Apple Watch Series 10

With the arrival of the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple presents its thinnest watch to date, with a larger screen and new features. But is this the revolution in fitness and health that users of the brand were expecting, or is it just an aesthetic redesign with some improvements? At RUNNEA we are going to analyze it and focus on what really matters to us: its health, fitness and battery performance.

Thinner design

It is undeniable that the Apple Watch Series 10 is the thinnest in Apple's history, with a thickness of 97 mm. This reduction in size makes it lighter and more comfortable on the wrist, especially during long workouts. Beyond aesthetics, however, this change does not add decisive functional value in fitness or health. While the lightness is appreciated, the real impact for users who prioritize performance and metrics is minimal. The redesign is more of an aesthetic evolution than a substantial improvement for athletes.

Display: bigger and brighter

One of the most notable changes is the increase in screen size. The Apple Watch Series 10 now has 42 mm and 46 mm versions, allowing more information to be displayed at a glance. The wide viewing angle OLED display is an interesting improvement, especially when used outdoors in direct sunlight. With 2,000 nits of brightness, visibility is impeccable even in bright light, which is a big plus for those who train outdoors. However, while having more space to view metrics is useful, the overall user experience is not significantly transformed.

Health functionalities: advanced detection but no big surprises.

One of the points where the Apple Watch Series 10 has made progress is in the health functions. It incorporates the usual sensors that we have already seen in previous generations, such as ECG, blood oxygen measurement (SpO2) and VO2max. It also adds a long-awaited feature: sleep apnea detection. This new tool is useful for those who suffer from or suspect breathing problems while sleeping. However, this feature comes somewhat late, since other brands have already incorporated sleep apnea detection in their devices for some time.

Fall detection and accident detection remain prominent features in the Series 10, offering an additional layer of safety for those who engage in risky sports or simply want to be covered in their day-to-day lives.

Focus on fitness: new or more of the same?

At the fitness level, the Apple Watch Series 10 is still an excellent fitness tracker, but it does not bring major innovations over its predecessors. Basic functions such as workout tracking, heart rate monitoring and VO2max estimation are accurate and useful, but were already present in previous versions. In this sense, the Series 10 does not represent a qualitative leap.

Where we do find an improvement is in the monitoring of aquatic activities. The watch is water resistant up to 50 meters deep, which makes it ideal for swimmers. It also adds a depth gauge and water temperature sensor, providing more detailed metrics during activities such as snorkeling or open water swimming. These features are useful for a specific group of users, but will not revolutionize the experience for most runners or cyclists, for example.

The new Tides app, which allows you to check the maritime conditions forecast, is an interesting addition for surfers and open water swimmers, but again, it is a marginal improvement for a specific segment of users.

Battery: the great unfinished business

If there is one area where Apple still has room for improvement, it is battery life. The Apple Watch Series 10 maintains 18 hours of autonomy in normal use, which means that if you do long workouts or use it intensively, you will have to recharge it every night. Although Apple has improved the low power mode, which extends the battery up to 36 hours, this mode limits some of the main functions, so it is not an ideal solution for everyone.

On the plus side is fast charging, which allows you to charge 80% of the battery in 30 minutes. This is useful if you need a quick boost before heading out for a workout, but it still doesn't solve the underlying problem: the Apple Watch battery is not designed for users looking for continuous monitoring in long activities such as ultramarathons or triathlons, something in which other heart rate monitors & sports watches, such as those from Garmin or Suunto, clearly outperform the Apple device.

Connectivity and sensors: the expected, but no surprises

The U2 chip is one of the technological innovations of the Apple Watch Series 10, improving the accuracy in locating devices. However, its impact on fitness is limited. It is useful for finding other nearby devices, but does not add direct value to sports activities.

In terms of connectivity, the Series 10 retains GPS, GNSS, Bluetooth 53 and Wi-Fi, which is expected in a high-end watch, but does not feature significant performance improvements over previous versions.

