Apple Watch Series 10: hardly anything new, yet noticeably better

I switched from the Series 9 to the new Apple Watch 10. Although the improvements are minimal at first glance, the difference is noticeable when it comes to everyday use.

The latest generation of the Apple Watch has been on my wrist for eight weeks now. I was initially sceptical about whether upgrading from the Series 9 to the 10 would change anything. If I take a quick look at the two watches, they’re almost indistinguishable.

Despite this, the subtle external differences – coupled with some internal features – actually make the Series 10 the best smartwatch that Apple’s ever built. Here are my personal highlights that contribute to its five-star rating.

1. The larger display

The Series 10’s biggest innovation – literally – is the screen. Apple has added one millimetre to the diagonal compared to its predecessor. The larger version of the new model now has a 46 mm display, while the smaller one measures 42 mm.

That doesn’t sound like much, but it actually makes a difference in my everyday life. For example, when jogging: both the Series 9 and 10 have five lines of information. Now, the values displayed are noticeably larger. This means I can keep a better eye on my heart rate zone, for example.

The benefit of the larger display is even more obvious when reading e-mails. More lines of text fit on the screen and I can read them comfortably on the smartwatch because I don’t have to scroll as often.

The larger display also makes the keyboard a bit bigger. This appears when I want to reply to messages, among other things. But typing longer texts on an Apple Watch…well, nobody does that, do they?

I was sceptical about two things that were presented as particular pluses when the Apple Watch Series 10 was launched: better readability at a very flat viewing angle and refreshing every second. The first is actually true – I can now check notifications less conspicuously in everyday life because I don’t have to turn my wrist as much. And yes, the ticking second hand in always-on mode takes me even further away from the automatic watch, which I hardly use anymore anyway.

2. The flat case

The display is now a millimetre wider – and a millimetre thinner. The Series 10 is now only 9.7 millimetres thick, shaving ten per cent off its predecessor. This ensures that it fits more closely to the wrist. In other words, it sits better. I especially notice this when I’m wearing a shirt and the smartwatch naturally slips under the cuff. That wasn’t the case with the Series 9. It got caught more often, including on my jacket sleeve.

3. The battery with more staying power

Apple doesn’t generally provide any specific information about battery capacity, so I can’t tell you how many more milliampere hours Apple will give the new Watch model. If any, because the flatter design has physical limits. It’s safe to assume the battery lasts longer because of the new S10 chip.

In my test, I noticed the improved battery, especially after getting up. I’ve got into the habit of charging the watch to 100 per cent on the dock before going to sleep. When I wake up in the morning, I now still have around 90 per cent battery. For comparison, my one-year-old Series 9 had dropped to around 80 per cent overnight.

The charging performance of the Series 10 watch is also noticeably better. In my tests, I charged several times for exactly 15 minutes each time. The battery clearly charges faster if I start with a charge level of around 30 per cent. Then I get around 70 per cent in the 15 minutes on the dock. If I start the process with a higher charge level, the watch charges less in the same amount of time, only going from 65 per cent to around 85 per cent, for example.

Apple has obviously optimised this to provide the best performance in the sweet spot of the charging curve. Anyone who drives an electric car will be familiar with the phenomenon. Between 10 and 80 per cent, the battery draws power quite quickly, after which it becomes significantly slower and sluggish. Speaking of electric cars, Apple makes the same recommendation when it comes to battery levels: they should fluctuate between 20 and 80 per cent.

Activities consume the most battery

According to Apple’s product description, the battery lasts for a whole day. However, this requires you to use your device in a specific way. For Apple, this means 18 hours connected to your iPhone via Bluetooth, 300 display activations by raising your arm, 90 notifications, 15 minutes of app use on the watch and 60 minutes of training with music.

Overall, the Series 10 easily lasts on a lazy day without recording any workouts. The always-on mode makes little difference for me. The biggest power guzzler is still recording activities. An hour of swimming in the pool or a jog costs between 10 and 15 per cent of capacity.

4. The wrist-worn thermometer

With the latest generation of Apple Watch, I’ve recently been in particular demand when it comes to determining water temperature. During the autumn holidays, I told people around me that the water in the village fountain in the mountains is rather cold at ten degrees, while the pool in the wellness area is pleasantly warm at 33 degrees.

Do you need that? Of course not, but Apple has included a water temperature sensor and a depth gauge in the watch. I think it’s a nice gimmick. If you have a particular penchant for water sports of any kind, it can even be useful. Maybe checking the lake temperature will even help you choose the right wetsuit before you get on your SUP. With the new tide app, you can also keep an eye on the tide times out at sea. It’s enough for me to know before swimming training in the indoor pool that I’m swimming laps at 24 degrees and that I’m a tough guy.

5. The most beautiful black

The Apple Watch Series 10 model provided to me by Apple has a case made of aluminium – 100 per cent recycled material, by the way – in the colour Jet Black. So, black. Apple made a pretty big fuss about it when it was introduced, emphasising that a 30-step process is necessary to produce this very black colour. Whatever – I like it. And if you don’t like fingerprints on your gadgets, I can reassure you: you won’t see any on Jet Black.

6. The speakers

You have to look very closely to see the new speakers on the Apple Watch. The three rows of tiny holes are located on the left edge of the case. Of course, the Series 9 could already make sounds, and you could also use it to make phone calls like Michael Knight once did with his talking car KITT. Compared to its predecessor, the speakers on the Series 10 sound better, but you shouldn’t expect miracles. At the launch, Apple showed someone using the watch to finish listening to a podcast that was previously playing in the car. If that were me, I’d rather stay in the car for a few more minutes or just put my AirPods in. To me, that’s more practical than walking towards the front door with my wrist to my ear.

Nevertheless, the new speakers are clearly better and practical if you’re occasionally on the go without your iPhone and AirPods but want to make an important phone call.

The all-round tracking

Apple packs more and more sensors into each generation of watch. The latest trick in the Series 10 is sleep apnoea detection. Sleep tracking was already the reason I keep my watch on at night. Of course, I don’t need help to work out whether I slept well, but the watch data objectifies my feelings very well. The watch can now detect signs of sleep apnoea, i.e. dangerous pauses in breathing. Technically, Apple uses the acceleration sensor, and the evaluated data is displayed and assessed in the Health app. Apple even recently received official approval from the US health authority, the FDA, for sleep apnoea notifications.

With the latest firmware, watchOS 11, Apple’s introduced the night vital signs app. I open this regularly because it provides me with data on my nighttime heart and breathing rate, the skin temperature on my wrist, blood oxygen and sleep duration. The display of my training load also motivates me to do more exercise. (Comments that condemn me as weak and easily influenced can be made below. I still really value the watch as a monitor and motivator.)