Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 expands the already large displays by about 30% without adding much bulk, plus the new models are thinner than ever. While Apple called it a redesign, it's a minimal tweak to the existing decade-old design.

After a decade of iteration, Apple Watch is at its peak in the existing form factor. Sure, it's gotten larger, more curved displays, thinner chassis, and many more health sensors, but it's still easily identifiable as a descendent of the Series 0 revealed in 2014.

Rumors have already begun about the Apple Watch Series 11, though not much is known just yet. The holy grail of non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is still a moonshot, but blood pressure is reportedly in the works.

What's new in Apple Watch Series 10

Apple Watch Series 10 comes in 46mm and 42mm sizes, just a bit bigger than the previous generation on the diagonal. However, the display is bigger thanks to slimmer bezels too, which means the larger model has a bigger display than the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple Watch Series 10 is bigger, but thinner

The cases are larger, but thinner too. These slightly thinner models maintain the 18-hour "all day" battery life.

Year-over-year updates have been minimal since the Apple Watch Series 6 and one of the few actually new pieces of health-related hardware in generations has been turned off in the United States due to a lawsuit. Some rumblings in the legal space suggest that ban could end with a settlement, but until then the blood oxygen detection won't work.

While there aren't any new health sensors in Apple Watch Series 10, there is a new health function that is also available for the Apple Watch Series 9 — sleep apnea detection. A new water temperature sensor and depth sensor are included, inherited from Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple Watch Series 10 has a new speaker grill design

Improved speakers enable users to play music or podcasts directly from the Apple Watch. A new speaker grill is visible on the left side of the watch.

The wide angle OLED display is 40% brighter than the previous model, and the refresh rate is increased in always on mode. That means a second hand can tick normally even when the display isn't active.

Apple didn't add any new sensors and the blood oxygen detection feature is still not available in the United States due to a patent dispute.

Returning features

If you've owned an Apple Watch in recent years, you're likely familiar with the range of feautres available. Classic features like heart rate and fitness tracking are present, plus the more recent upgrades like Double Tap are back.

Double Tap lets users control some functions with just one hand

Double Tap is a feature that lets users activate the primary button on the display by pinching their pointer finger and thumb together twice. It means you can cycle through the widget view, play or pause media, or dismiss a notification with just one hand.

Users can also handoff now playing audio using NFC by tapping their Apple Watch to a new HomePod or HomePod mini. NFC is also used when tapping a Home Key compatible door lock or when using Car Key to unlock your vehicle.

Crash Detection uses various sensors on the Apple watch to determine if you've been in a severe car crash. Fall detection uses similar methods for detecting falls or accidents involving slower collisions like on a bicycle.

Easily swapped bands

One of the hallmark features of Apple Watch that was once remarkable and now old hat is the ability to easily swap bands. After ten years of Apple Watch, users are still able to use their original bands on Apple Watch Series 10.

Despite size increases for each generation, the large bands always fit the large watch, and the small bands fit the small watch. However, rumors have indicated for several years that Apple could move to a different connector for smart band or magnetic attachment support.

Apple offers a range of bands in multiple materials excluding leather. There is a huge market for third-party bands of all shapes, sizes, and materials similar to iPhone cases.

Apple Watch Series 10 price and release date

The aluminum case is available in polished jet black, rose gold, and silver. Titanium is available in a natural polished, gold, and slate gray.

Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 for the aluminum model. Initial shipments and availability began on September 20, 2024.

Everything below this point was written before Apple's September 9, 2024 event and has been preserved for historical purposes. It contains all the rumors and information shared before the Apple Watch Series 10 was introduced.

Following after the Apple Watch Series 9, the Apple Watch Series 10 or Apple Watch Series X promises to introduce major updates to a largely unchanging wearable design. After years of fairly similar timepieces being released, Apple is rumored to use the ten-year anniversary of its reveal to give it a revamp. 

Some have speculated that Apple could follow a similar release strategy with a special edition series "X" model like it did with iPhone. Standard Apple Watch Series 10 could closely resemble the Apple Watch Series 9 it replaces, then an Apple Watch Series X could change things up with a new design and bands.

