The day after the AirPods 4, here are the first opinions on the Apple Watch Series 10, with American testers who were able to have privileged access to the new Apple watch. They are all won over by the 2024 version, but still consider the Series 10 as a small iteration. In other words, owners of a recent model have no interest in breaking their piggy bank again.
Apple Watch 10 Highlights
Highlighted features include a slimmer design that makes a bigger difference than you might expect, a new glossy black finish, a larger display, faster charging, new speaker capabilities, and a voice-isolating microphone—the latter of which surprised a few testers.
Zac Hall of 9To5Mac said that in some ways the new model resembles an “Ultra Lite” version, and while it doesn’t offer double the battery life, the fast charging makes it suitable for day and night wear. And its size is both an asset and a liability depending on the wrist.
The Series line has incorporated some elements of the Ultra line. Apple Watch screens have grown over the years. We’re now at the point where the smaller Series 10 is the same size as the larger Series 3. It must be an appetite for a larger screen that has made the larger Series 10 rival the Apple Watch Ultra.
Surely Apple must have data showing that some Ultra customers value screen size more than extreme sports capabilities. The larger Apple Watch Series 10 is the result.
In some ways, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the Ultra for the rest of us, and that’s cool. I really like the Ultra as an endurance watch. However, the Series line is unmatched in terms of what a wearable device looks like. That’s even more true now with the Series 10’s design.
Adrienne So de Wired Love the new screen and faster charging, but frustrated by the lack of a blood oxygen saturation sensor. This is only valid in the US. In France, the sensor is active and usable.
The most incredible thing about the Series 10 is that the 46-millimeter model’s display is actually larger than the 49-millimeter Watch Ultra 2’s. This sleight of hand is accomplished through the miracle of geometry. The watch’s case has curved edges and the display extends to the sides, while the Watch Ultra 2 has a flat screen and a titanium case that protects the corners from bumps and knocks (…)
Two other significant improvements are faster charging and a better speaker in the watch. Now I’ll share my main tip: If you have a fast-charging Apple Watch and a fast charger plugged into your bathroom outlet, you can fully charge your watch every morning in the time it takes you to shower, brush your teeth, and get dressed, which is about 20 minutes for me (…)
It’s really bad news that there’s no blood oxygen detection on the Series 10, and no word on whether it’s coming back. It’s ridiculous, because every other fitness tracker on the planet has this feature now.
Cherlynn Low d’Engadget also expressed disappointment at the lack of blood oxygen detection, while saying the improvements are minimal. However, she doesn’t spit on the thinner, lighter form factor.
Those using an older model should be aware that updating to a new Apple Watch will cost them access to blood oxygen detection features. The company has yet to reintroduce the Blood Oxygen app that it removed from the Series 9 and Ultra 2 sold in the United States (…)
It’s a mature product that’s traded in massive annual redesigns for iterative updates that accrue over time. For a smartwatch that’s consistently been considered the best in its class, the Series 10 largely continues that tradition (…)
Compared to the Series 9, the latest Apple Watch is slightly larger and noticeably thinner and lighter. It’s not such a stark difference that you’ll notice it without having the two side by side, but every time I pick up the Series 10, I definitely feel a little spark of joy.
Victoria Song by The Verge also mentioned a minor evolution, but she claims that Apple made the right choices and created “a more portable Ultra.”
The Apple Watch Series 10 is another steady, incremental improvement in a long line of steady, incremental refinements. But not all iterative updates are created equal. With the Series 10, it seems like Apple sought to answer a question: How do you get the biggest screen possible without sacrificing comfort and battery life?
Ultimately, the Series 10 is a sleeker, more portable Ultra. It doesn’t have the sportier features like dual-frequency GPS, the Action button, or the 80dB siren. The Ultra also has better battery life. But I can’t stress enough that many people prioritize screen size and portability over gadgets — especially those who are more casual athletes or fashion-conscious. When you consider that the new titanium version with sapphire crystal is $699 — $100 less than the Ultra? I can easily see many people trading in their Ultra for a titanium Series 10.
Robert Leedham of GQ says it may not be a great anniversary product, but the large display, polished titanium finish, and sleep apnea detection make it a worthwhile upgrade. That’s especially true for everyday comfort.
There’s no special super-luxe edition to mark the occasion. Thanks to a series of small but significant improvements, it still represents a real change for the smartwatch. This year, the Watch is more comfortable to wear than ever (…)
While Apple hasn’t said much about it, it’s worth noting that the Series 10 is also its lightest model in seven years. You have to go back to the considerably smaller Series 3 to find a watch that sits this easily on your wrist, and that’s pretty much true whether you opt for an aluminum or polished titanium model.
Lexy Savvides, from CNETlooked at the Series 10’s ability to output audio through the speaker:
I did my own, very unscientific test to see how annoying it would be to play a heavy rock song at full volume on the watch’s speaker. In a quiet indoor environment, my colleague Faith Chihil could hear the speaker from about 20 feet away. Outside, with street noise, she had to stand right next to me to hear anything. In short, the volume is nowhere near as loud as the maximum volume on a phone speaker.
I measured the maximum volume of the Apple Watch Series 10 with the Noises app on an Apple Watch Ultra 2, and it reached around 92 dB with this heavy rock track. But most of the other songs I listened to were between 80 and 87 dB.
In contrast, our friend said the voice isolation for phone calls was “incredibly good”:
The Apple Watch Series 10’s voice isolation is mind-blowing (…)
Naturally, I wanted to test this in the loudest environment possible, so I headed to Lion Dance Me in San Francisco and called my colleague Lisa Eadicicco. If you’ve ever heard a dragon dance at events like Lunar New Year celebrations, you know that the drums can be incredibly loud. It felt like someone was blowing into my ears in real time, but the vocal isolation was so good on the Series 10 that it sounded like the drums were a block away. Lisa could hear me clearly, even though it sounded like I was screaming into the watch.
Conclusion and opinion
In short, the Apple Watch 10 is larger and thinner, with a titanium finish (high-end model). The rest can be found on the Series 9 for example. In the editorial office, we also find it a shame that the steel has been replaced, the spirit of watchmaking is gradually fading, although the result is very close.
Last point, little commented, the wide-angle OLED screen is really appreciable, as you can see in some videos below.
If you have an older model, like the Series 3, Series 4, Series 5 or any SE, you can give it a try. Others, it might be wiser to wait a year or two.
Apple Watch 10 price
The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at €449 in aluminum (42mm, +€30 in 46mm) and €799 in titanium (42mm, +€50 in 46mm).
Buy the new Apple Watch 10 at:
Video tests
Finally, some video tests:
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