I have been an Apple Watch user for years now since switching over from Fitbit. Apple has been introducing incremental watchOS updates year after year, some of which carry all the way down to older models like the Series 7 and 8. But that changed with the Series 10 Watch, which employs a refined design, improvements in charging, and, of course, all the goodies that come with watchOS 11. Taking it for a test drive, there are a few things to note about this watch. Should you upgrade, even if you have the Series 8 or Series 9 model? I’ll help you decide.
What’s Different About the Apple Watch Series 10?
Before diving into my review, let’s look at, on the surface, what’s different about this version of the popular smartwatch for Apple iPhone users.
Size, Finish, and Display: First, the display is nearly 10% thinner than the Series 9 with a case that’s slightly larger at 42mm or 46mm, depending on the model you choose. This affords up to 9% more screen real estate to help improve readability and make it easier to navigate, type, and make selections on the screen. As a wide-angle OLED, it’s also purportedly brighter when you view it from an angle; and there’s a faster refresh rate. It’s also up to 10% lighter, the titanium version up to 20% lighter. Additionally, you can now get it in titanium, aluminum, and a new jet-black finish (aluminum model).
Battery Life: While battery life remains unchanged at 18 hours per charge, the new charger has a more efficient coil, says Apple, so it’s the fastest-charging Apple Watch to date. You can charge it for 15 minutes to get an additional up to eight hours of use, or eight minutes for up to eight hours of sleep tracking. It takes about half an hour to get the battery back up to an 80% charge.
Sleep Apnea Tracking and Notifications: Apple has achieved Health Canada approval for the Sleep Apnea feature. It uses the accelerometer to monitor small movements in the wrist associated with respiratory interruptions to provide a Breathing Disturbances metric. If these occur frequently, it can be an indication of potential undiagnosed sleep apnea, which may prompt you to see a doctor and/or run further testing. It takes 30 days of measurements to calculate data and determine if you may have a case of undiagnosed sleep apnea. From there, you can download a PDF of the data and take it to a health professional for further analysis.
Depth and Temperature Sensing: Something swimmers especially will appreciate are upgrades with depth and temperature sensing for water activities along with the new Tides app. With a 50-metre water resistant rating, it also features automatic stroke detection and lap counting as well as new Custom Workouts for pool swims. There’s also a new depth gauge that can measure down to six metres, ideal for underwater activities like snorkeling, along with a water temperature sensor. The Tides app provides seven rolling days of forecasted tidal information for coastlines and surf spots around the world. The Oceanic+ app is now also available for Apple Watch Series 10.
Audio Playback: While the Apple Watch has always had a built-in speaker, now you can play audio back directly from the device, whether that’s listening to music without headphones or making calls. It works with apps like Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, and other compatible third-party apps. The four-core neural engine also helps suppress background noise during phone or FaceTime audio calls so you sound crisp and clear to others, even when in noisy environments.
watchOS 11: As noted, watchOS 11 will be included with the Apple Watch Series 10, which adds features like the new Vitals app, Training Load, customizable Activity rings, more intelligent Smart Stack, and more. watchOS 11 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 and later models as well and requires an iPhone XS or later running iOS 18.
Pricing: Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $549.
Apple Watch Series 10 Review
Now, let’s get to the good stuff: actually using it. The Apple Watch Series 10 is sleek and sexy. It fits comfortably on the wrist, so comfortable that I’ll often have to feel to recall if I’m even wearing it. The extra screen real estate is subtle, but you’ll notice it when looking at messages and reading news. It also allows for more nicely spacing out information.
When it comes to viewing angles, it’s crisp and easy to read , even with my wrist angled downwards. This seemingly doesn’t impact battery life in a significant way either, which brings me to my next observation.
Battery life is the biggest improvement I have noticed. Granted, I have been wearing the Series 8 Watch, and its battery has likely degraded over the years. But it’s a marked difference. The Apple Watch Series 10 technically offers the same rated battery life, but it lasts much longer than my Series 8 Watch. It also charges incredibly quickly thanks to the new coils in the charging puck, which looks identical to the previous one with the exception of a nicer braided cable.
