Apple Watch Series 10 Slims Down, Apple Watch Ultra 2 Gains Black Finish
At its Glowtime event, Apple introduced the new Apple Watch Series 10, a significant redesign of the flagship model that provides a larger display in a case that’s thinner and lighter than its predecessors. It also features an impressive new display, faster charging, depth and temperature sensing, audio playback through its speakers, and voice isolation for calls. The base model continues to use aluminum but adds a jet-black polished finish, whereas the fancy model swaps heavy stainless steel for aerospace-grade polished titanium. Despite the industrial design change, the Apple Watch Series 10 remains compatible with previous Apple Watch bands.
During the presentation, Apple touted many of the features of the Apple Watch Ultra, but nothing sounded particularly new. That proved to be the case, with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 receiving a new black titanium finish and a matching black Titanium Milanese Loop band but no new hardware features. The second-generation Apple Watch SE remains in the lineup with new band colors.
Let’s look at the notable changes in the Apple Watch Series 10:
- Thinner and lighter: Apple managed to slim down the Series 10 so it’s only 9.7 millimeters thick, nearly 10% thinner than its recent predecessors. The aluminum models are also 10% lighter, whereas the new titanium models are 20% lighter than the stainless steel models they replace.
- Larger, brighter display: Despite increasing the case size by only 1 millimeter to 42mm and 46mm, Apple managed to increase the display size to provide 30% more screen area than the Series 4–6 and 9% more than the Series 7–9. Apple also made the display 40% brighter when viewed from an angle, making it easier to read the watch at a glance while your hand remains stationary. The display is also so much more power-efficient that the Always-On display can update once per second rather than once per minute.
- S10 SiP: The S10 SiP (“System in Package,” which bundles multiple chips into a single chip carrier) provides a beefier 4-core Neural Engine for more capable machine learning-enabled features like dictation, on-device Siri, the double tap gesture, automatic workout detection, and crash and fall detection. It also plays a role in watchOS 11’s updated Smart Stack, redesigned Photos face, and Translate app.
- Faster Charging: Despite the smaller size, brighter display, and better machine learning features, Apple kept the battery life at 18 hours. However, the new metal back incorporates both the antenna and a larger, more efficient charging coil. In 15 minutes, the Series 10 can charge to provide 8 hours of regular daily use; 30 minutes charges the battery to 80%. A mere 8 minutes is enough to power the Series 10 for a night of sleep tracking.
- Sleep apnea notifications: Once Apple receives clearance from the FDA and other regulators later this month, a new feature will use the accelerometer to monitor interruptions in normal respiratory patterns that can indicate sleep apnea, a condition that affects over 1 billion people worldwide, 80% of whom remain undiagnosed. The feature will also be available in watchOS 11 in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Apple expects to release the feature in over 150 countries and regions later this month.
- Audio playback through speakers: Although the Apple Watch has long had a speaker, you couldn’t play audio through it—it required you to connect Bluetooth headphones. Even though the Series 10 speaker is 30% smaller than in previous models, Apple now allows it to play music or podcasts. It makes one wonder why earlier models lacked the feature. Battery life?
- Depth and water temperature sensors: Casual snorkelers take note—the Series 10 maintains its 50-meter water resistance rating and adds a depth gauge good to 6 meters and a sensor that measures water temperature once the Apple Watch has been submerged. A new Depth app displays the depth information, and a new Tides app helps users stay aware of changing conditions. The Oceanic+ app previously aimed at the Apple Watch Ultra is now available for the Series 10 with new features aimed at snorkeling.
Apple said nothing about the blood oxygen sensor that had to be disabled (see “Apple Disables Blood Oxygen App in New Apple Watches,” 18 January 2024). I suspect the hardware remains in the Apple Watch Series 10 but is turned off; the Tech Specs page says:
The ability to measure blood oxygen is no longer available on Apple Watch units sold by Apple in the United States beginning January 18, 2024. These are indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A.
The Apple Watch Series 10 continues to start at $399 for a 42mm aluminum GPS-only model; 46mm models are $30 more, and cellular connectivity adds $100. It’s available in silver, rose gold, and jet black. Pricing for the titanium models starts at $699 for a 42mm model and includes cellular connectivity; the 46mm models are $50 more. Colors include natural, gold, and slate. Rubber and some textile bands are included at no extra cost; other textile and all stainless steel bands cost $50 to $300 more. Pricing remains unchanged for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which costs $799 with your choice of a new Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, or Ocean Band; the new Titanium Milanese Loop band adds $100. The Apple Watch SE price also remains unchanged at $249, with cellular connectivity adding $50.
You can pre-order now, with availability on 20 September 2024.
Upgrade Decisions
As is often the case with new models of the Apple Watch, I can’t muster much enthusiasm for upgrading to an Apple Watch Series 10 from an older but fully functional Apple Watch. The main reason to upgrade would be for the sleep apnea notifications if you didn’t already have an Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2. I could also imagine some people wanting to listen to podcasts while walking without using AirPods. The thinner, lighter size and larger, brighter display will undoubtedly be welcome but not game-changing.
