Brief Summary
Marques Brownlee reviews the Apple Watch Series 10, highlighting its incremental upgrades over previous models. While the design is slightly thinner, lighter, and features a larger screen, it's not a dramatic redesign. The watchOS 11 update brings new features like a Vitals app, sleep apnea detection, and training load tracking. However, the most notable new features specific to the Series 10 are a redesigned speaker for media playback, an updated LTPO 3 display with a second hand, a water temperature sensor, and faster charging. Despite Apple's claims of a redesign, the reviewer believes this design will likely remain for the next 5-10 years, with only minor changes in the future.
- The Apple Watch Series 10 features a slightly thinner, lighter, and larger design with a bigger screen.
- The watchOS 11 update brings new features like a Vitals app, sleep apnea detection, and training load tracking.
- The Series 10 has a redesigned speaker for media playback, an updated LTPO 3 display with a second hand, a water temperature sensor, and faster charging.
- The reviewer believes this design will likely remain for the next 5-10 years, with only minor changes in the future.
Design and Features
The Apple Watch Series 10 features a slightly thinner, lighter, and larger design with a bigger screen. The aluminum model is 10% thinner and 10% lighter, while the titanium model is 20% lighter. The screen size is now larger on both models, resulting in a more comfortable fit and improved visibility. The new design features a one-piece metal back and a re-engineered speaker that is 30% smaller. While the changes are incremental, the overall effect is a more refined and comfortable watch. The reviewer notes that the design visually resembles the Pixel Watch, particularly with the curved top edges and the way the display blends into the sides. The larger 46-millimeter Apple Watch Series 10 now has the same screen size as the Apple Watch Ultra.
watchOS 11
The Apple Watch Series 10 comes with watchOS 11, which also gets pushed as a software update to some older Apple Watches. The new operating system introduces features like the Vitals app, which provides an energy score similar to Garmin's Body Battery. It also includes sleep apnea detection, which uses the accelerometer to detect and notify users of potentially high levels of sleep apnea. Additionally, watchOS 11 introduces training load, which tracks the perceived intensity of workouts. These features are available on some older Apple Watches as well.
Series 10 Specific Features
The Apple Watch Series 10 has a few features that are exclusive to this model. The redesigned speaker allows users to listen to media out loud on the watch, including music, podcasts, and audiobooks. The updated LTPO 3 display now goes down to 1 hertz, enabling the second hand to be displayed all the time when the Always On Display is on without consuming extra battery. The display also features slightly better off-axis viewing angles, making it easier to glance at the watch from different angles. The Series 10 also includes a new water temperature sensor, although the reviewer doesn't have any test results for it. Finally, the watch features faster charging, reaching up to 65% from dead in half an hour using the included Puck.
Performance and Battery Life
The Apple Watch Series 10 is powered by the new S10 SiP, which doesn't seem to be noticeably faster or better than the S9. The improved neural engine doesn't enable any new features that the S9 can't do. The battery life remains at 18 hours, which is consistent with previous models.
Overall Impression and Future Outlook
The reviewer believes that the Apple Watch Series 10 is a solid upgrade for users with older models, particularly those who want a larger display and faster charging. However, he predicts that this design will likely remain for the next 5-10 years, with only minor changes in the future. He expresses disappointment that Apple didn't introduce any major features like a rotating bezel, a circular shape, or a significant improvement to the battery life. The reviewer concludes that the Apple Watch Series 10 feels like Apple's definitive statement on the design and features of the Apple Watch, with no major changes expected in the near future.