Whereas I’d have to charge my Series 8 Watch by early evening after charging in the morning, I find that this Watch lasts the full rated 18 hours. Case in point: I charged the watch at about 10 a.m., did a workout and a 4km walk along with my regular day-to-day activities, and by the evening, it was still at 72%. I’m absolutely blown away not only by the improvement in battery life but also how quickly it charges. Chances are if you have the Apple Watch Series 8, you’re starting to notice that the battery depletes much more quickly and you have to charge it more than once a day to get through a full night and day of activities. That alone is worth the upgrade.
While I didn’t test the depth sensors with any swimming activities, the only water exposure being my daily showers, I did try out the audio capabilities directly from the watch. To switch the audio source from your connected phone to the Apple Watch, play music from Apple Music, tap the tiny phone icon at the top, right, select AirPlay, Control Other Speakers & TVs, and Apple Watch. Voila! Now audio is playing directly through the wristworn device. How does it sound? About as good as you would expect. While you can crank the volume, there’s some distortion. But it’s useful if you want to listen to an audio message, for example, or a short clip. If you wish you had some tunes while playing pickleball but you forgot to bring a Bluetooth speaker, this is a nice alternative to draining your phone’s battery or keeping the smartphone within smashing radius.
I set up sleep apnea notifications to see how it works. I have never been diagnosed with sleep apnea nor do I suspect I suffer from it. But there’s no harm in checking to see what my results are. After the 30 days of logging data, as suspected, it did not detect elevated breathing disturbances, so I’m in the clear. It would be interesting to see, however, how someone with suspected sleep apnea might fare with the device. It’s a blessing, perhaps, that I can’t evaluate this feature fully.
I had already been using new watchOS 11 features with my Series 8 watch, including Vitals, Training Load, and more. One of my favourite features is the ability to pause your rings. If you’re on a hot streak, you don’t want illness, injury, or vacation to impact your progress. It’s nice to be able to put a pause on things and resume once you’re ready again.
I also love the option to change goals based on days of the week versus having to stick with the same goal every day. For example, I usually do more intense workouts from Monday to Friday than focus on shorter ones and casual walks on the weekends. Tuesdays and Fridays also tend to be lighter days in terms of steps and activity, which means I typically burn fewer calories. Being able to tweak goals to accommodate this is helpful.
Keep in mind that watchOS 11 works with older-model Apple Watches as well, so you don’t necessarily have to upgrade to an Apple Watch Series 10 to leverage it.
Should You Upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 10?
If you’re buying a new Apple Watch for the first time, it’s a no brainer to upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 10. If you’re upgrading from an older model like the Series 6 or 7, you should absolutely jump to the Series 10. The biggest question is: if you have an Apple Watch Series 8 or 9, should you upgrade to the Series 10?
I’d say if you have an Apple Watch Series 8, which you may have had now for over two years, you’ll find value in upgrading to the Apple Watch Series 10 when it comes to battery life alone. As far the Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch Series 10 goes, this is a more difficult choice. You might have gotten that watch just over a year ago and don’t see value in upgrading already.
Most people who have an Apple Watch Series 9 will be happy with it and won’t need to upgrade. I’d suggest holding onto it for another year or so and upgrading at the end of 2025 or early 2026. At that point, you’ll probably be jumping to the Apple Watch Series 11. While the Series 10 has a refined design and better battery, it’s not enough to fork over another $550 unless you’re upgrading from at least two generations ago.
With that said, if you have someone you can hand the Series 9 model down to, like a spouse or older child, go ahead and treat yourself to the new model. You won’t be disappointed. And if you’re buying new, the Apple Watch 10 is the nicest looking Apple Watch to date with the best battery life so far. It will be your favourite new daily health, wellness, fitness, and personal assistant companion.