Forget fitness tracking, the Apple Watch Series 10 helps ease my mental load like nothing else

It's been six months since the release of the Apple Watch Series 10. While this iteration might look the same, there's much more to this than meets the eye, which long-term users and iPhone owners will particularly appreciate.

As a long-time lover of Apple products, I have been wearing an Apple Watch since Series 5 (released back in 2019). Since then, I have explored ways this device can really add value to everyday life and where it falls short.

With all the updates, I focus testing on how easy it is to use and how comfortable it is, the battery life, health and productivity features, and fitness and sleep tracking.

I have been wearing the Apple Watch Series 10 all day, every day (bar charging time) for the last three months to fully understand its capabilities as one of the best fitness trackers. Here are my honest thoughts.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Overview

The Apple Watch 10 was released in September 2024, and with it came the biggest and brightest screen yet, sitting on top of the thinnest design yet (almost 10 percent thinner than the Apple Watch Series 9, 8, and 7, to be exact).

The Series 10 has all the functionality of its predecessor, with some new features thrown in alongside its new 'refined' display. Health-wise, advanced sensors mean the watch can now help detect sleep apnea - a condition affecting breathing during sleep. A new water temperature and depth sensor will be a welcome addition for those looking for more insight on swimming workouts.

Arguably one of the top smartwatches on the market, the Apple Watch Series 10 includes 20 main workout options, with a huge variety of more niche sports available in the 'Add Workout' section.

With battery life being one of the biggest downsides to the Apple Watch, it's great to see improvements in this area. Although the battery life is still so far off other leading trackers, like the best Garmin watches, Apple has reduced the charge time as a way of solving the issue. The Series 10 needs a connection to Apple's USB-C magnetic fast charging cable for just 15 minutes for enough juice to last eight hours.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Specifications

Who is the Apple Watch Series 10 for?

For iPhone users, it’s hard to recommend a smartwatch that will complement daily life so well, for obvious reasons. The device pairs seamlessly with other Apple products - provided you can run iOS 18 or later - making it easy to use the productivity, fitness, and health and safety features and control your smart home devices.

There are better smartwatches available for hardcore athletes who specialise in one discipline and need sport-specific insights. Although the Apple Watch Series 10 has plenty of insights for runners and cyclists, for example, and more than enough to see you through training for your first 5km to a marathon, it's not the best choice.

The battery life is one of the limitations. If you are an ultra-runner or someone who likes to go a couple of days between charging your fitness tracker, whatever the reason, the Apple Watch is unlikely to suit you. It only lasts 18 hours in normal mode, which isn't even a full day.

But, from my experience, the Apple Watch has more than enough insight for the average gym-goer and adds a whole lot more assistance for everyday life on top. This is what other, more sport-specialised watches can't compete with.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is a no-brainer for those with an iPhone, and the fact that it's the same price as the Apple Watch Series 9 alone means it's worth opting for the newer model.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Smartwatch features

Wanting a fitness tracker was my main driver for buying an Apple Watch all those years ago. In 2025, the fitness tracking features are still ones I use daily and wouldn't be without, but the smartwatch features are the ones that have truly kept me buying the newest Apple Watch when I needed an upgrade. The Apple Watch Series 10 is no different.

As a busy mum of three, the reminders, timers, alarms, to-do lists, and nudges to take a moment to breathe and move regularly are the productivity and wellbeing features I use daily – all of them go a long way to help ease my mental load.

Yes, my iPhone can do all of the above, but my Apple Watch offers me the freedom to spend time outdoors and away from a screen while still feeling connected and supported. Being able to set a timer so I can go outside with the children while the tea is cooking might seem like a small, almost insignificant thing, but it's support I find invaluable every day.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Design

Apple made a pretty big deal of the 'refined' design of the Series 10, with it being the thinnest one with the biggest, most advanced display yet. And while I can fully appreciate the attention to detail, it doesn't actually look any different. However, I noticed a difference when wearing the watch.

The watch fits much more comfortably under long sleeves. While it's only a small amount thinner, it makes a difference in terms of me accidentally knocking it on things, which means wear and tear on the watch is less. After three months of heavy every day use, my watch face still looks new (the strap maybe not so much, I hasten to add).

Having particularly small wrists, I was apprehensive about the upgraded screen but I was pleasantly surprised to find it doesn't feel that much bigger on. I also really appreciated how much more content the extra screen size allows when viewing notifications.

There's not much difference with the keyboard though. Before this version, I would actively avoid using the ridiculously small and seemingly impossible-to-use keyboard on my Apple Watch. That hasn't changed. It's still painfully small and not at all nice to use.

The OLED screen is now brighter from a wider angle too. I never thought it was too dim on an angle, but this might be a welcome tweak for those whose eyes are particularly sensitive to light.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Battery life

I know I'm not the only one who feels incredibly frustrated by the battery life on the Apple Watch. Go to any forum or Apple Watch Q&A with the product team, and it's one of the first questions to be asked. It is, by far, the device's biggest weakness.