However, if you’re purchasing an Apple Watch for the first time, or if you want to replace an ancient model or one whose battery can’t make it through the day, you won’t go wrong with the Apple Watch Series 10. The main question, besides price, is if you’re outdoorsy enough and have a large enough wrist to justify the beefy Apple Watch Ultra 2. Don’t forget that Apple still sells the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which lacks many of the advanced capabilities of the Series 10 but is $150 less expensive. If you’re unsure which model is for you, Apple’s comparison page can help.
Where are you when it comes to purchasing a new Apple Watch?
I have a functioning Series 4 which struggles to complete the day. If I am active at all, doing rides etc, it will die by dinner. Definitely interested but might have to bide my time if I pick up the iPhone 16.
FWIW, though the water resistance rating is technically the same, the Series 10 supports “snorkeling” as deep as 6 meters, but the Series 9 does not support anything other than “shallow water activities” (e.g., swimming on the surface.) I’m not sure why the Series 9 is rated for 50m, which should support snorkeling, but Apple does not seemingly support that activity.
Snorkeling is a “shallow water activity”. If you try to go deeper than the surface, water will fill your snorkel, and you’ll quickly find yourself coughing up the ocean.
6m (19.6’) is more than sufficient for this activity. If you’re going deeper than that, then you’re diving, not snorkeling.
I watched the presentation to see whether the rumored blood pressure via Apple Watch was actually true. I’d seen a rumor on line and I didn’t actually expect it, and of course I was right. Had it been true I’d be replacing my Ultra. Since my Ultra still gets more than a day out of the battery, there’s no need to upgrade now. I’m looking forward to the hearing test, since I have a AirPod Pros 2, and my audiologist has been pestering me about hearing aids for a couple of years.
Aside from laughing at the claim that the AW Ultra 2 was “the best sports watch”, I didn’t realize at first that they were talking about the Ultra 2, and there was no Ultra 3 this time.
6 meters is almost 20 feet down. That is not shallow water activity in Apple’s definition - they mean swimming at or very near the surface.
Obviously Apple will need to update this for Series 10.
I bought an Apple Watch 9 in April, knowing that there would likely be significant upgrades in the fall. The Series 9 did what I needed and I didn’t want to wait to start monitoring exercise and sleep…
Nothing in the announcements made me regret that decision.
My Series 5 is working just fine so there is no valid reason to replace it yet. However, both the 10 Titanium Black and the Ultra 2 Black are intriguing. However, would either of those work with my iPhone 12?
Adam, they added the sleep apnea sensor(s) to the Ultra 2.
I have a series 6 which is fine. I’d upgrade to an Ultra for the diving capabilities but I’d prefer to wait for the Ultra 3 to see if BP becomes available. The series 10 look very sleek I must say.
I’ve never actually bought an Apple Watch. I originally inherited a Series 1 from a friend who upgraded to Series 4. It stayed under monthly warranty and when it went bad Apple gave me a Series 2.
Earlier this year my friend upgraded to a Series 9, and I inherited her Series 4, and am happy with it. I have my Series 2 to my partner and he likes it.
My Series 4 remains under monthly warranty too. I use it for workout and move calorie tracking and other things and like it a lot.
My froemd has a smaller wrist so it’s the smaller size model. I learned from this that I am perfectly happy with the smaller size model. I think my arm might get tired by the end of the day with a heavier Watch.
Anyway, I’m waiting for her to upgrade to the Series 14 so I can inherit her Series 9.
The Series 10 specs page shows the GPS-only models being 0.7-1.1 grams heavier than the GPS + Cellular models (aluminum). How could this be?
Last year’s S9 had the GPS-only models 0.2-0.3 g lighter. And the cellular iPads are either the same or heavier than the plain Wi-Fi ones.
I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2 for several months now and love it. Mine still has the blood oxygen app enabled (despite the OS being fully up to date) and I use it regularly. I personally believe that the issue of this watch being too large or too bulky except for the largest wrist is overblown, especially for women. It’s just like going from a 13 inch laptop to a 15 inch one. The difference seems huge at first when looking at that larger laptop screen, but within a very short time, you have totally adjusted to it as if you’ve always had it. Speaking as a woman with an average sized wrist, I am extremely satisfied with this watch.
I currently see no reason to upgrade from my series 6 44 mm which works perfectly fine except for a sudden decline in battery life since upgrading from WatchOS 9 to 10. But it still gets me through the day most of the time, only necessitating low power mode for the last hour or so a few days a month.
If I had to replace it for some unexpected reason the biggest question would be, do I go for the new 46 mm (bigger screen) or 42 mm (lighter, same size screen) model?
Trying to find out if the S10 in Europe still has the Blood Oximetry hardware. I know the US has the software disabled but that might lift in 2028 according to MacRumors.
In the Dutch store the 10 is listed as having the Blood Oxygen app (Saturatie-app).
If I had to guess it would be based on a comment from Jeff Williams during the keynote. The S10 watch now has an all-metal back and the cellular model has a small antenna ring on the bottom (probably made with a plastic material if it’s like the material on the bezel of the Ultra). My guess is the GPS model lacks this ring because the WiFi, GPS, and NFC radios don’t require it.
