Although the Apple Watch Series 10 was the most significant update to the Apple Watch to date, the design changes were not radical, and the new features were more aptly described as evolutionary—not revolutionary. That being said, the Series 10 was arguably the most elegant Apple Watch design so far. Apple described the Series 10 in a press release:
“The world’s bestselling watch is thinner than ever, featuring the biggest, most advanced display yet; sleep apnea notifications; faster charging; and water depth and temperature sensing.”
The most striking features of the Series 10 included the display and its relative thinness. The display was 46 mm (with a 42 mm option also available), and was reported to be up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. Compared to the Series 9, the size was just 1 mm larger, but notably, the larger Series 10 model was just 3 mm smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra (49 mm), and the smaller option at 42 mm was the same size as the larger option of the original Apple Watch (Series 0). At the same time, the 46 mm Series 10 had a larger screen—416 x 496 pixels, 1220 square mm display area—than the 49 mm Apple Watch Ultra 2—410 x 502 pixels, 1185 square mm display area. The Series 9, by contrast was 396 x 484 pixels with a 1143 square mm display area.
The thinness of the Series 10 was noticeable, even though it was only 1 mm thinner overall. The 45 mm Series 9 was 10.7 mm thick, while the 46 mm Series 10 is 9.7 mm; however, the Series 10 rounded-rectangle case was thinner with thickness of the round sensor accounting for the measurement. The Apple Watch Series 10 was also 2.3 grams lighter than the Series 9 (46 mm aluminum GPS model).
Regarding finishes, the Series 10 dropped the Stainless Steel option and replaced it with a lighter Titanium option in three colors: slate, gold, and natural titanium. The Aluminum models included the classic silver color, brought back a rose gold option, and introduced a new “Jet Black Aluminum” option that matched the previous glossy sheen of the black stainless steel models at a nearly $400 lower cost and reduced weight.
The Series 10 added some water features similar to the Apple Watch Ultra line, including a water temperature sensor; a depth gauge and app; and support for the Oceanic+ app for snorkeling.
The Series 10 added two new audio-related features. First, the new media playback feature added an enhanced speaker so users could listen to music and podcasts directly through the speaker on the Watch. Second, a new microphone added voice isolation for using the speakerphone and voice recording features.
Finally, I would like to note that the first generation (sometimes called the Series 0) of the Apple Watch was released nearly 10 years before the Series 10 (April 24, 2015), and the Series 10 will likely be the “current” available model at the 10-year mark. Thus, the Series 10 can represent 10-year anniversary of the product line. Since Apple offers an easy way to compare their different Watch models, here are some highlights to show how far the Apple Watch has come in nearly 10 years:
- Size—Original: 42 mm and 38 mm; Series 10: 46 mm and 42 mm (the smallest available option now matches the size of the largest original Apple Watch)
- Screen brightness—Original: 450 nits; Series 10: 2000 nits (Series 10 is over 300% brighter than the original Apple Watch)
- Heart health notifications—Original: High/low heart rate notifications; Series 10: High/low heart rate notifications, ECG, Low cardio fitness notifications
- Water resistance—Original: Splash resistant; Series 10: Water resistant to 50 m, depth gauge to 6 m, water temperature sensor
- Battery—Original: Up to 18 hours; Series 10: Up to 36 hours in low-power mode (twice the battery life)
- Finishes—Original: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, 18K Gold; Series 10: Aluminum, Titanium (the $10,000 and $12,000 Edition models were dropped after the original “Series 0” Watch)
- Weight—Original: 42 mm 30 g; Series 10: 46 mm 36.4 g (Series 10 is 21% heavier)
- Thickness—Original: 42 mm 10.5 mm; Series 10: 46 mm 9.7 mm (Series 10 is 8% thinner)
- Screen size—Original: 42 mm 312 x 390 pixels, 740 square mm; Series 10: 46 mm 416 x 496 pixels, 1220 square mm (the Series 10 screen is 65% larger)
- Number features—Original: 13 features; Series 10: 36 features (although this metric is subjective, many of the features listed by Apple include multiple points)
Sources: Apple (Press release, product, specifications, compare), Wikipedia
