The Apple Watch Series 10 is hands-down the brand’s best fitness tracker to date, if you have an iPhone—good enough that it might make some Android users consider switching ecosystems. While it doesn’t have the extreme features of the Ultra series, such as 100-meter water resistance for recreational diving or a siren, the Series 10 brings a host of smart updates that make it a standout for fitness insights.
It builds on the solid foundation of the Series 9, with notable upgrades like water temperature detection and an 80 percent faster charging rate that juices it fully within 30 minutes. It has the thinnest watch face of any Apple Watch yet, with 40 percent more brightness, so it doesn’t skimp on aesthetics. “The Series 10 closed the gap with its Ultra sibling in display size, and for those who have smaller wrists or prefer less weighty watches, that new thin profile, in addition to the screen, is a big deal,” says Men’s Health senior editor Brett Williams, NASM. According to Apple, the Series 10 weighs 20 percent less than the last edition, with the 42 millimeter model clocking in at 30 grams and the 46 millimeter at 36.4 grams. There are also two different strap sizes—small to medium and medium to large. While I don’t have an iPhone, I tried it on for fun: It fit perfectly—I may have to say goodbye to my Android.
While it’s not as rugged as the Ultra models, the Series 10 still offers excellent durability with a crack-resistant crystal screen, making it more than capable for most everyday and fitness activities. Williams took it for a spin on a 16-mile run to see how it holds up to marathon training. “By the time I was finished with the workout (2 hours and 40 minutes total elapsed time), I spent about an hour relaxing at the beach that was my endpoint, and another hour or so on the train and bus commute back to my apartment, my battery was at 52 percent,” says Williams. “I slept a night wearing the Watch before I had to charge it again the following day.” For the price point, the battery drains quite fast, but it’s no different than charging your iPhone at the end of a long day.
It tracks typical health metrics such as heart rate, steps, calories, and sleep, but can act as an ECG, which is an electrocardiogram that checks the heartbeat. Paired with the Apple Heart Rate App, you can check for irregular rhythm by placing your finger on the screen—now that’s what we call tech savvy. As for sleep, signs of sleep apnea can be detected, which is a disorder when you stop and restart breathing while in snooze land, in addition to tracking cycles. Like the Fitbit Charge 6, a one-year warranty is included for any hardware defects.
We should also note that Apple is rumored to releasing new watches at its September event upcoming. We would still recommend the Series 10, and it will probably be had at a discount, but we will update this guide when we’ve gotten hands-on with any potential new Apple Watches forthcoming.
Read more: Apple Watch Ultra 2 Review
