As the Apple Watch approaches its 10th anniversary, it faces some serious challenges. While it remains one of the most popular smartwatches and fitness trackers in the world, the wearable market has been flooded with ducks and wannabes. Plus, there’s little good reason to upgrade to a new Apple Watch, especially since the hand-me-down Series 6 is compatible with the latest watchOS updates and looks essentially the same as a new model. The older Series 6 also has a blood oxygen sensor. This is a standard health feature that is missing from the latest Apple Watch due to a patent dispute with health technology company Masimo. Finally, and most devastatingly, the Apple Watch also faces serious competition. From Google Pixel Watch 3.
After spending a decade defining a new market, the Apple Watch is no longer the only smartwatch that looks good, or the only smartwatch worth owning.
On a mission to make this year’s Apple Watch appealing, the company has made a number of upgrades. The Series 10 actually comes in a jet black finish with a very glossy polish. The watch’s case is also much thinner and lighter, with a new S10 chip that’s flatter on one side, and a brighter, larger, wider-angle display. Series 10 can now track breathing problems during sleep and notify you if you may have sleep apnea. It charges faster and has a new speaker, new depth gauge, and new water temperature sensor. And watchOS 11 is still the best Watch OS. That’s exactly what it is.
The Watch Series 10 may not be worthy of breathtaking praise, and we’re sure Beyoncé isn’t going to release a photo of her daddy wearing it (unless she does, in which case (Sorry), but this is still just the best smartwatch for iPhone users. Not being able to sense blood oxygen is a big hindrance, but at the end of the day, it’s the watch that’s the hardest for me to take off.
big view
The most incredible thing about the Series 10 is that the 46mm model’s display is actually larger than the Watch Ultra 2’s display, which is 49mm. This trick is accomplished by a miracle of geometry. While the edges of the watch case are curved and the display extends to the sides, the Watch Ultra 2 has a flat display and a titanium case that protects the corners from bumps.
Photo: Adrian So
It’s also much thinner and lighter than previous watches, especially when compared to the 45mm Google Pixel Watch 3. Google’s Watch has a depth of 14.3mm, while the Series 10 is only 9.7mm deep. Personally, I have no problem wearing a big, chunky sports watch. I always say bigger is better, but I know people, including my husband, who can’t sleep with them on because they’re too big.
The back is also metal. This is to incorporate hardware changes and to improve feel. However, compared to the ceramic backs of previous Apple Watches, you don’t really see or feel much of a difference. I love the jet black finish on the polished aluminum, even if it makes my fingertips look greasy.
The curved edges reflect the design of the Pixel Watch 3, but the screen performance is different. When I compared the screens of the two watches, I found that the Series 10 had wider viewing angles. The Pixel Watch 3’s display becomes unreadable much faster than the Series 10’s when you twist the watch away. I have a hard time finding this change to be all that helpful. I’m a very active working mom with two kids and two dogs, but somehow even I don’t find it that difficult to move my wrist toward my face.
Photo: Adrian So
