The Apple Watch Series 10 will debut next week alongside the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro. When it does, it will bring a variety of upgrades to the Watch line. Larger displays, a more powerful chip, and other enhancements will push the Watch forward. Here’s everything coming to the new Apple Watch.
Larger displays on all Watch 10 models
Apple has clearly seen enthusiasm around the Apple Watch Ultra and its huge screen. With this year’s Apple Watch Series 10, it’s taking a note from the Ultra’s playbook and giving larger displays to both Series 10 models.
- The smaller Watch is growing from 41mm to 45mm
- The larger Watch is growing from 45mm to 49mm
This means the small Watch will now be the size of last year’s ‘big Watch,’ and the big Watch will be the same size as the Apple Watch Ultra.
It’s a significant change for the Watch lineup, which has already grown over time. The earliest Watch models measured 38mm and 42mm, for reference.
Making the smallest flagship 45mm may alienate certain customers who prefer smaller watches. But Apple likely wouldn’t embrace such a shift without data to support it. We’ll have to wait and see what users think.
Thinner casing
Beyond larger screens, one other external change coming is that the Watch is getting thinner.
We don’t have dimensions yet, but the reduction in thickness should alleviate some concerns around the larger displays. At the Watch’s current thickness, larger screens could lead to an especially bulky device. But thinner casing should help offset that extra bulk and create a more attractive design.
More powerful chip, possibly with AI applications
The Apple Watch Series 10 will get a new chip, likely dubbed the S10. There’s a good chance we’ll see improvements in the Neural Engine especially, laying the groundwork for future AI capabilities.
The Apple Watch’s history with processor upgrades has been scattershot. Some years, it gets a new chip, other years it doesn’t. Now that Apple Intelligence is a thing, though, expect to see Apple’s silicon team boost the Watch’s processing power more often.
New health sensors
It’s always a safe bet that Apple’s working on new health sensors for the Watch. What’s not so safe is betting on when exactly those sensors will be ready.
The two main sensors rumored for this year would offer hypertension detection and sleep apnea detection. However, recent reporting has cast doubt on whether those features will be ready for the Series 10. If one or both are ready, they’ll make great additions to the existing set of health sensors.
watchOS 11 introduces the new Vitals app for understanding your sleep data, so it wouldn’t surprise me if sleep apnea features do come to this fall’s new Watch.
Upgraded OLED display for power efficiency
Apple is always aiming to improve its display tech, and with the Apple Watch Series 10 that trend will continue. The new Watch is expected to boast a ‘low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology’ in its OLED display.
In human speak, the new tech will enable greater power efficiency for the display. Apple could use this in multiple ways:
- it might boost display quality without sacrificing battery
- it could leave quality unchanged but use the savings to increase battery life
- or it might shrink the Watch’s battery, offer the same battery life as last year, and use the extra space for other changes or to support the thinner casing
When to expect the Apple Watch Series 10 launch
Historically, Apple has launched new Apple Watch models at the same time as new iPhones. That should be the case again this year.
Following the Apple Watch Series 10 announcement at Apple’s September 9 event, the Watch will likely become available for pre-order immediately. Its official release day should be a week or two thereafter.
New Apple Watch models tend to provide only incremental changes from year to year. But the advent of larger displays on the Apple Watch Series 10 could make a meaningful difference for those looking to upgrade. Apple has found success when boosting the size of iPhone displays, so perhaps the same will happen with the Apple Watch.
Are you interested in the Apple Watch Series 10? Let us know in the comments.
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