Ten years have passed since the first Apple Watch hit the market. In this latest edition, Apple’s wearable introduces additional health-tracking features in a familiar design. While the Apple Watch Series 10 may not look significantly different from its predecessor, the upgrades lie in the details. For starters, compared to the Watch Series 9, this device is slightly slimmer and features a larger display. It also boasts improved battery life and a variety of customisation options to suit individual tastes.

Design and Display

The Apple Watch 10 is nearly 10% thinner than previous models, making it Apple’s thinnest smartwatch to date. Although this reduction in thickness is subtle, the larger display compared to its predecessor is noticeable. The new wide-angle OLED display provides 30% more screen space, enhancing readability and usability across all functions. It is brighter, easier to read from side angles, and highly efficient, offering improved visibility and refresh rates. This model comes in aluminium and titanium, and is available in natural, gold, and slate tones.

The watch’s LTPO 3 display supports a refresh rate as low as 1 Hz, allowing for a ticking second hand on the always-on display. With a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, this model matches the Series 9’s maximum brightness, but the wide-angle OLED feature makes it appear brighter from the side. The large display is ideal for quick glances, and dynamically adjusts refresh rates based on screen activity—a feature rarely found in smartwatches. Users will like the spacious screen for reading messages, tracking running metrics, and navigating apps while on the move. Despite the size increase, the W10 is compatible with bands designed for 40- and 41-mm models, so you won’t need to upgrade additional accessories.

The Apple Watch 10 comes with a ‘Smart Stack’ option to create a well-organised display | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Performance

The Apple Watch 10 includes a new voice isolation feature that reduces background noise during calls. It also has an upgraded speaker compared to its predecessor, allowing for music playback, albeit at a lower volume. Powered by the 4-core Neural Engine, calls sound clearer, providing a smoother communication experience. If you forget your earphones, the watch’s speaker can serve as a backup, though this feature works best in quieter settings. It may not be as effective in crowded or noisy environments.

The Apple Watch 10 comes with an upgraded speaker system for music and calls | Photo Credit: John Xavier

This model also includes the S10 System in Package (SiP) for increased power and performance. Compared with the S9 SiP, the performance difference may be modest, but it’s a notable upgrade for users moving from the S8. The S10 SiP, with its built-in 4-core Neural Engine, retains features such as double-tap, voice assistant, dictation, crash, and fall detection. However, the Smart Stack UI is noticeably more robust and responsive on the Watch 10 compared to Watch 9, making it easy to close tabs and switch sessions.

When it comes to Siri interactions, the Watch 10 performs far better than its predecessors. Siri is more responsive and adaptive, adjusting to changes in tone when I spoke during runs and handling tasks like changing tracks and playlists effortlessly.

Health Features

The Apple Watch Series 10 pushes the boundaries of health monitoring with its most advanced health-tracking feature yet. Leveraging the built-in accelerometer and a new breathing disturbance metric, this wearable can help users identify potential sleep apnoea symptoms. By tracking minor wrist movements, the watch can detect possible sleep apnoea. If it notices consistent signs, the watch will send a notification along with a detailed report in the Health app. This technology offers an easy way to monitor sleep quality, potentially helping identify serious health concerns early.

After a 30-day tracking period, users receive insights into their breathing disturbances—an approach that stands out from other devices. The Vitals app also monitors heart rate, respiratory rate, and wrist temperature during sleep, alerting users to unusual readings that may indicate potential health issues. While this feature is valuable, I found it challenging to wear the watch during sleep as it is still nearly as heavy as its predecessor, making it an uncomfortable companion during bedtime. Additionally, Apple could consider providing an extra fabric strap as some users may exercise in the evening and prefer a dry band for sleep.

For fitness, WatchOS 11 introduces improved tracking tools, allowing users to pause their daily activity rings on rest days and set customised activity targets for each day of the week. The new Training Load feature gauges workout intensity, offering more personalised fitness insights. The Apple Watch Series 10 isn’t just designed for land-based fitness—it’s also optimised for water activities. It includes a depth gauge and water temperature sensor, useful for swimming, snorkelling, or diving. The Tides app provides rolling tide information, sunrise/sunset times, and access to local beach maps, giving users essential data for planning open-water adventures.

The Apple Watch 10 comes with a plethora of features for those who are into adventure sports, such as this tides information app | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Battery Life

Apple claimed that it has significantly improved charging speed and battery life in the Watch 10 by equipping it with a larger, more efficient charging coil. This is partly true. If you are largely using this watch for tracking sleep and measuring vitals, then it will hold pretty well for at least 18 hours. But if you plan to use this device for workouts, I doubt if it will last that long. During my one-hour-long running session, I played music and kept the heart rate announcer on. From 26% charge, the battery was down to 8%, an 18% drop. That means this may not be a pure workout-level device.

But to alleviate the impact of this steep drop, Apple has made it possible for the Watch 10 to charge 80% in just 30 minutes. Also, it can provide up to 8 hours of sleep tracking after a roughly ten-minute charge. This fast-charging capability can help the watch recover from the workout mode quickly. Over the past 10 days, whenever I didn’t go for my long runs, I was rarely looking for the charging cable. On some occasions, I only needed to charge it once in 24 hours. And the device charged pretty fast.

Verdict

The Apple Watch 10 brings several advanced health-tracking features, notably the sleep disturbance tracker. Its bright and spacious screen enhances readability when checking running metrics and reading messages on the go. With the updated WatchOS, Siri is more responsive and highly accurate. While there isn’t a substantial difference in processor and design compared to its predecessor, the Apple Watch 10 is an attractive choice if you’re looking for enhanced health features.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is priced starting at ₹46,900.