It’s hard to believe the Apple Watch has been around for 10 years now. This year’s model is the Series 10 and Apple made some changes that make it thinner, lighter, and more entertaining than ever.
If it’s been a while since you upgraded, this might be the year.
The latest Apple Watch model is noticeably thinner and lighter, which makes it easier to wear, especially while sleeping.
That’s handy for stats and the new sleep apnea notifications, which use the accelerometer to sense interruptions in your breathing patterns.
Me, trying on the original Apple Watch in 2014
For the first time, the $400 base aluminum model is available in a slick, polished jet black that looks much more expensive than it is.
Charging is faster this year – what used to take 45 minutes now takes 30 – although battery life is about the same.
The screen is a bit bigger, which makes everything easier to see, tap and read.
Apple redesigned the speaker and you can now listen to audio like music and podcasts right on your wrist. Before, you could only take calls and talk to Siri.
When it comes to health features, it’s neat to wake up to details from the Vitals app. This lets you know if last night’s heart rate, temperature and breathing were within your typical range. It’s like an overnight doctor’s visit every day.
Apple won’t say it, but you can use these indicators to understand when you might be getting sick.
There are also high and low heart rate notifications, plus fall and crash detection, but currently, there is no way to measure blood oxygen levels.
However, I predict this will change by the end of the year. Why? Apple was locked in a battle with the company that held the patents on this type of blood oxygen measuring, but the vocal CEO of that company recently resigned. I bet the new leadership will want to work something out with the biggest tech company in the world.
This year, a new rugged choice: the Apple Watch Ultra 2 now comes in black. This model has a bold design, an extra button on the side and more battery life. Other than the color, the specs are identical to the initial release in 2023.
Another interesting feature of the Apple Watch is the double-tap gesture. You can use it to bring up widgets, select, and scroll. It’s handy when you get a notification and want to act on it but your other hand is occupied. For instance, the other day I was taking out the trash and got a text – I used the double tap to scroll to read it.
Also new: You can translate spoken text on your wrist, even without a connection. I still maintain that Apple Maps on the Apple Watch provides the best walking directions. Combining these two features for international travel is a game changer.
Overall, the Apple Watch 10 presents the most compelling case for an upgrade in several generations. If you have an Apple Watch Series 6 or earlier, this will make a nice upgrade.
Apple Watch 10 is available now starting at $399. For a bit more, you can go cellular if you regularly walk, run, or are out and about without your phone and still want access to your calls, notifications, and streaming music.
It’s hard to believe the Apple Watch has been around for 10 years now. This year’s model is the Series 10 and Apple made some changes that make it thinner, lighter, and more entertaining than ever. If it’s been a while since you upgraded, this might be the year. The latest Apple Watch model is […]
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