Apple Watch Series 10 review: two steps forward, one step back

Apple Watch Collection 10

MSRP $399.00

“The Apple Watch Collection 10 is one other robust entry within the Apple Watch household, and a (largely) simple reccomendation.”

Execs

• The thinner design is an enormous deal
• Jet Black appears to be like phenomenal
• Delicate (however welcome) display upgrades
• I really like the brand new speaker
• Wonderful well being/health options
• Improved charging speeds

Cons

• No blood-oxygen monitoring
• Sleep apnea can be on the Collection 9
• Nonetheless simply one-day battery life

As I used to be sitting within the Steve Jobs Theater watching Apple announce the Apple Watch Collection 10, I wasn’t instantly positive what to suppose. Apple was hyping up the Collection 10 to be an thrilling and large improve, however wanting on the renders and pictures of the Collection 10 throughout its unveiling, it positive appeared loads just like the Collection 9.

After sporting and utilizing the Apple Watch Collection 10, although, I’ve to confess that I’m impressed. The Collection 10’s {hardware} is one of the best I’ve ever seen on an Apple Watch. The brand new show is unmatched, and the upgraded speaker is enjoyable and handy. Is that sufficient to justify it being your subsequent smartwatch? Sure, with a small catch.

Apple Watch Collection 10: specs

Apple Watch Collection 10: design

Visually, the Apple Watch Collection 10 is very much like the Apple Watch Collection 9. All of the anticipated parts return for one more 12 months, together with the sq. show, the Digital Crown, and the identical watch band system we’ve had because the starting.

Nonetheless, there’s one important {hardware} change, and that’s how far more compact the Collection 10 is. Apple says this 12 months’s watch is 10% thinner and lighter than the Apple Watch Collection 9, and whereas that doesn’t sound like a exceptional change on paper, it does make a noticeable distinction once you’re truly sporting it.

The Apple Watch has by no means been an uncomfortable wearable; it’s lengthy been one of many comfiest smartwatches round. Nonetheless, I do see and really feel the decreased bulkiness of the Collection 10. It’s notably obvious with how the watch sits in your wrist. Sporting a Collection 10 and Collection 9 subsequent to one another, you may see how the Collection 10 sits flusher together with your wrist, whereas the Collection 9 juts out extra.

Is that this a game-changer? No, however it’s nonetheless darn spectacular. The Apple Watch already had a few of the finest smartwatch {hardware} within the enterprise, and the Collection 10 makes it higher. Particularly coming into this evaluate after sporting the a lot bulkier and heavier Apple Watch Extremely 2 for a lot of this 12 months, the Apple Watch Collection 10 is a phenomenal-wearing smartwatch.

Additionally new this 12 months for the Collection 10 is a sophisticated aluminum end. You may nonetheless get the standard matte design with the silver and rose gold colours, however my evaluate unit is the brand new Jet Black fashion. It’s an aluminum Apple Watch, however for the primary time, it has a shiny, reflective end. Initially, I didn’t suppose I’d care a lot for it, however after residing with it for some time, it does add an additional contact of class you don’t get with the matte colours. I’m a fan.

The ultimate {hardware} change may be very refined, and it’s that the again of the Apple Watch Collection 10 is now steel. In earlier generations, the bottom was manufactured from zirconium and was visibly separate from the remainder of the watch physique. For the reason that Collection 10 now makes use of the identical steel, the underside of the Collection 10 appears to be like extra like a watch and fewer like a health tracker. How usually you truly look behind your Apple Watch and can discover that is as much as you to determine, however it’s a pleasant tweak nonetheless.

Apple Watch Collection 10: display and speaker

Regardless of being thinner and lighter, the Apple Watch Collection 10 additionally manages to have a bigger show. The earlier 41mm measurement is now 42mm, whereas the 45mm case will increase to 46mm. This measurement enhance is good, although it’s not a dramatic distinction. In comparison with the Collection 9, for instance, you may see as much as an additional line of textual content for notifications and in apps like Mail and Information.

What I’ve discovered extra spectacular is the brand new wide-angle OLED show. The principle profit is that it improves the off-axis viewing angles of the Apple Watch Collection 10, making the display as much as 40% brighter in comparison with the Collection 9 when it from an angle.

