Price: £399 for 42mm aluminium model, also available in 46mm and titanium
Our rating: 9/10
We like:
- Slimmer and lighter design
- Larger display
- Great fitness tracking
We don’t like:
- One-day battery life
- No scoring system for sleep or activity data
- Expensive, especially in titanium finish
What is the Apple Watch Series 10?
This is the latest model of Apple’s smartwatch: a wrist-worn device that connects to your iPhone. It’s the 10th edition, the first one having gone on sale in 2015.
The Series 10 offers various health and fitness features, from tracking a run to detecting signs of sleep apnoea, alongside traditional smartwatch functions like showing incoming calls and notifications.
It comes in two size options of 42mm and 46mm and two material options of aluminium and titanium, with both offered in a range of colour and strap options.
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How we test smartwatches
When we test smartwatches, we wear them continuously night and day. We test their general day-to-day performance, from unique features, battery life and charging speeds to how easy they are to use, interact with and set up.
We test how they handle intense exercise like a cycling workout or run; how they cope with more casual exercise like a dog walk; and how they manage notifications coming through from a connected smartphone.
We also wear them to sleep as many health features rely on data from vitals like your heart rate and respiratory rate when you’re asleep. Here’s how Apple’s latest smart watch measures up...
Health features: 9 out of 10
Sleep Apnoea detection is the hottest health feature this year. (Samsung also introduced it on their Galaxy Watch 7). This is where your throat relaxes too much as you sleep, cutting off your breathing. It affects around one in eight people, according to the Sleep Apnoea Trust and can have serious health consequences. Some people may not realise they have it, so the Series 10 could be of benefit.
It’s far from the only health feature on offer on the Watch Series 10 however, with everything from being able to take an ECG to tracking a number of various and obscure workouts.
I use the Apple Watch Rings feature the most, which encourages you to set a Move, Exercise and Stand goal each day and try and complete the colourful rings before midnight, but fitness and health tracking in general on the Series 10 is excellent.
There’s accurate heart rate tracking, on par with a chest strap, and sleep stage tracking is good too (see above). A new Vitals app collects information on five vital signs when you’re asleep to let you know in the morning if elements like your heart rate or respiratory rate aren’t within your typical range. The new Training Load feature tells you if you’re exercising more or less than usual.
I’d like to have seen some form of sleep score or energy/readiness score, as you’ll find on Samsung, Garmin and Fitbit devices in various forms. But when it comes to health and fitness features overall, the Apple Watch Series 10 is a sterling performer.
Connectivity with iPhone: 9 out of 10
Apple Watch owners will be familiar with the function that ‘pings’ your iPhone when you can’t find it. I probably tap that button at least five times a day to find my iPhone when it has slid down the side of the sofa, or I’ve left it upstairs. The Series 10 adds something called Precision Finding, which will guide you to your iPhone within a foot of it if the ping doesn’t help you locate it (see above).
You can take calls on the Watch Series 10 if it’s in range of your phone. (Or out of range, if you have a GPS & Cellular model). It can also play podcasts and music through its speaker, both of which are surprisingly clear – albeit no match for headphones if you want to do some serious listening.
Apple’s personal assistant Siri is also on board. You can ask it to start a workout, call someone or play music and ask it any question you might want the answer to. Sometimes answers appear on the Watch Series 10’s display, and other times, the answer will be handed off to your iPhone.
Lifestyle and productivity features: 8 out of 10
There’s plenty on offer aside from health and fitness features, including a Tides app, a Depth Gauge that measures up to six metres and a water temperature sensor, if you’re in a pool or braving a dip in the sea.
I’d say Apple Pay (above) is the lifestyle feature I use the most, however. It allows you to set up your credit and debit cards and pay with your wrist anywhere that accepts contactless payment.
If you have a MacBook, the Watch Series 10 can unlock your Mac automatically when on. It can unlock certain cars too, which feels like wizardry in action.
In terms of productivity, you can start a voice recording from the Watch Series 10 or use it as a remote camera button to take a photo on your iPhone. It can also set alarms or timers and control smart home devices compatible with Apple Home. Of course, being a smartwatch, the Watch Series 10 also delivers calls, messages and notifications from your iPhone.
Design, display and controls: 10 out of 10
The Apple Watch Series 10 has a similar design to previous versions of Apple’s smartwatch, but there are several refinements in this edition, including a slimmer and lighter build, larger display and a switch to titanium over stainless steel in the more expensive models.
Combined, the subtle changes make for a really lovely device that is comfortable to wear, easy to control and looks superb, especially the Jet Black aluminium model and Gold titanium model. The displays are rich and vibrant with plenty of punch and responsiveness, and the extra real estate makes input easier, as well as reading notifications and data. It’s easy to use and incredibly simple to set up, taking no more than five minutes.
