Why Series 10 Is the Best Apple Watch for Most People
Smartwatches are perhaps one of the most complex devices I’ve ever reviewed. These are great gadgets and I’m glad I have them, but most of the time the newest models are almost always just incremental upgrades from the old ones. The improvements have been so slight for so long that just earlier this year I wrote that the Apple Watch SE , Apple’s entry-level 2022 watch, is still the best option for most people. I’m happy to report that after spending some time with the Apple Watch Series 10, this is no longer the case.
Apple Watch Series 10 is smaller and lighter
While some view smartwatches primarily as fitness trackers , to me they are the successors to the iPod nano: small, easy-to-navigate devices that can control my music, podcasts, or access payment features with a tap without forcing me to fumble for my phone. . So for me, comfort is the most important part of a smartwatch.
This has made the SE, Apple’s cheapest and still smallest smartwatch, my default recommendation for the past few years. Now the Series 10 finally knocks that back as it’s a full millimeter thinner.
That might not sound like much, but put these watches next to each other and you’ll notice how much sleeker the Series 10 looks. And that extends to the way it feels. While the SE’s sensor often feels like a coin sandwiched between my wrist and the watch itself, the Series 10’s sensor is barely noticeable.
This is enough to make it more comfortable for me, even if it is a little heavier than the SE. I didn’t notice the weight as it is only a few grams, depending on the size of the watch. (The 10 Series comes with either a 46mm bezel or a 42mm bezel.) I wouldn’t say the same about the Series 9 , which can be over 14 grams heavier than the SE in some cases, so I’m glad to see that this problem has been fixed.
You can partially thank the new titanium case option for this weight loss. While there is still a slightly lighter aluminum option, titanium is replacing premium models with stainless steel cases, meaning you can get a more sophisticated watch without adding too much extra weight to it. This strategy is borrowed from the iPhone 15 and later, and while I tested the aluminum model, I was able to practice with the titanium version in about half an hour. Like my titanium iPhone 15 Pro, it feels durable yet thin and light and should hold up well to minor bumps and drops.
In my opinion, the comfort of the Series 10 makes it the best Apple Watch, as evidenced by the fact that it’s the first watch I’ve been able to wear while sleeping without any problems. If I feel like I’m talking too much about thickness, I understand: watch comfort is a matter of personal taste, and some people actually prefer chunkier devices as it makes them feel like they’re getting more bang for their buck from their watch. bucks But one of the reasons I think the comfort is so impressive is that it’s not at all hampered by the Series 10’s second biggest upgrade: the screen.
The screen is bigger, brighter and faster
With the exception of the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 , the latest few Apple Watch models come in two default sizes: 41mm and 45mm. The Apple Watch SE, which has been my favorite model so far, is even smaller, coming in at 40mm and 44mm. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 10 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes.
Again, it doesn’t sound like much, but next to my 40mm Apple Watch SE, the 42mm Series 10 looks downright luxurious. Plus, the bezel is thinner, meaning it can make use of more of the extra display real estate that Apple uses to display more data in certain apps. Maps, for example, are easier to navigate, and the 46mm Series 10 actually has a little more screen real estate than the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Normally I’d be a little worried about this upgrade because the larger screen doesn’t bother me. But since the Series 10 combines its size with a thinner design, I don’t mind. Again, this update wouldn’t mean as much to me without the previous one, but in tandem they make the Series 10 feel like the first true generational improvement to come to a non-Ultra Apple smartwatch in a while.
But the new screen isn’t just bigger: it’s also brighter and faster. While both the Series 9 and Series 10 can reach peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits, Apple says the Series 10 is 40% brighter when viewed from an angle. This is thanks to the wide-angle OLED display, and it’s definitely noticeable, especially when using the always-on display.
Then it’s an always-on display that makes the clock run faster. Since I usually use the SE, I haven’t gotten to enjoy the always-on watch face yet, but it’s nice because it makes the smartwatch feel more like a regular watch. Unfortunately, until now the Apple Watch could only update the always-on display once per minute, but now the Series 10 can update it once per second.
This means you can finally get a ticking second hand if you have a watch face that uses it. Personally, I think it’s a bit distracting and wastes battery life , but I admit it adds a little more credence for those who want to pretend their smartwatch isn’t digital.
It’s also a testament to how Apple has tried to make the Series 10 more user-friendly than previous models. These efforts extend to the sound, but I’m afraid the watch doesn’t fare as well here.
You can use the speaker to play music like
Finally, you can use the Apple Watch speaker to play more than just call sounds or sounds associated with its operating system. This is a feature I was really excited to try out, but unfortunately it’s the one that disappointed me the most with the Series 10.
When I first heard that I could now use the speaker for audio content, I imagined that I would choose it as an audio source like any other, for any type of content. “Great,” I thought, “I can use this in the shower.” (Yes, this Apple Watch is waterproof enough for this, which I’ll cover later.)
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch does not appear as an audio source when connected to a phone, so using it to play audio from an app on your phone is discontinued with immediate effect. The YouTube I wanted to use it for was unsuccessful. Instead, you’ll have to select it as your speaker in the watch app.
