Apple Watch Series 10: The Ultimate Smartwatch Upgrade?

There were some pretty big rumors that the 10th-gen Apple Watch was going to be a major redesign—kind of like what the iPhone X did for the iPhone lineup. It felt like 10 was such a nice, clean number that maybe Apple would do something special with it. Honestly, I remember saying in my reviews of the Series 8 and Series 9 that while those were solid, they were really just small updates. I even suggested if you wanted something big, it might be worth waiting for the Series 10.

And now that it’s here, well… I’ve been using the Series 10 for about a week, and it’s pretty much just another small upgrade. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing—it’s just not the big redesign everyone was hoping for, which makes this review pretty simple: Should you upgrade? Well, if you’re expecting something groundbreaking, probably not.

The biggest changes are physical. The Series 10 is a bit thinner, lighter, and bigger. We’re talking 10% thinner and lighter on the aluminum version, and the higher-end models now come with titanium instead of stainless steel, which makes them 20% lighter. Plus, both models have bigger screens, which means more display space and a comfier fit on the wrist. Honestly, it just feels like last year’s Apple Watch, but squeezed down a bit to make it look fresh.

There are some other upgrades, like a new one-piece metal back and a smaller speaker (30% smaller, to be exact), but overall, the design is still pretty familiar. It’s definitely an improvement, just not the massive overhaul we were all expecting.

Visually, this new one actually reminds me a lot of the Pixel Watch—especially depending on the watch face you choose. The edges are more rounded, and everything just flows into the sides, especially with the new Jet Black color. And fun fact: the 46mm Series 10 now has the same screen size as the Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple loves showing off how much bigger the screen is on their new watches, usually by putting an older model next to it and saying, “Look! More space for text, more content, and it’s easier to type on the onscreen keyboard.” Honestly, though, it never really felt like a huge deal to me—maybe except for the Ultra. But this year, I noticed something new.

With watchOS 11, the Disc Sports Workout now shows an extra line of information. Instead of just time, active calories, total calories, and heart rate, now it adds miles to the list. So, now I’m getting a bit more data at a glance. Honestly, it seems like watchOS 11 just takes advantage of the bigger screen to squeeze in a little extra text here and there—which is kind of funny, but definitely useful.

Speaking of watchOS 11, it’s not just for the new watches. Older models are getting the update too, bringing features like the new Vitals app, which gives you an “energy score” (kind of like Garmin’s Body Battery). It also includes FDA-approved sleep apnea detection, which uses only the accelerometer to notify you of potentially dangerous levels of sleep apnea. And there’s a new training load feature to track workout intensity. All of this is coming to some older watches as well.

But if you’re wondering what’s exclusive to the new watches—like, the stuff that might actually convince you to upgrade—there are about four key features.

First up, this redesigned speaker means you can now play media directly from the watch. You’ve always been able to take calls and set alarms, but now you can actually listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks out loud. So, if you’re out hiking and forget your headphones, you can still have your tunes with you. But, uh, don’t be that person playing media loud in public—please.

So, the new model comes with an updated LTPO 3 display. Basically, it can drop down to 1Hz now, instead of the old 10Hz. What this means is the second hand can stay visible on the Always-On Display without burning through your battery. Plus, the off-axis viewing angles are a bit better, which is actually super helpful for a watch. You can glance at it and still read the time without looking like you’re obviously checking your watch.

There’s also a new water temperature sensor. Now, I don’t exactly spend my days diving into deep water (I mean, just look at me), so I don’t have any real-world testing data for this. But, hey, it’s there, so that’s something.

Charging is faster now, too. If you use the included charging puck, you can get about 65% in 30 minutes. Apple claims it should hit 80%, but we couldn’t quite get there. Still, faster charging is definitely a nice upgrade.

That’s about it for the big changes. The new S10 SiP is in there, but honestly, it doesn’t feel any faster or better than the S9. It has a more powerful neural engine, but it hasn’t unlocked anything new that the S9 couldn’t already do.

So, yeah, that’s the 10th-gen update in a nutshell. Honestly, after hearing Apple talk about it like it’s a “huge redesign” at the keynote, I’m starting to think this is the Apple Watch design we’ll be stuck with for the next 5-10 years. If they’re calling this a “redesign,” then I’m expecting much smaller tweaks going forward.

Honestly, the two features in this update that made the biggest difference for me are the bigger display and faster charging. The bigger screen is an obvious win, but the faster charging is a game-changer too. It’s just so convenient when you need to quickly juice up your device for a bit and keep going. If I were doing sleep tracking, I’d probably appreciate the faster charging even more, but as I’ve mentioned before, I’m using the Eight Sleep for my sleep metrics. Big thanks to Eight Sleep for sponsoring this part of the video.

I’ve been talking about Eight Sleep in previous videos because it’s been such a solid addition to my routine. You’ve probably already heard of the new Pod 4 Ultra, which can independently cool or warm each side of the bed. It also tracks your biometrics with crazy accuracy—99%, no matter how you sleep. Honestly, I think that’s a huge advantage over using something on your wrist. Then you just hop into the app, and you can see everything—your sleep stages, heart rate, heart rate variability, breath rate, and no snoring (which is always a win).

Since coming back from Australia’s time zone, I’ve been waking up randomly in the middle of the night, but this was a good night of sleep. The Eight Sleep has been helping me get back into my routine on the East Coast, and it can really help anyone sleep better. The best part? You just slip the Pod on top of your current mattress like a fitted sheet, and it automatically adjusts the temperature for each side of the bed. So, if you want to check it out, go to eightsleep.com/mkbhd to get $350 off the Pod 4 Ultra, or $200 off the Pod 4. And you can leave your wearable on the nightstand where it belongs.

f you’ve got an older Apple Watch—Series 4, 5, 6, or 7—and you’re thinking about upgrading, then yeah, this is the one to go for. It’s pretty much the obvious choice. But as a reviewer, I’m looking a little further ahead, and based on how Apple’s been talking about this, I don’t see any major changes coming to this watch anytime soon. Which is a bit of a letdown.

You know, all those things we thought we might finally get, like a rotating bezel, a round design, or a serious boost to battery life? None of that showed up in this 10th-gen model. And honestly, it doesn’t really seem like Apple’s planning to make any of those things happen.

So here we are with the 10th-gen Apple Watch, and it feels like Apple’s just saying, “This is it. This is the Apple Watch.” (laughs) We’ve got the same squircle shape, no rotating bezel, the same buttons, and still just 18-hour battery life. It’s kinda like, take it or leave it. That’s the deal.