Apple's latest Apple Watch models bring range of small improvements along with the first design refresh in three years. Some of the most significant hardware changes include new display technologies, water temperature and depth sensing, and a reengineered metal back that allows for faster charging.
But beyond these headline features, how much of an improvement does the Apple Watch Series 10 really offer? This guide breaks down the differences between the Series 9 and Series 10 models to help you understand all of the changes and determine whether these enhancements are enough to justify making the switch from a Series 9.
| Apple Watch Series 9 | Apple Watch Series 10 |
|---|---|
| Same design as Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple Watch Series 8 | Refined design with a thinner casing, display with more rounded edges and a wider aspect ratio, and front glass that extends further over the sides for a higher screen-to-body ratio |
| 41mm and 45mm casing size options | 42mm and 46mm casing size options |
| Available with aluminum or stainless steel casing | Available with aluminum or titanium casing |
| Aluminum: Available in anodized Silver, Starlight, Midnight, Pink, and (PRODUCT)RED finishes Stainless Steel: Available in polished Silver, Gold, and Graphite finishes |
Aluminum: Available in anodized Silver and Rose Gold, and polished Jet Black finishes Titanium: Available in polished Silver (matches previous stainless steel casing, Apple Watch Hermès only), Gold, Slate, and Natural finishes |
| Ceramic and sapphire crystal back | Metal back with larger charging coil and integrated antenna |
| 41mm: 1.69-inch display 45mm: 1.9-inch display |
42mm: 1.89-inch display 46mm: 2.04-inch display |
| LTPO OLED Always-On Retina display | LTPO3 OLED Always-On Retina display (faster refresh rate in always-on mode, enabling a live ticking seconds hand on select watch faces) |
| Wide-angle OLED (up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle) | |
| Flux and Reflections watch faces, optimized for the larger display and faster refresh rate | |
| S9 chip | More compact S10 chip |
| Body temperature sensor | Body and water temperature sensor |
| Depth gauge to 6m | |
| Depth app | |
| Oceanic+ app for snorkelling (available on the App Store) | |
| Microphone | Microphone with voice isolation |
| Single, elongated speaker hole | Redesigned speaker with individual holes |
| Speaker | Speaker with media playback |
| Fast charging (0–80% in 45 minutes) | Faster charging (0–80% in about 30 minutes) |
Dimensions
The Series 10 introduces slight increases in height and width, resulting in a marginally larger screen-to-body ratio. However, the depth is significantly reduced by over 9%, making the Series 10 noticeably thinner. Despite the larger case sizes, the Series 10 is lighter across both aluminium GPS and GPS + Cellular models.
| Apple Watch Series 9 | Apple Watch Series 10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 41mm: 41mm 45mm: 45mm |
42mm: 42mm (+2.44%) 46mm: 46mm (+2.22%) |
| Width | 41mm: 35mm 45mm: 38mm |
42mm: 36mm (+2.86%) 46mm: 39mm (+2.63%) |
| Depth | 41mm: 10.7mm 45mm: 10.7mm |
42mm: 9.7mm (-9.35%) 46mm: 9.7mm (-9.35%) |
| Weight (aluminium, GPS) | 41mm: 31.9g 45mm: 38.7g |
42mm: 30g (-5.96%) 46mm: 36.4g (-5.95%) |
| Weight (aluminium, GPS + Cellular) | 41mm: 32.1g 45mm: 39.0g |
42mm: 29.3g (-8.72%) 46mm: 35.3g (-9.49%) |
Release Date
The Apple Watch Series 10 is now available for pre-order, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
Is It Worth Upgrading?
The Apple Watch Series 10 brings several enhancements over the Series 9, but for most users, the differences are incremental. The thinner and lighter design is an improvement, but it doesn't fundamentally alter the device's overall appearance or experience. The slightly larger display and wide-angle OLED, while improving readability, isn't a drastic change.
The improved speaker and microphone on the Series 10 are also worth noting as minor upgrades. The new speaker can playback media for the first time and the microphone now features voice isolation, improving call clarity in noisy environments.
One of the more significant changes is the faster charging. The Series 10 charges to 80% in around 30 minutes, compared to 45 minutes for the Series 9, which could be a noteworthy improvement for users who frequently need quick charges. Additionally, the Series 10 introduces new finishes, including a polished Jet Black aluminum and polished titanium options, offering a more premium aesthetic.
While the Series 10 does bring some useful upgrades, like water depth and temperature sensing, faster charging and improved audio quality, most of these enhancements feel like refinements rather than essential upgrades. Unless you're particularly drawn to the refreshed design and display improvements, the faster charging, new water features, or the speaker and microphone improvements, it's hard to justify upgrading from the Series 9. For most users, the differences won't significantly impact their daily use, making the Series 10 an upgrade only for those with very specific needs or preferences.
Those with a much older Apple Watch will have much better reason to upgrade, with the improvements of successive Apple Watch generations, such as body temperature sensing and the Double Tap gesture, stacking up for a more substantial overall difference.
Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
This article, "Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Series 10 Buyer's Guide: 18 Upgrades Compared" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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