“Okay,” I reasoned. “I’ll listen to Spotify on it.” No, I soon found out. Currently, not all watch apps can recognize the Apple Watch speaker, even though Apple says it works with third-party apps . Instead, I found only three apps that can output content to the speaker: Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, and Apple Music.
For me, this immediately turned the feature from a useful feature into a novelty, but to Apple’s credit, the speaker performed reasonably well in dry environments, delivering quality roughly on par with a late-2000s flip phone. Unfortunately, even though Apple told me to try the clock speaker in the shower, it didn’t work as well when wet.
Firstly, you will definitely need to enable a water seal here as this will prevent the shower flow from registering inputs to the watch’s touchscreen. Apple claims it shouldturn on automatically during “water workouts,” but I was never able to take a shower to trigger it. But even with this set, I couldn’t use the watch intelligently while showering. The volume was too low to be heard over the running water, and while there was no damage to the internal components, water entered the speakers once I spent hours in the shower, making the already low volume even more muted. . I was unable to fix this until the end of my shower, even with the drain function.
Perhaps it’s my fault for expecting too much from it, but I’m not sure where else using the speaker for content would come in handy. You shouldn’t use it in public unless you’re a monster. You probably have better options at home. Maybe if your phone is at the other end of the house and you’re lazy, this will work. But now this is a convenient feature for coverage in PR blogs and nothing more.
What’s a little more useful is the voice isolation, which makes your voice clearer when calling using the watch. This is new to the Series 10, and when I called my partner, he said he couldn’t hear the fan roaring next to the clock, and that the overall microphone quality was much better than on the SE (which is the same). the fan was “very loud,” he said.)
Sleep apnea is detected
Another highlighted feature that might be really useful is sleep apnea detection, although I wasn’t able to test it in time for this review. The newly FDA-approved sleep apnea detection feature on Apple Watch Series 10 monitors sleep-disordered breathing for 30 days. The watch will then send a report to your phone with a chart that will show you whether the problem is worth reporting to your doctor, and you can even export the report as a PDF to bring to your appointment.
Apple acknowledges that breathing problems can also be caused by alcohol, medications or sleep position, so the Watch uses “advanced machine learning and a rich dataset of clinical sleep apnea tests” to track patterns of problems.
Again, I haven’t used the device for a full 30 days yet, but my mom suffered from sleep apnea as she got older. This is something I wish I had caught on to sooner rather than later, but before this feature came to the Apple Watch, my only real way to track it at home would have been to get a Galaxy Watch instead.
Cheaper dive computer
Before I wrap things up, I should talk about one more thing I didn’t get to test: the addition of immersion sensors to the Apple Watch Series 10. These were previously limited to the Apple Watch Ultra line, but now you can get them for much less.
They are niche but can measure your depth underwater to about 20 feet. There you will also be able to see the water temperature and the time you have been underwater. I’m not a very good swimmer, but I think this might be helpful for swimming training. Dedicated devices like these will display more information with more flexibility, but can cost upwards of $500 .
I’ll be checking this out on an upcoming trip to Greece, so stay tuned for your thoughts. In the meantime, at least I’m relieved that I won’t have to fiddle with the speaker in the ocean like I did in the shower.
While I’m out on the ocean, I’ll also be able to use the new Tides app to check when the tide is going to be high or low. This is not as impressive as it simply uses pre-existing forecasts and can be easily checked over the phone or online, but is convenient to have on the same device as your dive information.
Best Apple Watch
Otherwise, Apple Watch Series 10 is the same experience you’d expect from an Apple Watch. You still have a boxy body, and aside from the immersion sensors, you still have the same fitness tracking. There are no new buttons, battery life is still rated at 18 hours with normal use (it held up during my testing), and overall, if you didn’t like the Apple Watch before, you won’t like it now. . It’s a big change, but it may not be the same complete overhaul that the iPhone X had.
This matters if you’re already in the Apple Watch ecosystem. My fitness and sleep readings were as accurate as ever (prior to writing this review, my cat woke me up three times a night and the watch had no problem picking up all of her readings), but since the watch is thinner, I’m more inclined to wear it to the gym or sleep. Because my microphone is clearer, I’m more inclined to use it for calls, and because the screen is larger, I can quickly get to the controls I need on the watch and then put them away, rather than being caught straining myself. eyes on my wrist on the side of the street.
Overall it’s a more comfortable device, which is something I’ve been reluctant to say about any watch other than the SE until now. I can finally experience all the upgrades that an updated version of the Apple Watch brings, but without any of the form factor compromises. With a starting price of $399, it’s definitely more expensive than the budget model I’m used to, but it’s the first one that really tempts me to upgrade.
Is this the best smartwatch? Maybe not. But I don’t invest enough in a wrist-mounted computer to want to leave the smartwatch ecosystem I’ve become accustomed to. And as far as Apple is concerned, although the Ultra is aimed at premium users, it is a bit on the heavy side and a bit expensive. For most people, I’m willing to say that the Apple Watch Series 10 is the best Apple smartwatch you can buy right now.