More than meets the eye from any angle
Hands-on Apple Watch Series 10 review: Two-minute preview
Going into Apple’s September 9, 2024, “It’s Glowtime.” event, I wouldn’t have blamed you for potentially dismissing the rumored Apple Watch Series 10. I heard it would get a larger display, a new health feature, and a thinner build. On paper, that doesn’t do much, but I’ll admit I underestimated it.
Maybe, I should have checked the calendar as today (Sept. 9) marks the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch, and while the Series 10 casts a familiar look, it’s all in the details.
Ten generations in, it’s clear Apple’s sticking with this rounded square design, and they’re working on perfecting it – or, as my colleague Lance Ulanoff put it, Apple’s well-polishing the Apple.
To sum it up, the Series 10 does indeed resemble the Series 9, but it’s way thinner – Apple shaved off a whole 1-millimeter, which is a lot for something on your wrist – and packed in a way larger display. In fact, the 46-millimeter display is even bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and while that sounds like a behemoth, it’s not. The smartwatch didn’t feel massive at all on my wrist and looked rather elegant, especially in the Jet Black aluminum finish, which brings me so much joy as someone who waited for hours to get an iPhone 7 Plus in that same shade.
The screen here is the star, though, and it’s not just bigger for sheer numbers’ sake. In Calculator, you can more easily hit buttons, and when viewing photos, you can pick out more details. Better yet, when reading text in an email or a news article, the screen’s large enough to fit an additional line of text.
That’s super functional, but the display is also more visible, so you can make out what is on the display for off-axis viewing, even at extreme angles.