From the Apple Ireland website:
Same on Apple UK, so given what @frans says it seems to be generally available outside the US.
Thank you @frans and @jzw !
I’ll check my Irish store.
And it is there indeed. I think I’m going to jump.
Does anyone know if the Tides app will also be available on the iPhone? I often need to know tide information and have a few apps for this. Different apps have different tide reporting locations, so having one from Apple that might be more comprehensive would be useful.
The sleep apnea feature relies on machine-learning capabilities and the accelerometer that are already in the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9, not a new sensor.
Improved display, faster charging, and sleep apnea detection would motivate me to consider upgrading from my Series 7, but not until pulse oximetry is available for the Series 10.
I didn’t say otherwise. I said that snorkeling is shallow water activity. You’re almost always just below the surface, except when briefly diving down to look at or pick up something.
Neither I nor Apple’s video said that people snorkel down to 6m, nor did anyone say that 6m is shallow-water activity. They did say that the automatic depth gauge, which they said can be used while snorkeling, is good for up to 6m. Which I think is completely fair, since it is highly unlikely that anybody snorkeling will go down more than 2-3m, and when they do it will be only for very short periods of time.
Ah, it wasn’t clear on the video. That is cool repurposing already installed sensors for new/additional uses.
I don’t want to get into what is and what is not snorkeling. So just to clarify my point, what I am saying is that the water resistance that Apple is stating for the Series 10 is subtly different from all of the non-Ultra watches that preceded it, despite many of them also being 50m designation. Through the Series 9 Apple never supported the use of Series watches as deep at 6m. The Series 10, however, is the first non-Ultra watch that Apple says is suitable for snorkeling as deep as 6m, and they included the Depth app and water temperature reporting from the Ultra and Ultra 2 for the first time in a Series watch.
This was the water resistance footnote text for Series 9:
This is the water resistance footnote text for Series 10:
Note that the Watch SE, which has the same water resistance text as the Series 9 had, is not designated for use up to 6m depth - the Series 10 is called out specifically from the SE.
TL;DR: ISO depth ratings are not what you may think. A watch that says it is rated to 50m should not be submerged at anything close to 50m.
The confusion here is that the “50m” rating does not mean it can be submerged to a depth of 50m for an extended period of time. It refers to the maximum amount of pressure used during testing under specific lab conditions.
ISO 2281 is the standard for “water resistant”. These are not considered “waterproof” and can only survive limited amounts of time at various depths. ISO 6425 is the standard for so-called “divers’ watches”, which are designed to withstand extended periods of submersion at various depths. ISO 6425 has additional tests for mixed-gas diving.
You’d need to get the ISO standards (sadly, behind expensive paywalls) for the specific set of tests, but one article I found describes how to perform a basic test (for the purpose of repairing a 50m waterproof watch), and it’s not what I would have guessed:
This test is designed so that if the seals failed, water won’t enter the watch, because the air pressure inside the watch will be greater than or equal to the water pressure.
Of course, the ISO test procedures will be more extensive than this.
In terms of what these numbers mean in real life, I found a few articles that say (more or less) the same thing, and also aligns with what Apple said:
Watches labeled as “Divers’” with a depth usually means they are certified according to ISO 6425 instead of ISO 2821:
Additionally:
WRT what Apple wrote:
I also find it interesting that Apple documents that none of their watches are rated according to ISO 6425 (for divers’ watches).
Even the Ultra, which they say can be submerged at up to 40m, is only ISO 22810 100m certified - it’s unclear why they are making this claim but did not certify it to 200m, which (according to what I read) would be the minimum rating for diving to 40m.
See also:
I have a Series 5. (I waited for an always-on display before getting an Apple Watch.) Now I have to decide if I want to upgrade so that I have a supported model. My battery still makes it through most days. Looking at the watchOS 11 features I think the only one I’d really miss is being able to pause the activity rings. The bigger screen on the S10 looks nice. I can’t imagine I’d notice it being 1mm thinner. At the moment I’m thinking I’ll wait for the S11. Especially since I’m still paying off a 13" M4 iPad Pro!
Slightly irritated to find that the ability to use the loudspeaker is an s10 exclusive distinction, seeing as how it shouldn’t really be a limitation in the first place. Maybe that can be changed in software later on? In any event the Ultra 2 is already great, I bought it for accurate GPS and the already better speaker and mic, so my hope is that the software support will continue to deliver. The battery life is absolutely terrific, more than I need, so I don’t see myself upgrading anytime soon.
FWIW, I read somebody with an Ultra 2 running the watchOS 11 beta who reports that media play through the speaker works with the Ultra 2 as well. But I suppose we will find out for sure on Monday.
This is confirmed by an article I just found on The Verge by the way.
I’ll be curious about that too. I use Intervals Pro and RunGo on my Apple Watch Series 9, and both provide spoken instructions via the speaker just fine. I see no reason it couldn’t play a podcast.
I assume it’s to protect battery life. Speakers are power hungry as they have to physically move air around.
Should have kept it the same thickness and used the space for additional battery capacity. It’s about time the Apple Watch improved on its dismal battery life.