It has, apparently, been 10 years since Apple’s smartwatch made its debut. While there were a good number of skeptics at the time, it’s fair to say the wearable has been nothing but another immense success for the outfit (and all the outfits that sell Apple Watch accessories), which is why it’s gotten yearly refreshes throughout that time. That doesn’t change with the new Apple Watch Series 10, which brings a number of hardware changes and upgraded capabilities that, the outfit claims, makes it even “more powerful, intelligent, and sophisticated.”
Not only is it the thinnest Apple Watch yet, it also boasts the biggest display ever found on the wearable line. That’s right, they managed to make it thinner than ever while giving it a 30 percent bigger screen than previous Apple Watch iterations, all on top of hardware and software upgrades that enable new functions and even better performance.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is equipped with a wide-angle OLED display that’s been optimized to ensure each pixel emits more light at wider angles. As a result, it boasts 40 percent higher brightness levels when viewed from an angle compared to the Series 9, making it easier to see information at a glance, while a faster refresh rate allows it to display information much faster. Naturally, new watch faces have been designed to take advantage of the larger display, especially with its higher refresh rates and higher brightness levels, while apps are now able to show even more information without scrolling.
It runs on the new S10 chipset that’s been designed for performance and power efficiency, all while enabling the wearable’s slim 9.7mm profile. There’s also a four-core neural engine that takes over the device’s intelligent features, from the onboard Siri voice assistant and voice dictation to the automatic workout detection and more. Because of the bigger screen and brighter OLED panel, battery life will probably take a hit, although the better power efficiency should help alleviate it a bit. They also introduced a larger charging coil that, the outfit claims, significantly speeds up charging, allowing you to get enough juice for eight hours of normal use with just 15 minutes of wireless charging. You can even fill battery up to 80 percent capacity with just 30 minutes of charging.
The Apple Watch Series 10 retains its powerful suite of health and fitness features, which are further reinforced with some new capabilities. For instance, the watch is now capable of detecting sleep apnea, which should help the estimated 80 percent of undiagnosed people afflicted with the condition, provided it receives FDA approval (currently pending). Water recreation enthusiasts will definitely appreciate the new depth gauge and water temperature sensors, allowing you to see depth and temperature information on the fly, whether you’re snorkelling, swimming, or spear fishing in open waters. The watch, by the way, comes with 50-meter water resistance rating, although the depth gauge can only measure up to six meters below the surface.
Other notable features include a choice of aluminum and titanium cases, a built-in speaker that supports audio playback, a new voice isolation neural network. It runs watchOS 11.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is now available for preorder, with a September 20 ship date. Pricing starts at $399.