Apple Watch 10 in the test – for water lovers and snorers

Currently best price: Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm)

€449.00

€449.00

€449.00

The Apple Watch Series 10 has been on the market for a week and after a few days of use we can draw an initial conclusion. Many have complained that the design of the watch hasn’t changed, but we fear that this desire for change is just for the sake of change, nothing more. Because an Apple Watch is an even more personal item than an iPhone. It is worn on the body most of the time or even around the clock and the iPhone is simply touched. In such cases, the design is dictated primarily by ergonomics and only secondarily by aesthetic values. Every change must be carefully considered.

Comfort

A millimeter thinner than the Series 9? Meh. A few grams lighter? So what? This is generally the tenor on the internet. But anyone who has worn the new Series 10 at the same time as the Series 9 (okay, I’m probably one of five people in Germany) will notice the difference in the feel of these general small changes. Because every gram saved, 2.3 grams for our 46 mm version with LTE module, helps make the Apple Watch 10 more comfortable to wear.

When typing or doing any other activity, you quickly don’t notice that you have something strapped to your wrist. The case also now sits flatter in the hand and doesn’t seem as bulky. I can quickly forgive Apple for the fact that the Apple Watch has grown in length by a millimeter and now measures 46 mm instead of 45 mm in the large version. If you switch from an older Apple Watch to the Series 10, you probably won’t notice the changes because you quickly get used to any improvement. At the latest when you strap on an older model for a change, you will notice the improvement in wearing comfort. I’m struggling to wear the Apple Watch Series 9 (reviewed here) again, just for battery life testing purposes.

The question of fast loading times

We were unable to clearly answer the question of whether the Apple Watch Series 10 can charge from zero percent charge to 80 percent in thirty minutes. In the first attempt, I discharged the Series 9 and 10 until they switched off and then recorded the charge levels every five minutes when charging. Of course, every charging process was carried out with the native charging cable and power supply of 67 and 20 watts respectively. During this experiment, I found that the quick-charging mechanism, whether on the Series 9 or 10, is disabled for several hours after being switched off. This only works again on the second attempt or if the watch was placed on the charging cradle immediately after it was switched off. You can read more about the resulting findings here.

In the second attempt I changed the test design: discharged the Series 10 up to 10 percent. After the battery warning, I placed the watch on the charging cradle and recorded the charge level every five minutes within half an hour.

Although every attempt is over 80 percent after half an hour of charging, I started at 10 or 8 percent and the final value was 81 to 85 percent of the charge. If you only calculate linearly, you can rarely go from zero to eighty percent charge in half an hour at such speeds.

Water lovers will get their money’s worth

What the Apple Watch Series 10 has adopted from the Ultra is an additional water temperature sensor and two extra apps. The “Tide” app shows high and low tides at locations of interest to surfers. The first three beaches are Bondy Beach, Mavericks Beach and Waikiki Beach. The data comes from the Tide Tech Marine Data app, where you can also find many German beaches, but only on the North or Baltic Sea. We couldn’t find any important surfing sites like the Eisbachwelle in Munich. Of course there are no differences in ebb and flow there.

The “Depth” app is intended for hobby divers. You can set the Watch app on the iPhone so that it opens automatically as soon as the wearer is underwater. This shows the depth of the water in feet and meters, as well as the water temperature (surprisingly accurate, by the way!) and a timer for how long you have been under water.

Vital signs app, important insights into your own health

Part of the watchOS 11 update is the Vital Signs app, which also works freely on older watches that receive the watchOS 11 update. We find this app extremely useful and would even recommend that you set up its widget on the iPhone homescreen. Over the past few months, the app has reliably alerted you to impending colds, and your colleague has been able to use it to track the beginning of a corona illness.

The app is merciless and shows the consequences of alcohol consumption on your nightly rest. Spoiler: Even if you don’t feel any symptoms yourself, the watch can register them for you and display them helpfully the next morning.

Better display

The display of the Apple Watch Series 10 has become slightly larger and is closer to that of the Apple Watch Ultra. Apple points out that a third-generation LTPO display is installed, which allows viewing from particularly oblique angles. In fact, with the display fully on, the Series 10 shines noticeably brighter than the Series 9 when you look at them both from the side. But if you switch Always-On on, with a relatively dark dial, this advantage is put into perspective: Although the details are clearly visible even when you look at the Apple Watch from the side, that wasn’t really a problem with the Series 9 either.

Conclusion

The Apple Watch has gotten better, without question. Anyone upgrading from a fifth, sixth or seventh generation watch will find a revolutionary different device. The sleep apnea warning is another useful feature that can increase the life expectancy of watch wearers in the long term, but first you have to wait until the function is released in Germany.

Currently best price: Apple Watch Series 10 42mm LTE

€449.00

€449.00

€449.00