Whether or not it’s a watch face, a notification, or one thing in my Good Stack, all of it appears to be like visibly sharper, brighter, and extra colourful when these issues from an angle. Contemplating how usually you have a look at your watch like this — whether or not glancing at it whereas operating or in case your hand’s resting in your lap — it’s a really welcome improve.

I discovered it notably helpful for glancing at Apple Maps’ turn-by-turn instructions whereas driving dwelling from a tenting journey on a sunny afternoon. Regardless of harsh daylight and reflections, the display was crisp and brilliant it doesn’t matter what, even at a clumsy angle with my hand on the wheel.

The opposite factor I’ve observed in regards to the display is that the glass is extra sloped over the perimeters of the watch. It’s not fairly as dramatic because the domed glass on the Google Pixel Watch 3, however it jogs my memory of it and additional provides the general match and end of the Apple Watch Collection 10.

Now that we’re accomplished discussing the show, let’s shortly speak in regards to the speaker. Why? As a result of on the Apple Watch Collection 10, now you can play music and podcasts from it!

Does it sound superb? Not likely, and I don’t intend to ever take heed to music with it. However as a strategy to take heed to podcasts whereas doing dishes, folding laundry, or doing different chores round the home, it’s unimaginable. I hate sporting headphones/earbuds for too lengthy, and utilizing my telephone in these conditions isn’t at all times simple. Having my podcasts taking part in straight from my wrist — and at a surprisingly loud quantity — is an actual deal with. It’s all due to a redesigned speaker that’s new for the Apple Watch Collection 10, and it’s legitimately one among my favourite issues in regards to the watch.

Apple Watch Collection 10: well being and health

The Apple Watch Collection 10 has the identical well being sensors because the Apple Watch Collection 9 and all the well being/health options you’ve come to count on. Closing your exercise rings remains to be enjoyable and fascinating, they usually’re extra sustainable due to watchOS 11, which lets you pause them and set totally different objectives for sure days of the week. The brand new Vitals app is a unbelievable strategy to test in in your physique every day — you may monitor nearly any exercise that you really want, and Apple Health+ stays one among my favourite platforms for guided exercises.

New this 12 months for the Apple Watch Collection 10 is sleep apnea detection. Utilizing the accelerometer within the Apple Watch, the sleep apnea characteristic checks for respiration disturbances all through the evening and makes use of that to provide you with a warning if it detects attainable indicators of sleep apnea.

Fairly than your sleep night-by-night, Apple’s sleep apnea characteristic analyzes 30-day chunks of your sleep. If it detects attainable indicators of sleep apnea, you get a notification from the Apple Well being app. It’s essential to notice that Apple solely intends for this for use by individuals who haven’t but been identified with sleep apnea; it’s a detection software quite than a remedy software. I would like extra time with the Collection 10 to see the way it works, and I’ll replace this evaluate as soon as I do.

As promising and spectacular as sleep apnea detection is, you don’t want a Collection 10 to make use of it. The characteristic can be obtainable for the Apple Watch Collection 9 and Apple Watch Extremely 2 as a part of the watchOS 11 replace, which began rolling out on September 16. That’s nice information for Collection 9 and Extremely 2 house owners, however it additionally makes the Collection 10 a less-compelling improve if you have already got a type of watches.

Including to that time is that the Apple Watch Collection 10 doesn’t assist blood-xygen (SpO2) monitoring. That is a part of Apple’s ongoing patent infringement lawsuits with Masimo and solely impacts Apple Watches bought within the U.S. The sensor know-how remains to be there, and the Blood Oxygen app remains to be on the Collection 10, however should you open it, you get a message saying, “The Blood Oxygen app is not obtainable.”

Blood-oxygen monitoring is an anticipated characteristic on any fashionable smartwatch in 2024, and it’s a reasonably essential one, too. Not having it in any respect on the Apple Watch Collection 10 is a major loss and could possibly be a deal-breaker for some folks. When my Apple Watch Collection 9 lets me monitor my blood-oxygen ranges, but the brand new Collection 10 doesn’t, it places Apple’s latest smartwatch in a clumsy place.