I remember being excited to get my first Apple Watch to track sleep, but I was very quickly disappointed when I realised the only way I could do so would be to sacrifice using it during the day. Fast forward a couple of models and six years, and if it wasn't for the new fast-charging function, this wouldn't have changed. Even with the Apple Watch Series 10, you still only get 18 hours in normal mode. Or, if you're happy to have your watch in Low Battery Mode, you can have 36 hours.

However, credit where credit's due. Apple is clearly aware that battery life is an issue, and with every iteration of the Apple Watch, it gets marginally better. The company quickly cottoned on that users were having to choose between using the watch during the day or at night, so they introduced the fast-charging function.

The fast-charging function has been improved in Series 10, and I have really noticed how much more use I get on a single charge (which takes about 30 minutes).

I also really like how I can use the fast charging cable for 10-15 minutes and while it won't fill the battery fully, it gives me enough to get through the night. It's a definite improvement. I rely on quick charges here and there to get me through each day and night with enough juice.

To quote the Apple website, the Series 10 is ‘the fastest-charging Apple Watch ever’. And while I haven't run the exact tests to know this to be true, I do know the longevity of the battery life on this model is better than any I have used so far.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Fitness tracking

Fitness tracking has always been one of the main reasons I wear an Apple Watch. Sitting at a desk all day, I wouldn't be without a way to track my movement and keep me accountable. The Series 10 comes with all the same fitness options as the Series 9, which is now so varied that you'd be hard pushed to find an exercise not on there.

As the models have evolved, so too have the fitness tracking features on the Apple Watch. What started out being very top line - swimming, running, cycling, for example - has become much more granular. For Series 10, the focus is diving, with a new depth gauge and water temperature sensor for swimming workouts.

The Training Load feature is my favourite, however. This feature works out the intensity and duration of your movements over time. It then provides data to help inform you when you can push a bit harder or when recovery might be needed. While it was also available on the Series 9, it brings the Apple Watch Series 10 in line with advanced watches like the Coros Pace 3 or the Garmin Forerunner 265.

Having used a WHOOP 4.0 for 12 months alongside my Apple Watch last year, Apple's training load offering is very basic. But with the WHOOP, I rarely looked at or needed the fine detail to help me decide what level of exercise to do each day. The top-line information is what most will need, and that's what the Apple Watch provides with this new feature.

For serious fitness enthusiasts and athletes it won't be enough, but for the majority, the information here provides the right amount of context without being confusing or overwhelming.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Sleep tracking

If you're new to sleep tracking, I'll start by saying that wearing a smartwatch to bed takes a bit of getting used to – I find it weirdly constricting. But, I keep it on as I'm a big fan of some of the sleep features on the Apple Watch Series 10.

The haptic alarm is one of them. This is an alarm that vibrates when it is time to wake up, instead of ringing. I find it a much more relaxing way to wake up. All Apple needs to add now (please) is some strong wake-up lights, and I'll be ready to lose my Lumi Sunrise alarm.

The sleep feature tracks the amount of REM, core, and deep sleep, and any awake time, to help identify sleep patterns and any potential health concerns. In the sleep app, this is clearly broken down into graphs for the day, week, month and six months, which can go a long way to helping you understand how your sleep might be affecting your daily life - good and bad.

New to the sleep feature with Apple Watch 10 is a sleep apnea monitor, which you won't know about unless you need it - which is really the point. The app is set up to recognise disturbances in your breathing while asleep and notify you if and when that happens. You can then download a chart of your breathing disturbances, along with a explanation of the notification to take to a healthcare professional for expert advice.

I hope I won't ever need to use this feature, but I feel reassured to know it is there and can potentially detect a problem early on.

Apple Watch Series 10 review: Health & Safety

As someone who relied heavily on the ECG health sensor when I was experiencing heart palpitations last year, I am a big advocate for the health features on the Apple Watch. Having a device that can accurately monitor your health vitals and the assistance this can provide in detecting any potential medical issues is key.

The slight downside to this, however, is the anxiety you might feel having any health issues brought to your attention. I have only experienced an alert to a potential problem once, but the delivery of it, despite being very helpful, still made me feel very anxious in that moment.

I was also very happy to see that the safety features on the Apple Watch are still very much present. I often use the check-in facility to give me and my family members peace of mind.

Is Apple Watch 10 worth it?

While the Apple Watch 10 doesn't look much different to its predecessors, I would say of the last few iterations, this is the one I am most pleased with. All of the incremental updates - including the bigger, thinner screen - give it a really premium feel.

If you are a previous Apple Watch owner, I would weigh up whether the new look and features - like sleep apnea detection, for example - are enough to justify the spend. I have upgraded four times now. For a couple of those, I've been hard pushed to notice the difference - very little felt 'new'. I'm pleased to report, however, the Apple Watch Series 10 isn't one of them.

Unless you own the Apple Watch Series 9, the Apple Watch Series 10 is going to be a significant upgrade from your current fitness tracker, offering more in terms of smartwatch features and fitness tracking capabilities, so it's well worth the spend if you can.