Apple Watch Series 10 review: six months later, it’s still the smartwatch to get
Apple's thinnest and smartest watch yet is still an Apple Watch at heart, which makes it a great pick-up for any iPhone user.
🏆 Review score: 4.5/5
✅ Pros
⌚️ Apple’s thinnest Apple Watch yet
⚫️ The Jet Black finish is gorgeous
📺 The display is larger and more beautiful than ever
🏎️ Fast performance
🏃 All the fitness features you could ask for
🍎 watchOS 11 is intuitive and reliable
⚡️ Charging is much faster
❌ Cons
🪫 Battery life is still limited to one day per charge
🩸 Blood oxygen monitoring hasn’t come back (yet)
💰 The price hasn’t come down
🤏 Minimal upgrades for Series 8 or newer users
The Shortcut review
Six months after its release, the Apple Watch Series 10 is still the smartwatch most people should buy. It’s the best Apple Watch yet, with a thinner case size, thinner bezels, a gorgeous display, advanced fitness features, and all the Apple Watch goodness you could ask for. And don’t worry. The fetching new Jet Black color doesn’t scratch like it did on the iPhone 7 back in 2016.
Apple has pitched this watch as a monumental upgrade compared to last year’s Series 9 (it’s the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, after all), but it’s far more incremental than anything. While the bezels are thinner, the display is larger, and the performance is improved, this is still just an Apple Watch. That makes this both easy to recommend for new users and difficult to recommend for anyone who already has a recent Apple Watch.
The $399 Apple Watch Series 10 is the prettiest smartwatch yet, and it’s obviously the best one Apple has ever shipped. But don’t expect it to change your life just because it’s thinner than before; this is still fundamentally an Apple Watch, and if you’ve decided that’s what is right for you, you’ll like it. Everyone else will probably want to shop elsewhere.
Full review
Thinner design that’s slicker than ever
⚫️ Two words: Jet Black. This is one of my favorite colors I’ve ever seen on the Apple Watch. The Series 10 resurrects Apple’s Jet Black finish from the iPhone 7, and it’s stunning. The glossy aluminum case looks very premium and luxurious, all without requiring an upgrade to a different case option, which usually happens when you want a glossy Apple Watch. I love it.
🤏 Thinner, lighter, and (technically) bigger. Apple trimmed the design of the Series 10 to be sleeker and more modern. The result is an Apple Watch that’s 10% thinner than the Series 9 and 10% lighter, both of which are noticeable when you strap it to your wrist. It reminds me a lot of wearing the Pixel Watch 3, except slightly more subdued. The case sizes are also technically bigger this year; they grew by a millimeter each, making the small one 42mm and the big one 46mm. Don’t worry, though, because the size increase on your wrist is completely indiscernible.
👍 The same band support. Fortunately, band support on the Apple Watch Series 10 hasn’t changed. Any bands you currently have for 41/40mm and 45/44mm watches will work with this one, and I can attest: I’ve been using Nomad’s Sport band designed for the 45mm Apple Watch with the Series 10, and it looks great.
Series 10 gets even closer to an Ultra
⌚️ A bigger screen than Ultra 2. The 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 has a slightly larger screen than the 41mm model thanks to skinnier bezels, and so does the 46mm model. In fact, the latter is so much bigger that it’s technically larger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 display, which is insane. The difference isn’t dramatic, but it’s there. Certain areas of watchOS fill the bigger screen with an extra line of text or larger iconography, so those after the biggest screen on an Apple Watch will love this.
📺 Wide-angle viewing. The Series 10’s displays are a lot easier to see from more difficult angles, which makes quickly glancing at the time a breeze. It’s perfect if you’re in the middle of a long conversation with someone and need to check the time without seeming rude.
💧 Track your depth and water temperature. Much like the Ultra 2, the Apple Watch Series 10 comes with a depth sensor that works with the Depth app in watchOS. While you can’t go deep-sea diving with this watch, you can dive up to six meters deep (20 feet) and have your Series 10 track your progress. There’s also an added water temperature sensor for tracking your performance in certain temperatures. I didn’t get to test this feature a lot since I’ve been reviewing the watch in the middle of winter (and don’t have a membership to a gym with a pool), but it’s there if it’s of interest to you.
🤘 Titanium rocks. Another similarity the Series 10 shares with the Ultra 2 is a titanium body. The standard Apple Watch Series 10 comes with aluminum, but you can upgrade to titanium with a glossy finish and three color options: Natural, Gold, and Slate. Like other high-end Apple Watches, these models look particularly sleek and premium, and the lightweight titanium will keep them comfortable on your wrist.
Battery life
🤷 It’s the same. If you were hoping the Apple Watch Series 10 would last more than a day on a full charge, I’ve got some bad news for you. After using it for over five months, I was never able to get the Series 10 to last longer than a day. Apple says you can get the same 18 hours of usage from past Apple Watches, which is admittedly impressive given the thinner design. Still, if you were hoping for anything close to what the Apple Watch Ultra is capable of, you won’t find it here.
⚡️ Charging gets a performance boost. Luckily, the charging speed of the Series 10 is faster. Apple says the watch can go from zero to 80% in around 30 minutes, and while we couldn’t replicate that in our tests, we could get the watch to around 65-70% in 30 minutes, which is more than fast enough to juice up quickly before bed.
