Apple Watch Series 10 review: the details that make the difference
The Series 10 is the most refined Apple Watch yet: thinner, with a larger, more readable screen and, at last, faster charging. No upheaval — just the everyday details put right. For iPhone owners, it stays the one to beat.
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Apple
Watch Series 10
The iPhone smartwatch, more refined than ever
Our score
✓ Pros
- ＋Thinner and lighter, bigger screen
- ＋Complete, readable health tracking
- ＋Fast charging that changes habits
✗ Cons
- －Battery still barely a full day
- －iPhone only
⚖ Verdict
The best smartwatch if you have an iPhone. On Android or chasing days of battery, look to a Galaxy Watch or Garmin.
✎ PREXO · 3 min read
The testing notebook
The two-minute verdict
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the most refined in the line: thinner, with a bigger, more readable screen, and charging that's finally quicker. It adds no upheaval, but it fixes the details you use every day. For anyone with an iPhone who wants the smartwatch that "just works", it stays the benchmark.
Price and availability
It starts in line with the tier: approachable for an Apple flagship, but with options — larger case, cellular, straps — that push the bill up. Sold in two sizes and in aluminium or titanium. If you want to spend less, the SE drops some health features but costs far less.
Design and build
The difference shows on the wrist: it's thinner and lighter than earlier models, and you forget you're wearing it. The bigger screen gains room for notifications and complications, and brightness holds up well outdoors. Water resistance lets you swim and shower without a thought. It's a polished object, as Apple tradition goes.
Health and training
Everyday monitoring
This is where the watch is at its best: heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep and — the headline addition — detection of sleep-apnea signs. It doesn't replace a doctor, but it acts as a sentinel and nudges you to check what you'd otherwise ignore. Notifications are prompt and the iPhone integration is frictionless.
Sport and fitness
For running, swimming and gym workouts the GPS is accurate and the metrics reliable. It's not an ultra-trail watch like some specialist rivals, but for anyone keeping in shape it covers everything with room to spare.
Battery
This stays the historic weak point. You reach the evening fine with normal use, but a full day with GPS and always-on display tests it. Fast charging helps a lot: a few minutes in the morning cover a good chunk of the day.
Buy it if… / Don't buy it if…
- Buy it if you have an iPhone and want the most integrated, complete smartwatch.
- Buy it if you care about health and sleep with reliable, readable data.
- Buy it if you're coming from a model a few years old: the leap in thinness and screen shows.
- Don't buy it if you're on Android: it simply doesn't work with it.
- Don't buy it if you want days of battery without charging: a Garmin or a Galaxy Watch does more there.
The alternatives
The same-tier Samsung Galaxy Watch is the pick for Android phones. For anyone putting battery and sport first, a Garmin lasts days and tracks with more depth, giving up the smoothness of the Apple ecosystem.
The verdict
The Apple Watch Series 10 doesn't reinvent the smartwatch, it perfects it: comfier, more readable, faster to charge. Score 8.8 out of 10 for anyone in the Apple ecosystem. For everyone else, the right watch is a different one.