Apple Watch Series 10 review: two steps forward, one step back

Apple Watch Series 10

MSRP $399.00

“The Apple Watch Series 10 is another strong entry in the Apple Watch family, and a (mostly) easy reccomendation.”

Pros

• The thinner design is a big deal
• Jet Black looks phenomenal
• Subtle (but welcome) screen upgrades
• I love the new speaker
• Excellent health/fitness features
• Improved charging speeds

Cons

• No blood-oxygen tracking
• Sleep apnea is also on the Series 9
• Still just one-day battery life

As I was sitting in the Steve Jobs Theater watching Apple announce the Apple Watch Series 10, I wasn’t immediately sure what to think. Apple was hyping up the Series 10 to be an exciting and big upgrade, but looking at the renders and images of the Series 10 during its unveiling, it sure looked a lot like the Series 9.

After wearing and using the Apple Watch Series 10, though, I have to admit that I’m impressed. The Series 10’s hardware is the best I’ve ever seen on an Apple Watch. The new display is unmatched, and the upgraded speaker is fun and convenient. Is that enough to justify it being your next smartwatch? Yes, with a small catch.

Apple Watch Series 10: specs

Apple Watch Series 10: design

Visually, the Apple Watch Series 10 is very similar to the Apple Watch Series 9. All the expected elements return for another year, including the square display, the Digital Crown, and the same watch band system we’ve had since the beginning.

However, there is one significant hardware change, and that’s how much more compact the Series 10 is. Apple says this year’s watch is 10% thinner and lighter than the Apple Watch Series 9, and while that doesn’t sound like a remarkable change on paper, it does make a noticeable difference when you’re actually wearing it.

The Apple Watch has never been an uncomfortable wearable; it’s long been one of the comfiest smartwatches around. However, I do see and feel the decreased bulkiness of the Series 10. It’s particularly apparent with how the watch sits on your wrist. Wearing a Series 10 and Series 9 next to each other, you can see how the Series 10 sits flusher with your wrist, whereas the Series 9 juts out more.

Is this a game-changer? No, but it’s still darn impressive. The Apple Watch already had some of the best smartwatch hardware in the business, and the Series 10 makes it better. Especially coming into this review after wearing the much bulkier and heavier Apple Watch Ultra 2 for much of this year, the Apple Watch Series 10 is a phenomenal-wearing smartwatch.

Also new this year for the Series 10 is a polished aluminum finish. You can still get the usual matte design with the silver and rose gold colors, but my review unit is the new Jet Black style. It’s an aluminum Apple Watch, but for the first time, it has a glossy, reflective finish. Initially, I didn’t think I’d care much for it, but after living with it for a while, it does add an extra touch of elegance you don’t get with the matte colors. I’m a fan.

The final hardware change is very subtle, and it’s that the back of the Apple Watch Series 10 is now metal. In previous generations, the backside was made of zirconium and was visibly separate from the rest of the watch body. Since the Series 10 now uses the same metal, the underside of the Series 10 looks more like a watch and less like a fitness tracker. How often you actually look at the back of your Apple Watch and will notice this is up to you to decide, but it’s a nice tweak nonetheless.

Apple Watch Series 10: screen and speaker

Despite being thinner and lighter, the Apple Watch Series 10 also manages to have a larger display. The previous 41mm size is now 42mm, while the 45mm case increases to 46mm. This size increase is nice, though it’s not a dramatic difference. Compared to the Series 9, for example, you can see up to an extra line of text for notifications and in apps like Mail and News.

What I’ve found more impressive is the new wide-angle OLED display. The main benefit is that it improves the off-axis viewing angles of the Apple Watch Series 10, making the screen up to 40% brighter compared to the Series 9 when looking at it from an angle.

Whether it’s a watch face, a notification, or something in my Smart Stack, it all looks visibly sharper, brighter, and more colorful when looking at those things from an angle. Considering how often you look at your watch like this — whether glancing at it while running or if your hand’s resting in your lap — it’s a very welcome upgrade.

I found it particularly handy for glancing at Apple Maps’ turn-by-turn directions while driving home from a camping trip on a sunny afternoon. Despite harsh sunlight and reflections, the screen was crisp and bright no matter what, even at an awkward angle with my hand on the wheel.

The other thing I’ve noticed about the screen is that the glass is more sloped over the sides of the watch. It’s not quite as dramatic as the domed glass on the Google Pixel Watch 3, but it reminds me of it and further adds the overall fit and finish of the Apple Watch Series 10.

Now that we’re done discussing the display, let’s quickly talk about the speaker. Why? Because on the Apple Watch Series 10, you can now play music and podcasts from it!

Does it sound amazing? Not really, and I don’t intend to ever listen to music with it. But as a way to listen to podcasts while doing dishes, folding laundry, or doing other chores around the house, it’s incredible. I hate wearing headphones/earbuds for too long, and using my phone in these situations isn’t always easy. Having my podcasts playing directly from my wrist — and at a surprisingly loud volume — is a real treat. It’s all thanks to a redesigned speaker that’s new for the Apple Watch Series 10, and it’s legitimately one of my favorite things about the watch.

Apple Watch Series 10: health and fitness

The Apple Watch Series 10 has the same health sensors as the Apple Watch Series 9 and all of the health/fitness features you’ve come to expect. Closing your activity rings is still fun and engaging, and they’re more sustainable thanks to watchOS 11, which allows you to pause them and set different goals for certain days of the week. The new Vitals app is a fantastic way to check in on your body each day — you can track just about any workout that you want, and Apple Fitness+ remains one of my favorite platforms for guided workouts.