Fitness, performance, and software
🏃 Fitness tracking remains elite. The Series 10 continues the Apple Watch’s reputation of being one of the best smartwatches for fitness tracking. From the various sensors onboard to the experience of tracking individual workouts, Apple has aced the experience and makes it easy to track your progress over time. Have competitors caught up? Absolutely, but if it wasn’t for the Apple Watch, the fitness tracking industry wouldn’t be where it is today.
🩸 Still no blood oxygen monitoring. Apple is still in a patent dispute over the company responsible for the technology that powers blood oxygen monitoring, so all Apple Watches in the United States ship with blood oxygen monitoring disabled. Whether this gets resolved in the near future is unclear, but if you buy a Series 10, know that the feature won’t be available (despite the required hardware being onboard).
💤 Sleep apnea detection is handy. The biggest new fitness feature on the Series 10 is sleep apnea detection, which can alert you if you show signs of sleep apnea. During my extended review period, I never got notified whether I had it or that I needed to see a doctor, but if that’s a condition you want to be on top of in your own health journey, Series 10 can help.
👾 The S10 is a killer chip. Every year, Apple releases a new chip in its latest Apple Watch, and for the Series 10, it was the S10 system-in-a-processor (SiP). There were marginal performance improvements onboard compared to the S9 in the Apple Watch Series 9, which was already a powerful chip and continues to power the Apple Watch Ultra 2. I have had zero performance issues with the S10, and it’s even enabled new features like a 1Hz refresh rate for the always-on display so you can watch the clockface tick each second. Little improvements like this are always appreciated, even though the upgrade year-over-year isn’t massive.
🍏 watchOS 11 reigns supreme. I’ve tried a lot of different operating systems on smartwatches, and watchOS remains my favorite thanks to its slick interface, smooth animations, and regular updates. With watchOS 11, there are a few new watch faces, the new Vitals app that can track how well you’re recovering from your Training Load and sleep each day, the ability to pause your rings for a day if you aren’t feeling well, improved Cycle Tracking, Live Activities in Smart Stack, and more. It’s been a great upgrade to the Apple Watch experience. As a side note, the new Reflections face pairs particularly well with the slim bezels of the Series 10.
How does it compare to Ultra 2?
😍 Better looks and more sizes. The Apple Watch Series 10 looks a lot sleeker and more premium than the Ultra 2, which is a lot bulkier and less versatile for classier affairs. The Series 10 is also available in two different sizes, whereas you’re left with the huge 49mm Ultra 2 as your only option. The colors are also a lot prettier on the normal Apple Watch.
🪨 Not quite as durable or adventure-ready. While the Series 10 definitely looks better, it’s by no means as durable as the Ultra 2. The Ultra 2 can be banged around, dropped, taken to new heights, or submerged in up to 100 meters of water. It’s also safe against extreme temperatures and won’t look as worn as the Series 10 after such activities.
🪫 Battery life is half as good. Those who want an Apple Watch that actually lasts will want an Ultra 2. The Series 10 is only good for a day, whereas the Ultra 2 can go 2-3 days between charges. Speaking of which, charging speedy isn’t as fast as the Series 10, but if endurance is your primary concern, the bigger watch is the way to go.
💵 It’s cheaper and a much better value (for most). Apple narrowed the difference between the standard Apple Watch and the Ultra a noticeable amount this year, which makes the Series 10 an even better value for those who might want an Ultra 2 but don’t want the super bulky design. The Series 10 is also anywhere from $50-$400 cheaper than the Ultra 2 (depending on the model you get), which means you’ll be saving a fair amount of money as a result.
Is there another smartwatch you should buy instead?
🤷 Yes and no. If you’re considering an Apple Watch Series 10 but are wondering whether there’s a different watch you should buy instead, the short answer is no. This is the best smartwatch for iPhone users by far. There are some exceptions, though; if you want a premium design that actually looks like a watch, you could get the Withings ScanWatch 2 hybrid smartwatch that combines classic design with the smarts of a fitness wearable. If you’d rather have a fitness tracker without a screen, there’s the Whoop 4.0 band, which can track more intricate details of your fitness in a minimalist design.
Should you wait for the Apple Watch Series 11?
🤷 I don’t think so. We expect Apple to release the Apple Watch Series 11 later this year alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air. It’ll come with some level of upgrades, although rumors have been pretty quiet thus far. But if you’re debating whether to wait for it, given that it’s likely six months away – I wouldn’t hold my breath, though. So far, there are no signs that Apple will fundamentally redesign the Apple Watch any time soon, and the Series 10 by itself is an excellent watch that’ll last you for years to come. It’s a great time to pick one up, and unless you absolutely need the newest thing, I’d just grab the Series 10 and look at the Series 11 from afar this fall.
Should you buy Apple Watch Series 10?
Yes, if…
✅ Your current Apple Watch is due for an upgrade
✅ It’s your first Apple Watch
✅ You want something sleek and minimal
✅ You have an iPhone
✅ You want Ultra features for less money
✅ You need a big screen
No, if…
❌ Your current Apple Watch works just fine
❌ You you’re an Android user (see: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra or OnePlus Watch 3)
❌ You need a more durable design (get an Apple Watch Ultra 2)
❌ You go deep-sea diving (get an Apple Watch Ultra 2)
❌ You don’t need a ton of fancy features (get an Apple Watch SE)
❌ You want to save money (get an Apple Watch SE)
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
