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A larger screen and slimmer body mark the biggest change to the Apple Watch in years, but you might have to squint to see it.
This is because Apple has kept virtually the same design on the outside despite requiring significant changes on the inside to make the watch thinner and lighter. As a result, the Series 10 looks like another evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, step for the tenth year of the Apple Watch.
At least the smartwatch hasn’t gone up in price. Costing £399 (€449 / $399 / A$649) in aluminum or titanium, the Series 10 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, replacing the previous 41mm and 45mm versions of its predecessor.
The extra 1mm case size on the wrist isn’t noticeable when wearing the watch, but the reduced 1mm thickness and 2g weight are. It may not seem like much, but a thickness of less than 1 cm and a closer fit helps the watch slide more easily under the cuffs of your shirt and reduces its movement during exercise.
The screens in both sizes are up to 9% larger than the last three generations, or 30% larger than the 2020 Series 6. The screen of the 46mm version is the largest installed on an Apple Watch, surpassing even to the Ultra 2. The on-screen buttons are larger and easier to touch, and can display an extra line of text or, for those with aging eyes, larger text without losing functionality. The screen is also brighter when viewed from an angle, which helps keep the time readable when you look at your wrist while doing something else.
Battery life has increased slightly over previous models. The 46mm Series 10 lasted about 48 hours of continuous use, not including exercise. That still means charging every other day, but it should now last about a weekend without needing to activate low power mode right away. It charges faster, reaching up to 80% in 30 minutes and reaching full power in less than an hour, making recharging while in the shower more effective.
Budget
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Box size: 42 or 46mm
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Case thickness: 9.7mm
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Weight: 30/29.3g or 36.4/35.3g
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Processor: T10
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Storage: 64GB
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Operating system: watchOS 11
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Water resistance: 50 meters (5ATM)
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Sensors: HR, ECG, spO2, air and water temperature, depth, microphone, speaker, NFC, GNSS, compass, altimeter
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 4, NFC, UWB, 4G/eSIM optional
WatchOS 11
The Series 10 ships with watchOS 11, which runs on all models from the 2020 Series 6 and later.
The software features some new watch faces and apps, including new Translate and Tides apps, better widget smart stacks, and other tweaks.
The Series 10 also has a new depth gauge and water temperature sensor that are used to measure dives and other water activities up to 6 meters deep. The training app can track your training load to tell you if you are doing too much or too little strenuous exercise compared to your current fitness level.
Sleep health is improved with sleep apnea detection, which tracks and analyzes your nighttime breathing disturbances once a month to alert you to any potential problems. The Vitals app does the same every night for other health metrics, such as average heart rate and sleep duration, and alerts you when two or more of the metrics change compared to your baseline.
Sustainability
Apple says the battery should last more than 1,000 full charge cycles, with at least 80% of its original capacity, and can be replaced with £95. Cost of repairs between £309 and £409 depending on the model, but was only awarded three out of 10 in repairability by iFixit specialist.
Contains more than 30% recycled material, including aluminum, cobalt, copper, glass, gold, plastic, rare earths, steel, tin, titanium and tungsten. Apple offers free exchange and recycling of devices and breaks down the watch’s environmental impact in its report.
Price
The Series 10 comes in two sizes (42 and 46mm), a variety of materials and the 4G option which requires an e-sim and an additional compatible phone plan. Its starting price is £399 (€449/$399/A$649). 4G models cost £100 extra (€120/$100/$160A).
For comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 costs £799, the Apple Watch SE costs £219, the Google Pixel Watch 3 costs from £279 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 costs from £289.
Verdict
It may not be the revolutionary redesign many expected for the tenth version of the Apple Watch, but the Series 10 is the most refined yet.
A slimmer profile, larger screen, and reduced weight for the aluminum model make a bigger difference to everyday usability than the small numbers might suggest. And the difference is even greater for the lightweight titanium models that have replaced the heavy stainless steel of previous luxury versions. Those upgrading from models five years old or older, like the Series 5 or 6, will see the biggest boost, it’s a shame it doesn’t really look different.
It still has about two days of battery life between charges and still excels in all the areas that Apple now dominates, from payments to health tracking. For those with an iPhone, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the best smartwatch by far, even if it’s no longer as exciting.
Advantages: excellent always-on display, slimmer design, excellent haptic vibrations, double-tap gesture, superior health tracking, excellent activity tracking, 50 meter water resistance, solid battery life and faster charging, long software support, Recycled materials, accepts older watch straps.
Cons: expensive, only works with an iPhone, blood oxygen readings not available in the US, no third party watch faces, looks the same as all recent models.