Ten years ago today the very first Apple Watch made its debut, and to mark this momentous occasion the Cupertino tech king launched a shiny new Apple Watch (as the brand has done every fall since) along with the oh-so-familiar promise that this new model is "the best one yet."
Indeed, the Apple Watch 10 is packed with all sorts of interesting design enhancements and feature improvements — read my first impressions and my colleague Kate's hands-on experience with the device — but not everything on my wishlist was addressed.
As a result, I’m torn between whether I should or shouldn’t upgrade to the latest release, and if I’m on the fence, there’s a good chance that you are as well. So, let’s work through this together.
What follows are the three biggest reasons I’m considering making the jump to the Apple Watch 10 along with my two most significant rationales for skipping it.
Apple Watch 10: Reasons to Buy
My main reason for considering an upgrade to the Apple Watch 10 is the device’s lighter and thinner case profile. I loathe clunky watches, so the Ultra series at 49mm never really appealed to me. However, the new 46mm Apple Watch 10 sports a screen that’s larger than the Ultra’s, yet the device still manages to be Apple’s lightest, thinnest and possibly most comfortable watch, ever.
With a thickness of 9.7mm, the Apple Watch 10 is a match with the also impressively easy-wearing Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. The smaller Watch 10 model weighs in at 36.4 grams which is a little heavier than its Galaxy Watch 7 counterpart but way lighter than the nearly 62g Apple Watch Ultra.
My next reason for coveting the new Apple Watch is the addition of a sleek and fashionable Jet Black aluminum case finish. There’s also a new titanium version that starts at $699, which is regrettably way outside of my budget — that is unless the powers that be give me a big old raise this year (hint, hint).
As someone who incorporates quite a lot of black into my wardrobe — the result of a young adulthood spent living in New York City — I’ve long hoped for an Apple Watch with a less flashy and more classy aesthetic. And this is it.
Finally, I’m strongly considering making the upgrade to the latest Apple Watch 10 because the starting price of $399 strikes me as a really good deal. Apple has managed to keep the entry price for its core smartwatch line the same going all the way back to 2017’s Apple Watch 4, which is commendable.
Sure, the device is pricier than its most direct Android competitors but not by too much. You'll pay a manageable $50 more for the Apple Watch 10 compared to the Pixel Watch 3 and $100 more than the Galaxy Watch 7.
I can live with that.
Apple Watch 10: Reasons to skip
The number one upgrade I was hoping for from the Apple Watch 10 was improved battery performance. Sadly, the latest Apple Watch offers the same longevity as the OG model: 18 hours. Yes, there are tricks for conserving power along with a helpful, built-in battery-saving feature, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed with its usage rating.
Of course, Apple positions the device’s battery life claims as an achievement: "We slimmed it down without sacrificing battery!" But, compared to the also-new Google Pixel Watch 3 in 45mm — which lasts for up to 48 hours in my testing — the Apple Watch 10's advertised longevity spec doesn't impress.
The other main reason I’m considering passing on this generation of Apple Watch is the lack of FDA authorization for the device’s marquee health feature, sleep apnea detection. This is something that Apple's rival Samsung was able to get authorized prior to launching its new Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra earlier this summer.
This potentially lifesaving tool alerts users to any concerning disturbance in their breathing patterns while asleep and requires users to wear their Apple Watch for ten days within one month to generate a report.
I should mention that sleep apnea detection will be available at launch in some markets; however, we Stateside folks will need to wait until the extremely well-functioning and transparent government bureaucratic agency known as the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) gives it a stamp of approval before we get access.
When will that happen? Maybe tomorrow. Maybe sometime in 2025... that’s the thrill of dealing with the whacky and wild FDA.
Ultimately, if the feature is greenlit sooner rather than later and the Apple Watch 10's battery life proves to be better than expected — if by only a little — that will likely be enough to tip the scale for me in favor of an upgrade.
What do you think? Do you agree with my reasons for upgrading to the Apple Watch 10? And how do you feel about my rationale for skipping it? Let me know in the comments below.
