I've been closely watching Apple's September 2024 event and making notes on all the new hardware that's been unveiled—and leading the show was the Apple Watch 10, replacing the Apple Watch 9, which launched in 2023.
There are quite a few significant changes to talk about this year, and it's one of the more notable upgrades in the history of the Apple Watch (stretching all the way back to 2015). Here's how the two smartwatches compare in all the important categories.
The Apple Watch 10 design has been refined in a number of ways compared to the Apple Watch 9. The Apple Watch 10 is thinner than any Apple Watch that's gone before, measuring just 9.7 mm (0.38 inches) front to back—that compares to 10.7 mm (0.42 inches) for its predecessor, so it's a notable reduction.
The screen has grown in size too, and is some nine percent bigger than the previous model. It's also brighter than before as well—especially when it comes to viewing the display from an angle, as you might do when you're glancing at the wearable, thanks to what Apple describes as a wide-angle OLED display.
Here are some other improvements: An upgraded on-board speaker for listening to audio without headphones, and a faster S10 chipset to replace the S9 (though Apple hasn't said exactly how much faster). There's a new polished black aluminum casing option with a glossy finish, as well as new titanium casings that weren't available on the Apple Watch 9.
On top of that, the Apple Watch 10 has a depth gauge and a water temperature sensor, making it more useful for anything happening in the water—though it only works down to six meters (around 20 feet) below the surface, so for any serious diving, you're still going to have to rely on the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Finally, there's the charging speed. The Apple Watch 10 also beats the Apple Watch 9 and every Apple Watch that has come before it in how quickly you can recharge the battery: It's apparently going to be able to go from a 0 percent to an 80 percent charge in 30 minutes. On the Apple Watch 9, the same charge takes around 45 minutes.
It's also worth noting what hasn't changed this year. For example, Apple says the Apple Watch 10 will be getting sleep apnea detection once it gets FDA approval, which is expected to be granted soon. This won't be exclusive to the new model though: It's also going to roll out to the Apple Watch 9, eventually.
Both these smartwatches can run watchOS 11, so a lot of the software features are going to match up. You're going to be able to track naps, use the new Vitals health monitoring app, change the watch ringtone, get Live Activities up on the Smart Stack widgets, and plenty more on both of these smartwatches.
And while there has been a jump in charging speed, battery life is the same as before: You're still going to get around 18 hours of normal use between charges, so unless you're in Low Power Mode, you'll need to charge the Apple Watch 10 every night just as you already do with the Apple Watch 10.
One identical spec that's very welcome is the price: The new Apple Watch 10 for 2024 starts at $399, exactly matching the starting price of the model from last year. That price will go up, of course, if you start adding extras like different straps and 4G LTE connectivity. The Apple Watch 9 is no longer on sale direct from Apple.
With faster performance, a bigger and brighter screen, extra sensors and faster charging, the Apple Watch 10 is one of the more compelling Apple smartwatch upgrades I've seen—it's certainly significantly better than the watch that came before it, and may have enough to tempt a serious number of Apple Watch 9 owners to level up.
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