What We Really Think Of the Apple Watch Series 10
I never realise how lost I feel in the world without my Apple Watch until I take it off. I measure my life in Apple Watch cycles. My first was a Series 3, that lasted me a while. A couple of years ago, I upgraded to the 2022 SE. Now, at last, I’ve been graced with a Series 10.
The Apple Watch Series 10 comes in two sizes, 42mm and a 46mm, with a choice between an aluminium and titanium case. Style-wise, there is a total of six different colours, with the titanium adding a more traditional watch look to the lineup, and one of three band styles to choose from. For the past month or so, I’ve spent hands on time with the 46mm Jet Black Aluminium model with GPS and cellular data. It's an improvement on the SE I had—though not a life-changing one. More screen real estate, better battery, and better looks are the main draws for the newest Apple Watch.
This isn’t a review, like others I’ve seen, of how indispensable the Apple Watch has made itself over the past ten years. This is a review of the new Apple Watch for Apple Watch wearers like myself. Have things changed? Is it worth the upgrade? These are the questions I’m here to answer.
Apple Watch Series 10: What’s New?
The big Apple Watch releases over the past few years have focused more on technical upgrades than pure design. The Watch Ultra 2, for example, emphasised rugged, high-spec features, with top-of-the-line materials, super-bright displays, and dive capabilities to rival the rest of that category. The Series 10, however, takes a different approach, refining the everyday uses of the watch. I personally think that "everyday watch" category is where Apple makes the perfect watch. The performance is top-tier. The visual design works both functionally and aesthetically, and titanium cases have given us the best looking Apple Watch I've seen. But the Series 10 makes significant strides with a new screen, an improved speaker, and deeper investments in health tracking, so it’s clear that it’s not just about looks.
First up, in order of how likely you are to notice, is the OLED screen. It’s brighter, which is nice, but unless you're on Big Sky hikes out West, a brighter screen probably isn't a huge necessity for many. More importantly, text is cleaner and more legible. Messages are easier to read than on my old watch, which makes this improvement number one for me personally.
Thanks to its new and improved refresh rate from that S10 processor, the Series 10 is the first Apple Watch to be able to display an active second hand on the watch face. For watch people, of which there are many at Esquire, that's a big deal. For the new Hermès Series 10 watch, that's a big deal. But for me, the average watch user, it's a small aesthetic improvement.
In another first, the Series 10 has a speaker that actually supports audio playback. And it doesn’t sound all that bad. Not nearly as good as my iPhone 16, but hell, at least it’s there at all. It's not a throw away for calls anymore. Call quality is the best it’s ever been on a smartwatch. In the audio category, this is the best watch I've used by a wide margin.
In terms of health and fitness features, the Series 10 launched with Apple’s new sleep apnea detection. As someone whose father was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and has to move from his home because of it, I get how serious it can be. It’s worth noting that with the WatchOS 11 update, the Series 9 and Ultra 2 also have this feature. It’s not exclusive to the Series 10. Though if you're coming from an SE, like I was, this is a big step up.
What Hasn’t Changed
WatchOS 11 adds features like sleep apnea detection, advanced fitness metrics, and new watch faces, but by and large the user experience hasn’t changed since the last OS. Responding to texts, skipping tracks on Apple Music, and checking on my fitness rings are still my top priorities. And I can still rely on the muscle memory I’ve built up for years to still perform those same tasks with the same gestures. That's a good thing, and it's where Apple really understands how to build a customer base. It’s these daily tasks that make the Apple Watch such an invaluable part of my life, and unlike other companies, Apple develops an incredible user experience and sticks to it for generations.
That said, the Apple Watch’s stagnation is felt most acutely in the battery life. In practice, it's pretty similar to my 2022 SE. I don’t often make it more than a day without needing to charge my Series 10. The Series 10 does improve on fast charging. It'll take you from dead to 80-percent in about 30 minutes, but this is a solve to an issue that never really existed for me, personally. My problem isn’t that the Apple Watch charges slowly. It's that I really want a full 24-or-more hour charge, so I don't have to schedule sleep tracking around watch charging. The fix, for now, is to charge the watch when I sit down for work or to watch TV.
How Does The Apple Watch Series 10 Compare to Other Smart Wearables?
The main draw of the Apple Watch is still the same as it was on day one. Only now the pitch of having your iPhone on your wrist is a reality. Ten years in, it's worth asking how the new Apple Watch compares to the plethora of competitors out there.
Apple has made it so nothing can replace the Apple Watch for iPhone users. While Android watches like the Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch have achieved feature parity with the Apple Watch, they are strictly for different markets. If you have an Android, those are great products that can do (for the hypothetical you) what the Apple Watch does for many iPhone users daily. If you have an iPhone, there isn't anything out there that can replicate the seamless connection between your phone and your wrist. It is, once again, Apple's expertise at building a customer base.
In terms of battery life and health tracking, Apple isn't in first place. On the battery front, watches from Amazfit, Google, and Garmin can last for days or even weeks without a charge. The Series 10 needs a full charge at least every 48 hours. When it comes to health and fitness, the Apple Watch's form factor still doesn't hold a candle to the Oura Ring and other wearables that focus on comfortable, accurate sleep tracking. In short, the Series 10 is lighter than my previous Apple Watches, but I don't want to sleep with it on if given a better option.
Is It Worth Getting an Apple Watch Series 10 If I Already Have an Apple Watch?
Here's a great rule of thumb. If you're still happy with your current Apple Watch, you don't need a new one. If it's feeling like time, though, it probably is. Still rocking that dented and scratched up Series 3? Probably worth the upgrade for a device that you clearly use every day. If this is the boat you find yourself in, it's worth considering the SE as an alternative.
Final Verdict
In my early-mid 20s, I wasn't a watch guy. Now, at 30, I can't live without my Apple Watch. If you have an iPhone and are curious about the Apple Watch, it's a great time to jump on the bandwagon. If you're nursing a dying Series 5 and are ready for an upgrade, the Series 10 will likely last you another six years.
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At Esquire, our testing process and combined expertise allows us to recommend the best tech for your hard-earned money. We compile our guides by performing heavy research and testing, and the gadgets we choose to award are what we'd spend our own money on.
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