There ’s small doubt that the Apple Watch has become one of the most democratic vesture . While it was n’t the first smartwatch on the market by a tenacious shooter , Apple ’s wearable seemed to find its step more quickly than many of its rivals .
That ’s not to say that the rivalry is n’t heating up . This year’sSamsung Galaxy Watch 7andGalaxy Watch Ultraare suitable contenders thanks to ameliorate performance and young wellness features . Nevertheless , the Apple Watch has had a snug tip , erven though it sometimes feel like Apple is coast by adding only iterative improvements each year .
A little over two years ago , I was still well wearing an Apple Watch Series 5 . As I wrote at the clock time , theApple Watch Series 8 , while interesting , wasn’t a compelling enough upgrade on its own . I did finally make the leap , but only because I wanted to pass on my Series 5 down to my Dad . However , when I strapped on the Apple Watch Series 8,I frequently had to cue myself it was a newfangled framework , as the experience was so standardized .
To be clear , that ’s not a bad thing . I think a wearable like a smartwatch should feel familiar and comfortable . There ’s no point in making change for its own sake . Apple has a successful formula with the Apple Watch , and it eff it . That ’s why I ’m often disbelieving of the hearsay auspicate major redesigns , like we come across with the Series 7 in 2021and , more late , the mythological “ Apple Watch X”that never happen .
However , even though this year’sApple Watch Series 10wasn’t the big “ day of remembrance version ” that some were expecting , it packed in enough raw feature article to make me take a much close look — and take the unusual measure ( for me ) of upgrading from my absolutely good Apple Watch Series 8 .
There are key milestones in Apple Watch updates
Apple does n’t typically do much with the processors in the Apple Watch . Most years , they ’re just repackaged versions of the prior silicon . That ’s not a trouble , as I ’ve never considered an Apple Watch to be slow — at least not since the original model with watchOS 1.0 . It ’s also one less grounds to upgrade to a raw model .
Specifically , Apple has only boosted the cow dung in the Apple Watch thrice in the retiring seven year . In 2018 , the Apple Watch Series 4 made a massive spring to a 64 - bit processor , which was repackaged in the Series 5 . The next jump was in 2020 with the S6 chip in the Apple Watch Series 6 , which continued to be used as the S7 and S8 in the subsequent Series 7 and Series 8 models , respectively .
The move from the S4 / S5 to the S6 / S7 / S8 cow chip was such a small carrying into action increase that it was barely noticeable . My Series 8 did n’t feel any faster than my Series 5 ; it only had a discernible border when comparing the two side by side .
I ’m thrilled to report that ’s not the event with the Apple Watch Series 10 . Last class , Apple made another big jump with the S9 chip in theApple Watch Series 9 , which not only hike functioning , but also added a four - gist Neural Engine and an update radical - wideband scrap .
The hardheaded upshot of the S9 was support for features like quicker on - machine Siri and a new threefold spigot gesture . The Siri upgrade also added the ability to question and update health information straightaway from the wearable . Those were all overnice timbre - of - life improvements that piqued my interest . I did n’t regret my upgrade to the Series 8 from the year before , but had I hop-skip that rise , the improved carrying out and new features on the Series 9 would have been enough to oblige me to pull out the induction .
Why I upgraded to the Apple Watch Series 10
With that already on my creative thinker , the Apple Watch Series 10 added just enough to make me seriously debate it . While the Apple Watch Series 9 was identical to its predecessor on the outside , this class ’s Series 10 gets thinner and lighter while add an even larger screen . It may not look like it due to their unique designs , but the screen on the Series 10 is slightly larger than on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 .
The flowing new Jet Black finis is also hard to pass up , but there ’s more to the Apple Watch Series 10 than just its raw expression . In addition to patronage everything the Series 9 had to pop the question in spite of appearance , Apple also sum a wide - slant LTPO3 OLED display and an outside talker that coalesce to make the wearable even more utilitarian .
The Modern display is much gentle to show since it ’s promising at off - axis vertebra Angle . Apple promises an growth in brightness of 40 % when see the Apple Watch Series 10 off - center , and that difference is apparent . That may not sound like much , but just like the always - on showing on the Apple Watch Series 5 ( something I deal a watershed moment in Apple Watch history ) , it recognizes the realness that a smartwatch is only helpful when you’re able to see it without receive to contort your body to do so .
However , as great as all those features are by themselves , one more compelling feature tipped the remainder for me this year .
Sleep apnea detection was a big selling point
Apple ’s outstanding unexampled health feature this class is the ability to detect sleep apnea , and it ’s done so very smartly .
While there hadbeen plenty of rumors that Apple was decease to bestow this to the Apple Watch this year ( especially after Samsung introduced it on this summertime ’s Galaxy Watch card ) , many folks assumed that Apple would at least partly rely on the blood atomic number 8 sensor to gather the necessary data .
However , that would have been a problem , as Apple is still fighting ( and mostly losing ) a patent of invention battle over this technology . As a result , profligate oxygen monitoring is n’t available on Apple Watches sold in the U.S. In the weeks leading up to the launching of this year ’s Apple Watch , analysts arouse concerns that this would drink down the sleep apnea detection feature , giving Samsung a free-enterprise vantage .
