the Top Apple Smartwatch for Most People

The Apple Watch Series 10 hits the sweet spot for most people looking for a fully featured iPhone companion with the fewest compromises and the best value. It’s the current champ in our guide for the best Apple Watch.

However, the brand-new Apple Watch Series 11 promises a few design tweaks that could entice some buyers, including a more durable screen, longer battery life, and 5G cellular support. But the Series 10 uses the same processor as the new model and is even getting many of the same software upgrades, including support for features like hypertension notification and sleep score. Recent discounts also make the Series 10 about $50 to $100 cheaper than the Series 11.

I’ve used the Series 10 since its launch in September 2024, and it has delivered a typically excellent Apple Watch experience. We’ll be testing the Series 11 to see if its features are worth the extra money, but it’ll be hard to beat the overall value the Series 10 still offers when it’s on sale.

Here’s what the Apple Watch Series 10 is like to use, how it’s different from older models, and why it remains an excellent smartwatch.

Design: A welcome refresh, with a thinner profile and larger display

Despite its slimmer design (by 10% compared to the Series 9), larger display, and new wide-angle OLED for better watch face visibility, the Apple Watch Series 10 doesn’t look drastically different than its predecessors. It remains recognizable at a glance as a standard Apple Watch.

The Series 10’s slimmer design impacts the wearer more, as all sizes are notably lighter than the comparable models from recent generations. On the wrist and upon closer inspection, the Series 10 looks sleeker than previous models, and the larger 46mm aluminum model feels almost weightless for its size.

The Series 10’s larger 42mm and 46mm displays are appreciable bumps over previous models with 40 to 41mm and 44 to 45mm displays. Indeed, the millimeter number corresponds to the case size rather than the display size, and the display of the Series 10’s 46mm option is actually bigger than the Ultra 2 with a 49mm casing, thanks to thinner borders around the display.

The time and widgets aren’t necessarily easier to read by default than on other recent models. However, you’ll love the Series 10 if you’ve wished Apple Watch displays were larger on either the smaller- or larger-sized version of the Series line.

Conversely, some might wish Apple kept the smaller model at 40mm, as my wife initially did regarding her retired Series 5. However, she has fully adapted to the 42mm Series 10’s size and doesn’t think twice about it after a few months.

While the new wide-angle OLED display somewhat improves visibility when glancing at the Series 10 at an angle, we never had any related complaints about previous models.

The aluminum Series 10 is available in silver, rose gold, and a polished jet black, which is limited compared to previous models, as the aluminum Series 9 was available in five colors. That said, the polished jet black finish was previously available exclusively on the pricier stainless steel Hermes version of the Series 9. Fans of the jet black finish will appreciate its availability with the more affordable aluminum option.

New for Apple Watch Series models is the Series 10’s titanium option, which replaces the previous stainless steel models as the higher-end alternative to aluminum. Titanium Series 10 models are available in polished (shiny) natural, gold, and slate (a very dark gray) finishes.

Performance and smartwatch capabilities: Apple’s fastest processor powers exclusive new features

The Series 10 runs on Apple’s latest smartwatch processor, the S10, and the latest watchOS operating system. Performance is snappy and smooth.

Unless you have a very old Apple Watch, performance is rarely an issue for most people. However, the S10 processor powers newer smartwatch features that older models don’t support, like background noise suppression during phone calls. In our testing, it’s difficult to say if the feature is comparatively more effective, as we’ve rarely faced issues with background noise during phone calls on previous Apple Watches. Still, it’s good to have any improvement in phone call quality.

Otherwise, the Series 10 running on the S10 processor efficiently carries forward all the usual smartwatch features, like checking notifications, taking calls, sending messages, widgets, the always-on super-bright (or super dim 1-nit) display, precision iPhone finding, and double-tap gesture support that have made the standard Apple Watch such a stellar companion to the iPhone.

The Series 10 also has redesigned speakers, which introduce the ability to play audio from the watch. It works, but if you were hoping it would let you listen to audio in the shower, you’ll be disappointed. Water over the speaker muffles audio to the point that it’s barely audible.

Health and fitness tracking: Variously helpful new apps and updates

The Apple Watch Series 10 supports a wealth of health and fitness features, but many of these features are also supported on the Series 6 and newer or the second-generation Apple Watch SE. I will specify features that are exclusive to the Series 10 and newer models below.

The Vitals feature aggregates data collected overnight from various sensors to summarize your daily health and alert you if any measurements are out of your typical range. Vitals measures heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, and sleep duration.

Vitals hasn’t been particularly useful, as it tells me what I already know: My vitals are non-typical when I’m sick and typical when I’m not. It’s not designed to reveal unperceived diseases or conditions; Apple says it notifies you of non-typical data in situations most people are likely aware of, like elevation changes, alcohol consumption, and illnesses.