Apple Watch Collection 10: battery, charging, and different options

I’ve been getting just a little over 24 hours of use per cost on the Collection 10, however not a lot past that. If I don’t monitor any exercises, the Collection 10 often lasts round 28 hours earlier than it dips to 10% battery. If I do monitor a exercise (like an outside run or stroll), I’m nearer to 24 hours of battery life. For context, that features monitoring my sleep with the Apple Watch and having the always-on show enabled.

That is tremendous battery life, however it’s additionally what we’ve come to count on from the Apple Look ahead to a number of years now. In the meantime, on the Put on OS aspect, Google’s latest Pixel Watch 3 delivers round 36 hours of battery life per cost, whereas the OnePlus Watch 2 can final for over three days. I’d actually prefer to see Apple make significant battery enhancements with the Collection 11.

Whereas battery life will not be considerably higher this 12 months, charging speeds are. The place Apple promised as much as 80% battery after 45 minutes of charging for the Collection 9, the Collection 10 can try this in half-hour. That’s been indicative in my very own testing. After simply 10 minutes on the charger, the Collection 10 went from 7% to 32% and was as much as 78% after half-hour. A full recharge nonetheless takes about an hour, however you get to the 80% mark faster than earlier than.

What I really like about this quicker charging is that it’s made attainable by a bigger charging coil at the back of the Apple Watch Collection 10. In different phrases, you don’t want a brand new charging puck to get the quicker cost speeds. As long as you could have a braided Apple Watch charger with a USB-C enter on the finish (which nonetheless comes within the field with the Collection 10), you’re good to go.

Just a few ultimate ideas earlier than wrapping this up. The brand new S10 chip contained in the Collection 10 has been quick and dependable for every part I’ve thrown at it. Efficiency is rarely a problem for the Apple Watch, and this 12 months isn’t any totally different.

On-device Siri voice instructions, launched on the Collection 9, are as soon as once more current and nonetheless splendidly quick. Apple’s Double Faucet gesture can be right here (although worryingly underutilized), and new depth and water temperature sensors help you go diving as much as 6 meters (about 20 ft). You additionally get watchOS 11 out of the field, and in typical Apple vogue, you may seemingly count on common software program updates for the subsequent a number of years.

Apple Watch Collection 10: value and availability

Like earlier fashions, the Apple Watch Collection 10 nonetheless begins at $399 for an aluminum case within the smallest 42mm measurement with out mobile connectivity. Going as much as the 46mm measurement will increase the value to $429 whereas including LTE connectivity provides one other $100.

Apple is providing a sophisticated titanium physique for the primary time, beginning at $699 for the 42mm case and $749 for the 46mm one.

You may preorder the Apple Watch Collection 10 now, and common gross sales will start on September 20. You should buy the Collection 10 from Apple’s web site and most main retailers and carriers.

Apple Watch Collection 10: verdict

It shouldn’t come as any shock that the Apple Watch Collection 10 is a superb smartwatch. The Apple Watch has been constantly wonderful for the final a number of years, and the Collection 10 continues that pattern.

What stands out to me most in regards to the Apple Watch Collection 10 is how refined and polished it’s. This has by no means been a problem for Apple, however all the minor enhancements this 12 months actually do make the Collection 10 really feel like a worthy improve. Between the thinner design, the nicer show, the exterior speaker, and the quicker charging, there’s plenty of good right here.

The Apple Watch Collection 10 is a straightforward advice for therefore many causes, however when you’ve got an Apple Watch Collection 6 or newer, there’s one huge factor it is advisable to grapple with: upgrading to the Collection 10 means dropping blood-oxygen monitoring, which isn’t insignificant. This has been a staple of the Apple Watch because the Collection 6 launched in 2020. You might not care about it in any respect, however others will.

That makes the Apple Watch Collection 10 a tough advice for sure folks, which is a disgrace. However for everybody else, the Apple Watch Collection 10 is the brand new default Apple Watch to purchase, and it’s a darn good one at that. I’ve had a unbelievable time sporting it, and as long as blood-oxygen monitoring isn’t in your precedence listing, I feel you’ll, too.