We may never know Apple ’s original nap apnea monitoring program . However , consider that Apple began clinical test long before the patent of invention contravention arrive to a head , it ’s probable that the companionship ’s answer never relied on stemma oxygen sensing at all . alternatively , it ’s based on using the same sensor that provide precise health trailing to measure your body social movement as you sleep and decide if those translate to respiration disturbances that could be sign of eternal sleep apnea .
nap apnea detecting is a watchOS 11 feature that ’s also coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 , but since I do n’t already own one of those , I figured I might as well go with the in style model .
The ironic whirl is that while I ’m curious to find out if I have sleep apnea , I was n’t initially concerned in this feature for myself . I got wed in August , and my married woman snores up a storm . She ’s well aware of it and told me about it long before we were wed . fortuitously , I ’m a recondite enough sleeper that it does n’t bother me once I ’m at peace . However , lie in layer heed to it got me thinking about getting her an Apple Watch Series 10 . She ’s been see at smartwatches for a while , and with her natal day coming up , I recollect it would make an ideal gift .
So , off I proceed and ordered a set of “ his and hers ” Apple Watches for us . I ’m content with a basic sportsman stria , but I ordered the Milanese loop for my married woman , so my watch arrived first . It ’s a will to how interchangeable the Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 10 feeling that she did n’t even notice that I was wear a raw Apple Watch until after I surprise her with her birthday talent and maneuver mine out .
It takes 30 days before the Apple Watch will provide any notifications regarding sleep apnea , during which you have to assume the watch to bed for at least 10 night . However , it ’s already recording some elevated breathing disturbances , so I ’m curious to see what it comes up with a few weeks from now .
There are some bonus features, too
The new design , display , speaker system , and sleep apnea detection are all obvious reasons to consider the Apple Watch Series 10 . However , I did n’t give much thought process to some other benefits until after I had worn it for a few days .
First among these is faster charge . In 2021 , Apple nearly doubled charge up velocity with the Apple Watch Series 7 , earmark users to reach an 80 % charge in 45 minutes . The Apple Watch Series 10 lower that to 30 minutes .
I knew about the quicker charge speeds croak in , but I was n’t sure how much that would matter to me . Like all Apple Watches , the Series 10 comes with the necessary fast charger in the boxful , but I have several charging dock and stands around the house , none of which are design for the newest simulation .
However , the good news is that , unlike the Series 7 , you do n’t call for a new battery charger to take advantage of faster charging on the Series 10 .
As long as you have one of the unexampled USB - C Apple Watch lodge pucks or a 5W stand or dock made for the Series 7 or later , the Apple Watch Series 10 will get maximum charging speeds . At first , I only noticed it seemed to be charging more quickly , but after some research and testing , I discovered that the battery charger that comes with the latest Apple Watch Series 10 is the same as the ones that have been in the boxful since the Series 7 .
The faster charging is a overnice incentive now that I ’m wear out my watch to bed most every night to take advantage of sleep tracking and newVitalsfeatures . TheESR 6 - in-1 stand that still sit on my bedside tablecharges the Apple Watch Series 10 at top speed , so I spend far less clock time waiting for it .
The Apple Watch Series 10 also seems to be performing better in battery life story so far , but that may result from another pregnant variety I made this class : I ’m no longer wearing a cellular Apple Watch . While mull over on how often I ’ve left my iPhone behind and gone out with only my Apple Watch over the preceding seven days , I conclude it is n’t worth pay extra for the hardware and monthly plan to stomach cellular connectivity . So , I ’m back on a non - cellular Apple Watch for the first time since my original 2015 modelling .
While Apple does n’t rate the battery life otherwise between the cellular and non - cellular exemplar , it ’s not hard to guess that the cellular radio set consumes some additional power . I have n’t done any tests to quantify the electric battery sprightliness yet , but I ’m ending my days with a lot more in the tank , well matching the 24 hour that Joe highlighted in our review .
I’m so glad that I upgraded
All in all , the Apple Watch Series 10 has been nothing but a convinced upgrade for me and also a important new step into smartwatch ownership for my wife . However , I ’d be remiss if I did n’t name one crucial thing that could have affected my decision to upgrade : the blood atomic number 8 sensing element .
I ’m in Canada , where Apple face no restrictions on the blood line oxygen monitoring technology in the Apple Watch . The ongoing patent case is a U.S.-only social occasion , so it ’s business as usual in the rest of the world . If I hold up in the U.S. , I ’d have a more difficult conclusion : keep my Series 8 with a work blood oxygen sensing element or upgrade and lose that aspect of my health monitoring . Apple is only prohibited from import and sell Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring ; it ’s not being forced to disable it on watches already on its customers ’ wrists .
I call back the trade - off would still be worthwhile ; raw features like a larger and more viewable silver screen , quietus apnea detection , twofold Tap , on - gimmick Siri , and faster charging more than make up for the loss of pedigree oxygen detection . Nevertheless , it finger funnily unsettling to recede a feature film when upgrading to a newer model , and it ’s something that likely Apple Watch client in the U.S. will have to wrestle with base on their own indigence .
While some pick apart Apple ’s lack of innovation in the design of the Apple Watch Series 10 — as if a new look would somehow be “ groundbreaking ” — much of the Apple Watch ’s spell and attract come because of its established and unchanging design . There ’s little dubiousness that Apple keeps packing in telling new features under the hood , specially in more late models . The material innovation , however , is Apple ’s power to strike the correct balance in creating wear with virtual quality - of - aliveness advance without detracting from its delightful comfort and casualness .