Pricing

These are all its prices:

-Aluminium, GPS, 42 mm: 449€
-Aluminium, GPS, 46 mm: 479€
-Aluminium, GPS + LTE, 42 mm: 569€
-Aluminium, GPS + LTE, 46 mm: 599€
-Titanium, 42 mm: 799€
-Titanium, 46 mm: 849€ -Titanium, 46 mm: 849€

We analyze its 13 main novelties

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the latest evolution of Apple's popular line of smartwatches. Although it maintains many of the key functions that have defined this series over the years, it incorporates some important improvements that position it as an advanced device, both aesthetically and in its ability to monitor health and fitness. Below, we analyze all the features of the Apple Watch Series 10, so you can better understand what this watch offers and if it is really what you need.

1. Display: OLED with wide viewing angle.

The screen of the Apple Watch Series 10 is one of its biggest innovations. It's a wide-angle OLED display, which means you can see the screen clearly from almost any angle. This improvement is especially useful for users who are constantly on the move or outdoors, where light conditions are not always ideal. In addition, its maximum brightness of 2,000 nits makes it easy to see in direct sunlight, while the minimum brightness of 1 nit makes it a suitable choice for nighttime without causing eye strain.

2. Advanced health monitoring

The Apple Watch Series 10 continues to be a leader in health monitoring, with several key features that make it a very useful device for those who want to keep their well-being in check.

• ECG (Electrocardiogram): Allows you to measure the electrical activity of the heart and detect potential cardiac problems, such as atrial fibrillation.
• Blood oxygen measurement (SpO2): Measures the level of oxygen in the blood, a key indicator of respiratory health.
• Fall detection: The watch can detect if the wearer has suffered a sudden fall and offer the option to call emergency services if there is no response.
• Accident detection: Similar to fall detection, this feature alerts emergency services if the watch detects a car accident.
• VO2max measurement: This metric is critical for measuring aerobic capacity and is an essential tool for those who train intensively.
• Sleep monitoring: The Series 10 not only records sleep hours, but also offers sleep quality analysis, including sleep apnea detection, a new feature in this model.

3. Fitness and sport: complete activity tracking

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a wide range of tools to monitor physical activity, making it a very complete option for any athlete, whether amateur or professional.

• Heart rate: Constant monitoring of heart rate during workouts, with alerts if the pace is too high or too low.
• Built-in GPS: Ideal for runners and cyclists, the GPS allows you to record your distance and speed without needing to carry your iPhone.
• New sensors for water activities: The Series 10 is water resistant up to 50 meters, and adds a depth gauge and water temperature sensor. This makes it perfect for activities such as swimming, diving or snorkeling.
• Tides App: This new app lets you check the tide forecast, which is ideal for surfers and open water swimmers, as it provides accurate information on high and low tide times.
• Automatic workout detection: If you start training without selecting an activity, the watch will alert you to automatically record your session.
• Personalized workouts: You can customize your workouts by choosing time, calorie or distance targets and track your progress in real time.

4. New Vital Signs app

The Vital Signs app is one of the major new health monitoring features of the Apple Watch Series 10 This app allows users to see their nightly health data at a glance, providing a more complete understanding of their overall health. In addition to displaying basic metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen and heart rate variability (HRV), the app provides notifications when two or more metrics exceed normal values. This functionality is useful for detecting sudden changes that could be related to more serious health conditions.

A key aspect is that the app not only warns about these alterations, but also provides a detailed explanation of how they could be influenced by external factors, such as changes in altitude, alcohol consumption, or the presence of a pathology. This level of personalization and interpretation of data helps users to make informed decisions about their health and daily habits.

5. Exercise Load

Another interesting feature in Series 10 is the Exercise Load, which offers a new way to evaluate the impact of training intensity and duration on long-term fitness. This tool is especially useful for athletes and people who train regularly, as it helps them understand how each training session affects their overall physical capacity, and whether they are overtraining or need to increase their load.

This feature analyzes training data and combines it with the user's health metrics, providing an overall assessment of the cumulative impact of physical activity. Thus, users can better adjust their daily exercise routine, avoiding overtraining or detecting when intensity needs to be increased.

