After much anticipation, the all-new Apple Watch Series 10, the 10th iteration of Apple’s premium smart wearable, is here. The latest model comes in brand-new colors and packs many new features and exciting upgrades. But with the Apple Watch Series 9 still available with almost equal features, is it wise to spend extra bucks on the Apple Watch Series 10?
Let’s deep dive into this Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9 comparison to find out what’s common and what’s different between the two models and which one of the two you should choose.
Table of Contents
- Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9: What's new?
- New features: Water temperature sensor and depth gauge
- Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 9: The similarities
- Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9: Pricing and availability
- Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9: The ideal pick?
- Video: Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 9
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9: What’s new?
While Apple has kept the basic design of the Apple Watch Series 10 the same as all the previous models, a few notable changes have been introduced to mark the 10th anniversary of the wearable tech innovation.
Larger and brighter display
One of the significant changes Apple made to the Apple Watch Series 10 is the addition of a bigger display—one that even surpasses the Apple Watch Ultra. The previously available 41mm and 45mm variants of the Series 9 have been replaced by the 42mm and 46 mm models on the Series 10. The bigger displays not only account for more real estate to interact with apps and notifications but should also make the text more readable.
Beyond the screen size, the new wide-angle OLED display is 40% brighter than the Series 9, according to Apple, which makes the screen more visible in direct sunlight and other outdoor environments.
New S10 chip and a 4-core Neural Engine
Powering the Apple Watch Series 10 is the all-new S10 chip, including a 4-core Neural Engine, a significant upgrade on the S9 chip in the Apple Watch Series 9. The new chip accounts for faster app loading times and smooth navigation across watchOS 11 with enhanced speed and efficiency.
Additionally, thanks to the chip upgrade, the on-device Siri features are more advanced than ever. The Neural Engine upgrade also powers new smart features like automatic workout detection, allowing users to interact with the watch without touching the screen.
Durability
With the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple has replaced the stainless steel option with a much more durable titanium option, the same material that is found on the Apple Watch Ultra. Not only is titanium stronger than stainless steel, but it is also lightweight, making the Series 10 more comfortable to wear.
Faster charging
The Apple Watch Series 10 comes with enhanced faster charging support for those who are always on the go. Compared to the Apple Watch Series 9, which takes roughly 45 minutes to go from 0% to 80%, the Series 10 should take just 30 minutes. Faster charging support is a welcome step for users who rely heavily on their Apple Watch to record their workouts and sleep.
New features: Water temperature sensor and depth gauge
For those who love to take their Apple Watch out for a swim, the Series 10 offers new water-based features: a water temperature sensor and depth gauge that works up to 6 meters underwater. These new additions make the Apple Watch Series 10 a better fit for users who are swimmers, divers, and water sports enthusiasts.
Besides this, there is also a new Oceanic+ app that offers detailed metrics for underwater activities like snorkeling.
While the Apple Watch Series 9 is still a great fit for on-ground fitness activities, it lacks these water-specific sensors, making the Series 10’s case better for athletes in this space.
Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 9: The similarities
While the Apple Watch Series 10 does come with significant upgrades over Series 9, both Series 10 and Series 9 have a lot in common in terms of features and tech.
Display technology
Despite the bigger display size and improved brightness on Series 10, both models feature the same LTPO OLED display panel with a peak brightness of 2000 nits. Do note, however, that the Series 10 gets upgraded to an LTPO3 OLED, which is said to be slightly better with power management.
Design and durability
Like most of the previous Apple Watches, the design language of the Series 10 and Series 9 is again similar except for a slightly bigger display size which, in turn, results in an ever-so-slightly (0.1mm) bigger case size. While Apple replaced the stainless steel model with the new titanium one, the aluminum models sport the same frame. Both models, again, offer the same IP6X dust and up to 50m water resistance.
Battery life
While the Series 10 supports slightly faster charging, the battery performance claim on both models remains unchanged. Similar to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 promises up to 18 hours of battery life on normal usage and 36 hours in low power mode. So, if you were hoping for a significant improvement in battery performance on the Series 10, this might disappoint you.
Core health sensors
Other than the water-related sensor, all the core health sensors, such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, and more, are present in both models. Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 10 also come with a compass, barometer, altimeter, and accelerator, which accounts for a wide range of fitness and activity tracking abilities.
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9: Pricing and availability
The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 and is currently available for pre-order on the official Apple Store. On the other hand, Apple has discontinued the Series 9 from its official online and offline stores, but you can easily find the Apple Watch Series 9 at third-party online stores like Amazon for as low as $250.
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9: The ideal pick?
Though the Apple Watch Series 10 offers only incremental upgrades, it is still interesting when compared with the Apple Watch Series 9, particularly in terms of display size, processing power, and water-based features. However, beyond these handful of upgrades, there is nothing more on the Series 10 that isn’t there on the Series 9.
Again, if you don’t own an Apple Watch yet and have the budget, there is no reason for not buying the latest Apple Watch Series 10. However, if you already own a Series 9 and are satisfied with its performance, then the mentioned handful of improvements on the Series 10 do not truly justify the cost of upgrading. Also, both models offer almost the same health and fitness tracking features and run on the same operating system, watchOS 11. So, you won’t miss out on much if you stick to the already-owned Series 9.
However, for those coming from Series 8 or 7, the Apple Watch Series 10 is indeed a compelling upgrade.
Video: Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 9
Final verdict
Unless you want to experience the new water-related features and or crave the slightly bigger, wider, and brighter display of the Apple Watch Series 10, sticking to your Series 9 would suffice for now. But for water activity enthusiasts, tech lovers, and new owners who want to experience the latest tech, the improvements on the Series 10 are just enough to make it an enticing choice.
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