There’s also Training Load, which measures and analyzes your workouts combined with your Vitals and can help you decide when to take it easy and when to push yourself.

Activity Rings got an update that lets you pause your Rings streak progress. For die-hard Activity Rings streakers, this finally lets them take a rest day, and it won’t ruin a massive streak if they get injured or sick.

Apple has also added a sleep apnea notification feature. It seems to work, as it tells me I don’t have sleep apnea, and I don’t believe I suffer from it. A family member who has sleep apnea and uses the Series 10 confirmed that it can accurately detect possible sleep apnea.

The Tides app provides tidal information for coastlines and surf spots. It’s been handy to use when visiting beaches to check for low or high tide. You can easily access tidal information on your iPhone, but it’s also convenient to have it on the Apple Watch Series 6 and newer.

Specific to the Series 10 and newer models, there’s also a depth gauge that goes up to 19.6 feet and can tell you the water temperature. It’s similar to the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s depth gauge feature, but it doesn’t go as deep (131 feet). It’s fine for recreational diving, and it’s handy to see the water temperature when you’re enjoying a pool.

Other software features: New and improved aspects common to all recent Apple Watches

Among the new features supported across Apple Watches that run watchOS 11 and above is an improved Smart Stack. It does a remarkable job of anticipating and knowing what tasks and shortcuts to show so you don’t have to search through your Apple Watch apps. For example, I can pull up Smart Stack to view a timer’s status, start a workout, or control media playback from an iPhone, even on devices using AirPlay.

WatchOS 11 also debuted the Translate app for translating and playing translations out loud. It works well, but like most translating apps and services, it’s not fast and automatic enough to be suitable for casual conversation. Rather, it’s good for shorter translations, like getting directions. Offline translation is also available on the Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2, which is handy for traveling when data or WiFi connections aren’t always available.

Apple also introduced summarized notifications powered by Apple Intelligence (forwarded from an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence), and they perform their function adequately. However, only some notifications are summarized, like certain messages and repetitive motion detections from a security camera.

Battery and charging: No battery life enhancements, though it supports faster charging

Battery life on the Series 10 is about the same as the last few Apple Watch Series models before it. In our testing, you’ll get about a day and a half of use on non-workout days before recharging, and slightly less on workout days due to increased sensor usage.

If you turn off the always-on display, you can get about two full days of battery life, but if you don’t use that feature, you might as well buy the second-gen Apple Watch SE.

The Series 10 features faster charging thanks to more efficient charging internals and the new charger (Model A2515) with a nylon fabric cord that Apple includes with the watch. With a 20W USB-C charger, Apple claims you can get eight hours of sleep tracking with a quick 15-minute charge, or a 0% to 80% charge in 30 minutes on average. I haven’t specifically tested to validate the former claim, but I can confirm that charging is the fastest on any Apple Watch I’ve tested so far.

The faster charging speed makes it easier for the Series 10 to have enough battery during the day and night for sleep and vitals tracking, as you can effectively give it occasional top-ups during the day. For example, I charge the Series 10 during my shower and teeth-brushing routines and when I give the kids baths and put them down for bed, which often gets the watch to 100% or close to it. I have yet to get close to 20% battery life with my charging routine.

New watchOS 26 features are also supported

Apple recently launched an update for its watchOS software, and it brings several new features to the Apple Watch Series 10. Most notably, the Series 10 now supports Apple’s sleep score feature and hypertension notifications.

Sleep score analyzes different aspects of your sleep quality, like duration, how frequently you wake up, and how much time you spend in different sleep stages, and uses that data to create an overall score you can use to track your sleep habits. Meanwhile, the hypertension notification feature uses the watch’s optical sensor to detect potential signs of high blood pressure.

How does the Apple Watch Series 10 compare to the Series 11?

Since originally publishing this review, Apple has launched a new Apple Watch Series 11 model. We haven’t tested the new model yet, but it promises a few improvements that could make it a better fit for certain users.

First, the Series 11 is rated for longer battery life. Apple says the new model can last up to 24 hours, while the Series 10 was rated for up to 18 hours.

Second, the Series 11 supports 5G connectivity when paired with a cellular plan, while the Apple Watch Series 10 is limited to LTE and UMTS.

Finally, the Apple Watch Series 11 has a more durable screen that uses Ion-X glass, which Apple says is two times more scratch-resistant than the previous model.

Should you buy the Apple Watch Series 10?

The Apple Watch Series 10 is a great smartwatch, and it supports nearly all of the same features that the new Apple Watch Series 11 offers. As long as it remains in stock and on sale for less than the Series 11, it’s a worthy buy for first-time Apple Watch owners or those looking to upgrade from an ageing model.

However, if you can find the new Apple Watch Series 11 for the same price as the Series 10, there’s no reason to consider the older watch.