I just tried the Apple Watch Series 10 — and it was better than I expected

How else is Apple to celebrate a decade of its smartwatches than with the most impressively-designed Apple Watch yet? Although it might not look much new at a glance, the Apple Watch Series 10 sees a number of external and internal design alternations to benefit usability. Weighing 10% less than before and measuring a mere 9.7mm thin, it's perhaps the best smartwatch I've ever strapped to my wrist in terms of comfort.

The screens are bigger while the wide-angle OLED display (a first for any Apple device) makes the Apple Watch 10 is naturally easier to view. Thanks to the latest LTPO spec, the Always-On Display refreshed once per second versus once per minute — this is all compared to last year's Apple Watch Series 9.

From a health perspective, the Apple Watch Series 10 launches with an consequential and recently-FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection feature. Faster charging and the ability to play music directly through the modernized speaker are nice additions to the 10th-generation Apple Watch as well. 

Fresh colors and materials round out what's positioned to be the biggest Apple Watch update in years. (Yes, the Jet Black polished aluminum finish looks as sleek in person as it did in the keynote, but I'm more excited to see the return of Rose Gold.)

I spent some time with the Series 10 following the Apple event to get a sense of whether it'll be worth the $399 starting price. Below you'll find my first impressions and overview of the biggest features to know.

Apple Watch Series 10: Price and availability

The Apple Watch 10 price starts at $399 for the 42mm size and increases to $499 if you want cellular support. The larger 46mm model starts at $429 and increases to $529 for cellular. 

Although the official Apple Watch 10 release date is September 20, it's available to preorder now. Alternatively, you can preorder the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in new color Satin Black for $799. Apple didn't announce an Apple Watch Ultra 3, but it confirmed the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will get sleep apnea detection via software update. 

Apple Watch Series 10: Specs

Apple Watch Series 10: Design

The Apple Watch Series 10 offers the first major design change since the Apple Watch Series 7. At the time, the Series 7 ushered in a 20% larger display than the Apple Watch Series 6, and now the Apple Watch 10 has up to a 9% larger screen than the Series 9. If you'd consider upgrading from a Series 6 or older, you'd get up to 30% more usable screen space. 

In fact, on the 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 (the larger of the two sizes) there's approximately 3% more usable display than on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The display is also Apple's first with wide-angle OLED technology, which is 40% brighter when it comes to off-angle viewing compared to the traditional OLED screen used for previous Apple Watch models.

This is while making the new Apple Watch the thinnest yet at 9.7mm, which is 10% less thick than the Series 9. Paired with being up to 10% lighter in weight (for the aluminum versions), the Apple Watch 10 truly fit differently on my wrist. I definitely didn't expect the change to be noticeable, yet it felt more comfortable than maybe any smartwatch I've worn before.

Apple made these improvements by rearranging the internal architecture around the one-sided S10 SiP and chassis-integrated antenna. The speaker has been compressed to the edges as well and is now protected by perforated mesh — so long, elongated slot. As a neat byproduct, the Apple Watch Series 10 can now play music and podcasts out loud. It's not a replacement or AirPods (like the newly-announced AirPods 4) or other wireless earbuds, but I could see it coming in handy in a pinch.

Apple Watch Series 10: Sleep apnea detection

In addition to the health and wellness upgrades baked into watchOS 11, the Apple Watch Series 10 has the capability to offer sleep apnea detection, although it won't be available at launch as Apple awaits FDA authorization. When that comes good, the feature will also be available on Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches. 

But even if it comes to pass that Apple doesn't get authorization for sleep apnea detection (that feels unlikely but possible), you'll still get to use the Watch 10's new Breathing Disturbances tool, which will assess the restfulness of your sleep. 

Once the sleep apnea detection is enabled, after wearing the Apple Watch for at least 10 nights in one month, you'll be able to receive an alert of whether possible sleep apnea is detected.

If that's the case, you'll be advised to reach out to a doctor and can share a PDF of your breathing disturbances with them from the Health app. When undiagnosed and untreated, sleep apnea can cause several long-term health problems. 

That's to say, a feature like this joining Apple's sleep tracking feature could be crucial to learning more about factors impacting your overall wellness. Although several other wearables offer sleep apnea detection, including the Oura Ring Gen 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. 

Apple Watch Series 10: Battery life and charging

The Apple Watch Series 10 has the same 18-hour battery life of every Apple Watch before it. Though I wish, 10 years later, the Apple Watch could last more than a day on a charge, Apple offered us a consolation: faster charging.

With a bigger and more efficient charging coil inside, the Apple Watch Series 10 can charge to 80% in just 30 minutes. The estimate for previous watches was 80% in 45 minutes. In 15 minutes, you'll get 8 hours of normal use, which is good for someone like me who can't seem to stick to a routine charging schedule. 

Apple Watch Series 10: Outlook

Based on rumors leading up to the reveal, the Apple Watch Series 10 exceeded my expectations. That said, having the chance to try it on and see the displays up close compared to the older versions made the biggest impact. It might seem silly to call it a new design when it looks so similar to the Apple Watch everyone knows, but it certainly feels new. 

While, I'll need to conduct a full review of the Apple Watch Series 10 before making an official recommendation, my initial impression is that Apple has very convincing smartwatch on its hands — err, wrists.