internal speaker
• Thinner and lighter than Series 9

Cons

• Not much of an upgrade over the Series 9
• Aluminum is now polished and a smudge magnet
• Still the same overall design as last year

Price, availability, and specs

The 42mm aluminum Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $400 for the GPS version and $500 for the GPS + Cellular iteration. Meanwhile, the 46mm aluminum Series 10 starts at $430 for the GPS version and $530 for the GPS + Cellular version. This year, there’s also a new, more expensive titanium Apple Watch that replaces the stainless steel model. It comes in at $700 for the 42mm GPS + Cellular version (there isn’t just a GPS version) and $750 for the 46mm iteration.

Notable specs include Apple’s new S10 chip, a bigger 2,000-nits display that’s brighter from side angles and that can go down to just a 1Hz refresh rate thanks to its LTPO 3 display. Battery life still comes in well behind the Apple Watch Ultra at 18 hours. However, the Series 10 supports faster charging, allowing you to hit 80 percent in 30 minutes. The new smartwatch is also bigger than the Series 9, coming in at 42mm and 46mm, compared to last year’s 45mm and 41mm)

The 42mm Series 10 comes in at 1oz (30g) while the 41mm is 1.1oz (31.9g). On the other hand, the 46mm GPS Series 10 is 1.2oz (36.4g) while the 45mm Series 9 is 1.3oz (38.7g). The display is also slightly larger across both the 42mm and 46mm Series 10.

Other specs include NFC compatibility, IP68 water and dust resistance and a plethora of sensors, including a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a barometer, an altimeter, a temperature sensor, a compass, an EKG sensor, and new for the Series 10, a water temperature and depth gauge. This means that, just like with the Apple Watch Ultra, you can stick your arm in the water and tell everyone how deep and cold it is (this remains one of my favorite Apple Watch Ultra features, despite it not really having a practical use for me). It’s important to note that if you live in the US, you still won’t be able to use the SpO2 sensor to check your blood oxygen level as a result of Apple’s legal battle with medical technology company Masimo.

Apple Watch Series 10 design

Surprisingly, the minor weight change is noticeable

Every year Apple subtly updates the Apple Watch’s look, and while this year’s refresh is minor, you could also make the argument that it’s far more noticeable than the jump from the Series 8 to the Series 9. First off, the display and the overall 42mm/46mm watch is slightly larger than the Series 9, amounting to 9 percent more screen real-estate than the 41mm Series 7, 8 and 9, and 7 percent more than the 45mm Series 7, 8 and 9. Is it noticeable at a glance? Not really, but it does make interacting with and viewing things on its display easier, particularly in the rare instance where I’m typing on it. However, if you’re coming from an earlier Apple like the Series 4, 5 or 6, you’ll definitely notice the up to 30 percent bigger screen.

In fact, the screen size feels very similar to the Apple Watch Ultra’s, making it easier to view at a glance. Thankfully, the Series 10 is a bit lighter than the Series 9, and nowhere near as heavy or as bulky as the Ultra. Apple has even managed to shrink the smartwatch’s thickness, bringing it down to 0.3-inches (9.7mm) which, unlike the screen size increase, I find I actually notice when I have the wearable on my wrist. It feels like it sits way closer, making it slightly more comfortable and less cumbersome than the Series 9. This is also likely due to the Series 10’s slightly more curved display.

Despite only being slightly lighter on paper, the Series 10 feels nearly non-existent on my wrist, even compared to the Series 9. If you’re used to the Apple Watch Ultra and thinking about making the move to the Series 10 because it features a similarly-sized display, Apple’s latest wearable will seem positively feather-like. As someone who doesn’t like heavy watches, I really appreciate the weight reduction.

Speaking of the display, the Series 10’s screen clocks in with the same 2,000 nits of brightness as the Series 9, but it looks brighter when not looking at it directly thanks to the smartwatch’s LTPO3 wide-angle OLED screen. This is a minor change, but I found it useful when quickly glancing down at my wrist to check the time or to look at notifications. It’s also noticeable under direct sunlight. Other design changes include a glossy finish on the aluminum version, making it a smudge and dust magnet. After using the jet black aluminum Apple Watch for the last few days, I find myself missing the far cleaner brushed design of my Series 9. Switching from a matte look to a glossy design feels like a step backwards.

And finally, the Series 10 now features a more powerful built-in speaker for listening to music, podcasts and taking calls when you don’t have your iPhone or AirPods around. I tested this feature briefly and the sound quality is slightly better than I expected, though I wouldn’t want to listen to an entire podcast from my wrist because it’s still somewhat muffled and drains the Series 10’s battery rather quickly. Adding to this, Apple says the Series 10 features the ability to suppress more background noise during phone calls, but I didn’t notice a significant difference in my tests.

Regarding design, it really comes down to what Apple Watch you currently own. If you’re still rocking an Apple Watch Series 4, 5, or 6, you’ll really feel the change, but if you recently picked up a Series 7, 8 or 9, you likely won’t notice much of a difference beyond the lighter weight and slightly smaller digital crown that no longer features a red rim with the cellular version.