Whatever Apple's strategy, these models will remain distinct from the Apple Watch Ultra lineup. Apple may skip the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in 2024, saving the iterative update for 2025.

Apple Watch Series 10: A needed revamp

Much like other models of Apple Watch, and some other Apple products, there are some changes that are expected to happen regardless of rumors. 

For example, we know that the Apple Watch will use a new chip inside, moving from the Series 9's S9 SiP in favor of the S10. You can expect it to be more powerful or more power efficient compared to previous versions. 

You can also pretty much expect the aesthetics to be similar to the Apple Watch Series 9, as rumors have not detailed any major structural changes to the product. If Apple had a wild change to the Apple Watch in mind, it should've appeared in supply chain rumors by the summer. 

Even so, rumors and reports offered claims that what would change will be more than an incremental update. It won't be a radical redesign, but the tweaks will be significant. 

Apple Watch Series 10 band changes

The Apple Watch has used the same strap and lug system for a decade. This meant users could use older bands with their newer Apple Watch models without necessarily needing to buy more.

That may not be the case for the Apple Watch Series 10 or special edition Apple Watch Series X, whichever is revealed.

Rumors claimed the connectors for the Apple Watch band have been completely redesigned. However, the leaker didn't go into detail about the actual changes made to the band, which doesn't instill confidence in their claim. 

The Apple Watch Series 10 may change the band mechanism.

They did insist that the design change means that older bands won't work with the new Apple Watch model. 

There has been a proposal of Apple using a magnetic band system. Again, there is no clear indication as to how that will work. 

Apple has looked into ways to use magnets with Apple Watch bands, including protective cases. It has also used patent filings to offer more than 50 drawings of how magnets can securely engage with each other. 

Whether this research is used with the Apple Watch 10's bands remains to be seen. 

Apple Watch Series 10's bigger screen

The display of the Apple Watch Series 10 could be quite a bit larger than in previous models. 

The display could be a lot bigger on the Apple Watch Series 10

Renders released in June showed a device with a much larger display surface, but with a marginally larger chassis than the Series 9. To end users, this would give the appearance of a bigger screen with thinner bezels. 

The render depicted a 50.8mm display, which would be marginally bigger than the 49mm version used in the Apple Watch Ultra. 

Apple Watch Series 10 to be larger and thinner, or thicker

Reports offer that the most obvious change for the Series 10 will be size. The model will allegedly be much larger than previously offered. 

The current Apple Watch sizes are 41mm and 45mm. The Apple Watch Series 10 is tipped to start at 45mm with the larger size being 49mm. 

The Apple Watch Series 10 should be larger, but the jury's out on thickness.

While physically larger, there is some debate about thickness. There have been some claims the Apple Watch Series 10 will be slimmer, following Apple's drive to make its hardware the thinnest and lightest on the market. 

However, renders have also depicted the Apple Watch Series 10 as being much thicker. At 11.6mm, the new model could be thicker than the Apple Watch Series 9's 10.7mm measurement. 

It may not be too thick though, as it would still be well below the Apple Watch Ultra at 14.4mm. 

Apple Watch Series 10 power savings

Reducing power usage is always good for hardware, since it makes the battery last longer. For the Apple Watch, which has a fairly small battery capacity, it's a crucial thing to develop. 

For the Apple Watch Series 10, the power savings will be introduced via a display technology change. There's already power efficiencies such as adjustable refresh rates, but the Series 10 could go further still. 

A new display may save on power usage. 

This time, reports insist that the use of a new low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology will be used in the OLED display. LTPO-TFT is already used for some switching TFTs in the Apple Watch display panel, with older LTPS versions also employed for switching TFTs and driving TFTs. 

LTPO will be used on more TFTs, including driving TFTs, in the new display. LTPS will still be used, but only on TFTs outside the viewable pixel area.

Apple Watch Series 10 release date and price

Apple is expected to reveal the Apple Watch Series 10 alongside the iPhone 16 during the "It's Glowtime" September 9, 2024 Apple Event. The new model will likely have a similar price structure to the Apple Watch Series 9 and include aluminum and stainless steel options.

Aluminum models with GPS start at $399 for the 41mm model and that pricing should be carried over to the new models. Stainless steel starts at $699.