6. More customizable Activity Rings

Activity Rings, one of the most iconic features of the Apple Watch, have also received an update. They are now even more customizable, allowing users to set goals based on specific days of the week. This is particularly useful for those with varying schedules or habits, as they can adjust their goals based on workload or planned activities for each day.

In addition, users can pause the rings for a day, a week or even longer without affecting their award streak. This is an improvement designed to give greater flexibility, allowing you to plan rest or recovery periods without losing motivation to achieve goals. For example, if you are injured or need a break, you can pause your rings without feeling that you have lost your progress.

7. Sleep apnea detection

One of the most important new features in this model is the detection of sleep apnea, a disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Thanks to advanced heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, the Series 10 can detect interruptions in breathing during the night, alerting the user to potential problems that may require medical attention.

8. S10 chip and quad-core Neural Engine

Inside, the Apple Watch Series 10 includes the S10 chip, which improves the overall performance of the device. The new quad-core Neural Engine enables faster and more efficient calculations, improving accuracy in tasks such as analyzing health and fitness metrics. It is also essential for improving performance in voice dictation and Siri interaction, enabling a smoother experience.

9. Connectivity and precise location

The Apple Watch Series 10 features GPS and various global positioning systems, such as GNSS, Galileo and BeiDou, ensuring accurate tracking anywhere in the world. The inclusion of the ultra-wideband U2 chip also improves location accuracy for other nearby Apple devices, such as the iPhone or AirPods.

Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 53, Wi-Fi and the possibility of LTE connectivity, allowing calls to be made and received directly from the watch without the need to have the iPhone nearby.

10. Battery life and fast charging

Although Apple has made improvements in many areas, the battery life of the Series 10 is still up to 18 hours in standard use. However, the low power mode allows you to extend the battery life up to 36 hours, which can be useful in situations where you can't charge the watch frequently. This limitation remains a point for improvement compared to other heart rate monitors & sports watches that offer several days of autonomy.

Fast charging is an advantage for those who are short on time: the watch reaches 80% of its capacity in just 30 minutes of charging. This means you can give it a quick boost before bedtime if you use it for sleep monitoring.

11. Safety features: emergency calls and accident detection

Apple Watch Series 10 includes features that can make a difference in emergency situations:

• Emergency Call: By simply holding down the side button, you can make an emergency call, even if you don't have your iPhone nearby (on the LTE model).
• Accident detection: If the watch detects a car accident, it will automatically call emergency services, a feature that can be critical in times of danger.

12. Everyday use features

The Apple Watch Series 10 continues to offer the usual functionalities to improve users' everyday life:

• Improved Siri: Thanks to the S10 chip and Neural Engine, Siri is faster and more accurate, enabling smoother interaction both in voice commands and in managing reminders or quick queries.
• Notifications: You can receive and respond to notifications from messages, calls and third-party apps directly from the wrist.
• Music and podcast playback: It is now possible to play music and podcasts through the watch's speaker, without the need for headphones.
• Smart home control: Compatible with the Home app, it allows you to control smart home devices such as lights, thermostats or security cameras from the watch.

13. New watch faces and customization

With watchOS 11, Apple Watch Series 10 brings new watch faces that take full advantage of the larger screen. The Flow watch face, for example, fills the screen with constantly changing dynamic colors, while the Reflections watch face reacts subtly to the user's movements.

More of the same with some improvements

The Apple Watch Series 10 is certainly a refined device, but in the health and fitness arena, it doesn't offer the radical innovations that some users were hoping for. Yes, it has a bigger and brighter screen, is thinner and more comfortable, and adds some new features such as sleep apnea detection and improvements in water activity monitoring. However, the main limitations - especially the battery - are still present, making this watch fall somewhat short of other devices specifically designed for high-performance athletes.

For users looking for a device more geared towards sleep monitoring, long workouts and extended battery life, there are alternatives on the market that offer a more complete experience. The Series 10 remains an excellent choice for those looking for a combination of style, connectivity and general health features, but it is not a game changer in the fitness world.