Apple Watch Series 10 durability

Unless you opt for the stainless steel watch, there aren’t any durability upgrades this year

I’ve managed to scratch every new Apple Watch I’ve owned, and, unfortunately, I don’t expect the Series 10 to be any different. The aluminum Series 10 feels just as durable as the Series 9, so I’m probably going to put a screen protector on it as soon as Mowei makes one for Apple’s latest smartwatch. On the other hand, Apple claims the new polished titanium build is more durable than the previous very-easy-to-scratch stainless steel model. While I can’t confirm this, it definitely feels very similar to the iPhone 15’s durable titanium sides.

The Apple Watch is an overall durable, very premium-feeling wearable, but like any smartwatch, its screen and aluminum sides are still going to scratch if you accidentally bash it against something, particularly if it’s an abrasive surface, and that hasn’t changed with the Series 10.

Related

Is it time for an Apple Watch redesign?

I know Apple has positioned the Apple Watch Series 10 as a substantial design update, but it just isn’t. Sure, it’s lighter and slightly thinner, but it’s the same rectangular wearable the tech giant launched in 2015. Apple is so far ahead in the watch space it hasn’t really needed to innovate. However, with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line improving every year and the Pixel Watch 3 hitting its stride in its 3rd generation, Apple has new pressure to do something new with its popular wearable. With that in mind, are you bored with the Apple Watch’s design, or are you still happy with its squared-off look and curved glass? Personally, after 10 generations, I think it’s time for a change.

Apple Watch Series 10 software features

Like in years past, Apple has packed a number of new features in watchOS 11, which runs just as smoothly as watchOS 10 thanks to the Series 10’s new S10 chip. First off, the Series 10 can measure up to 20 feet (6 meters) and detect the temperature of the water through its built-in depth app. Sticking with the water theme, Apple has also released a new Paddle Logger app that utilizes GPS and motion sensors to track your kayaking or standup paddleboard activity, and a sleek-looking new app that tracks the tide. I don’t have much use for either of these additions, but it’s interesting Apple is placing more of an emphasis on water sports with the Series 10.

This year’s biggest addition is sleep apnea detection. When you enable the feature, it requires 10 nights of sleep tracking data spread over 30 days to figure out if you have sleep apnea (Apple can’t use the Series 10’s blood oxygen sensor to detect this because of its legal battle with Masimo, so it utilizes the smartwatch’s accelerometer to gather the data). The FDA recently approved the feature, and it’s now available in the United States. Since I live in Canada, I need to wait for Health Canada to approve the feature before I can test it out, which will likely happen in the coming months. That said, the feature sounds very promising. Along with the Series 10, sleep apnea detection is available across the Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 10.

Other watchOS 11 features include the long-overdue activity rest days, which will be great for people who always need to close their Activity app rings, live activities in the Smart Stack, and of course, new Watch Faces “Reflections” and “Flux” (I’m not a fan of Reflections, but Flux’s understated simplicity has grown on me). Apple has also refreshed the Photos Watch face with custom sizes and new layouts. Beyond the above features, only a few of which are exclusive to the Series 10, watchOS 11 doesn’t offer a lot of notable updates. Similar to the Series 10’s hardware, this is a year of incremental updates for Apple’s smartwatch operating system.

Apple Watch Series 10 battery life

Battery life remains mostly the same, but there’s faster charging this year

Despite featuring a smaller design and, in turn, likely a smaller battery, the Apple Watch Series 10’s battery life clocks in at roughly the same as the Series 9. This means that with a few notifications and light fitness tracking, it lasts well into the evening in my experience. Apple says the Series 10 offers 18 hours of battery life, and I’d say that’s accurate. Still, this is nowhere near the multi-day battery the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 offer, so if a long-lasting smartwatch is what you’re looking for, Apple’s more rugged wearable is still the device for you.

On a more positive note, Apple has increased the Series 10’s fast charging capabilities, allowing for 80 percent battery in just 30 minutes and eight hours of normal use with just 15 minutes of charging. I charge my Apple Watch every day at night, so I haven’t found this upgrade to be very useful, but if you’re the type of user who only takes their smartwatch off in the shower, this is good news for your charging time.

Should you buy the Apple Watch Series 10

This answer to the above question is a resounding no unless you own an Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5 or Series 6. If you’re still using an older Apple Watch, the Series 10 is a monumental upgrade. To those with a newer Apple Watch, especially one with an always-on screen, the Series 10 will feel like a much smaller step forward. Still, I appreciate how light the 42mm Series 10 feels and its larger display, especially after using the original Apple Watch Ultra for the last few months.

Hopefully, next year we finally get the long-awaited redesign Apple Watch users have been waiting for now that Apple has more legitimate competition in the smartwatch space.

This device was provided to Pocket-lint by Apple.

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Apple Watch Series 10