New this year for the Apple Watch Series 10 is sleep apnea detection. Using the accelerometer in the Apple Watch, the sleep apnea feature checks for breathing disturbances throughout the night and uses that to alert you if it detects possible signs of sleep apnea.

Rather than looking at your sleep night-by-night, Apple’s sleep apnea feature analyzes 30-day chunks of your sleep. If it detects possible signs of sleep apnea, you get a notification from the Apple Health app. It’s important to note that Apple only intends for this to be used by people who haven’t yet been diagnosed with sleep apnea; it’s a detection tool rather than a treatment tool. I need more time with the Series 10 to see how it works, and I’ll update this review once I do.

As promising and impressive as sleep apnea detection is, you don’t need a Series 10 to use it. The feature is also available for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 as part of the watchOS 11 update, which started rolling out on September 16. That’s great news for Series 9 and Ultra 2 owners, but it also makes the Series 10 a less-compelling upgrade if you already have one of those watches.

Adding to that point is that the Apple Watch Series 10 doesn’t support blood-xygen (SpO2) tracking. This is part of Apple’s ongoing patent infringement lawsuits with Masimo and only affects Apple Watches sold in the U.S. The sensor technology is still there, and the Blood Oxygen app is still on the Series 10, but if you open it, you get a message saying, “The Blood Oxygen app is no longer available.”

Blood-oxygen tracking is an expected feature on any modern smartwatch in 2024, and it’s a pretty important one, too. Not having it at all on the Apple Watch Series 10 is a significant loss and could be a deal-breaker for some people. When my Apple Watch Series 9 lets me track my blood-oxygen levels, yet the new Series 10 doesn’t, it puts Apple’s newest smartwatch in an awkward position.

Apple Watch Series 10: battery, charging, and other features

I’ve been getting a little over 24 hours of use per charge on the Series 10, but not much beyond that. If I don’t track any workouts, the Series 10 usually lasts around 28 hours before it dips to 10% battery. If I do track a workout (like an outdoor run or walk), I’m looking at closer to 24 hours of battery life. For context, that includes tracking my sleep with the Apple Watch and having the always-on display enabled.

This is fine battery life, but it’s also what we’ve come to expect from the Apple Watch for a few years now. Meanwhile, on the Wear OS side, Google’s newest Pixel Watch 3 delivers around 36 hours of battery life per charge, while the OnePlus Watch 2 can last for over three days. I’d really like to see Apple make meaningful battery improvements with the Series 11.

While battery life may not be significantly better this year, charging speeds are. Where Apple promised up to 80% battery after 45 minutes of charging for the Series 9, the Series 10 can do that in 30 minutes. That’s been indicative in my own testing. After just 10 minutes on the charger, the Series 10 went from 7% to 32% and was up to 78% after 30 minutes. A full recharge still takes about an hour, but you get to the 80% mark quicker than before.

What I love about this faster charging is that it’s made possible by a larger charging coil in the back of the Apple Watch Series 10. In other words, you don’t need a new charging puck to get the faster charge speeds. So long as you have a braided Apple Watch charger with a USB-C input at the end (which still comes in the box with the Series 10), you’re good to go.

A few final thoughts before wrapping this up. The new S10 chip inside the Series 10 has been fast and reliable for everything I’ve thrown at it. Performance is never an issue for the Apple Watch, and this year is no different.

On-device Siri voice commands, introduced on the Series 9, are once again present and still wonderfully fast. Apple’s Double Tap gesture is also here (though worryingly underutilized), and new depth and water temperature sensors allow you to go diving up to 6 meters (about 20 feet). You also get watchOS 11 out of the box, and in typical Apple fashion, you can likely expect regular software updates for the next several years.

Apple Watch Series 10: price and availability

Like previous models, the Apple Watch Series 10 still starts at $399 for an aluminum case in the smallest 42mm size without cellular connectivity. Going up to the 46mm size increases the price to $429 while adding LTE connectivity adds another $100.

Apple is offering a polished titanium body for the first time, starting at $699 for the 42mm case and $749 for the 46mm one.

You can preorder the Apple Watch Series 10 now, and regular sales will begin on September 20. You can buy the Series 10 from Apple’s website and most major retailers and carriers.

Apple Watch Series 10: verdict

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the Apple Watch Series 10 is a great smartwatch. The Apple Watch has been consistently excellent for the last several years, and the Series 10 continues that trend.

What stands out to me most about the Apple Watch Series 10 is how refined and polished it is. This has never been an issue for Apple, but all of the minor improvements this year really do make the Series 10 feel like a worthy upgrade. Between the thinner design, the nicer display, the external speaker, and the faster charging, there’s a lot of good here.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is an easy recommendation for so many reasons, but if you have an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer, there’s one big thing you need to grapple with: upgrading to the Series 10 means losing blood-oxygen tracking, which isn’t insignificant. This has been a staple of the Apple Watch since the Series 6 launched in 2020. You may not care about it at all, but others will.

That makes the Apple Watch Series 10 a tricky recommendation for certain people, which is a shame. But for everyone else, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the new default Apple Watch to buy, and it’s a darn good one at that. I’ve had a fantastic time wearing it, and so long as blood-oxygen tracking isn’t on your priority list, I think you will, too.