Battery life: 7 out of 10
There aren’t many areas the Apple Watch Series 10 doesn’t excel in, but battery life is one of them. Like many of the best smartwatches around, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, the Apple Watch Series 10 only offers a day of battery life.
This means you’ll need to establish some form of charging routine if you want to use the Watch Series 10 to track your sleep, along with daily activity. To track sleep, Apple recommends 30 per cent battery to make sure your alarm goes off on the Watch, so I usually charge it before bed to get me through the night and through the next day.
There is faster charging on the Watch Series 10 over previous Apple Watch models, promising an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. I found this worked, but you do need to remember to factor that half-hour pause into your day.
Specifications
Telegraph verdict: 9 out of 10
The Apple Watch Series 10 delivers subtle but significant changes to previous models of Apple’s smartwatch offering, with a slimmer and lighter build that’s not only more comfortable but looks better on the wrist too. It’s an expensive device, especially if you opt for one of the titanium models, but it’s packed with superb health and fitness features, a stunning display and a premium build quality.
Sleep and activity data simplified as a score would be welcomed, and the fact that Apple still only offers one-day battery life 10 years on from the original Apple Watch is disappointing. The faster charging in the Apple Watch Series 10 helps negate some of that woe however, and when it comes to features - both lifestyle and fitness - there isn’t a better smartwatch out there for Apple iPhone users. It’s a superb smartwatch overall with small changes that make a big difference compared to older models like the Series 6 or 7.
FAQs
How much is the Apple Watch Series 10?
The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at £399, which is for the 42mm case size with an aluminium build. This entry-level model is GPS-only, with no mobile connectivity. For calls or internet connection, you will need your iPhone close by.
The price increases to from £699 for the 42mm case size in the titanium finish. This model comes with GPS & Cellular as standard.
If you want an Apple Watch Series 10 in the larger 46mm model, prices start at £429 for aluminium and £749 for titanium. Aluminium GPS and LTE models start at £499.
Each Apple Watch model comes with the strap you select at purchase, but you can also buy straps separately.
Can you use Apple Watch Series 10 with Android?
No, Apple Watch Series 10 is not compatible with Android phones. Nor is any previous Apple Watch model. You will need an iPhone to use and set up an Apple Watch. That applies even if you select a GPS and LTE model which has its own mobile connectivity.
How is the Watch Series 10 different to the Watch Series 9?
The Apple Watch Series 10 is slimmer and lighter than the Series 9 and it has bigger displays too. There are two case options of 42mm and 46mm, which are larger than the Series 9’s 41mm and 45mm. While both generations come in an aluminium option for the base models, the stainless steel options of the Series 9 have been replaced with titanium models in the Series 10.
The screen is brighter when viewed at an angle on the Series 10 compared to the Series 9 too, and it will show seconds when the always-on display kicks in, thanks to new LTPO 3 technology. The new model also has a Depth Gauge up to 6m and a water temperature sensor that kicks in when it’s submerged in water. It runs on the S10 SiP processor, compared to the S9 processor in the Series 9.
Otherwise, all the features are the same. If you update its operating system, the Series 9 will even offer the Sleep Apnoea detection introduced with the Series 10.
What is the lifespan of the Apple Watch Series 10?
There isn’t a specific lifespan of the Apple Watch as such, but once your device is no longer supported by software updates, you won’t get access to new features.
The current operating system for Apple Watch, watchOS 11, can be used by any Apple Watch newer than the Series 5 from 2019. If Apple continues to offer around four or five years of software updates for its smartwatches going forward, the Series 10 should last you until 2028.
As with all technology however, you may see deterioration in battery during that time. You may also want future features which the Series 10 may not support, depending on the processing power required. The Series 8 from 2022 doesn’t support Sleep Apnoea detection, for example, and that is only 2 years old. So the answer to this question somewhat depends on what you want from your devices.
What are the key features of the Apple Watch Series 10?
The key features of the Apple Watch Series 10 are a slimmer and lighter build, larger cases and displays, brighter displays when viewed at an angle and the addition of a Depth Gauge and water temperature sensor. There’s also the move from stainless steel to titanium in the more expensive models, which has made quite a big difference to weight.
The Sleep Apnoea feature has been one of its most talked about features for the Series 10. However, this is available on the Watch Ultra 2 and the Watch Series 9 too (requiring a software update), so is not exclusive to the Series 10.
When is the release date of the Apple Watch Series 10?
The Apple Watch Series 10 went on sale on September 20, 2024.
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