Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 9: Don’t buy the wrong one

The holidays are a good time to buy a smart watch. If you’re considering upgrading your current Apple Watch or buying an Apple wearable for the first time, you might want to consider the new one. Apple Watch Series 10. But you might be wondering how it stacks up to last year Series 9 which can often be found at a much lower price.

The Series 10 starts at $400 in the US, just like when the Series 9 launched (you can find prices for the UK and Australia in the table below). There are some key differences between these wearables. In particular, the Series 10 offers a larger screen and larger case sizes, has a new voice isolation function and can play loud music on the speaker. Read on to see how the 9 and 10 series compare.

The Apple Watch Series 10 gets a bigger and brighter screen

The Series 10 has the largest screen on the Apple Watch yet. It is available in two new sizes; 46 millimeter option and 42 millimeter. That 46-millimeter option is slightly larger than the Apple Watch Ultra. The Series 9, on the other hand, comes in 45 millimeter and 41 millimeter options.

Apple says the larger screen on the 10 series gives you more screen real estate compared to the 4, 5, and 6 series, and 9% more screen real estate compared to the 7, 8, and 9 series. In daily use, that is. it means you can have an extra line of text on the clock or increase the font size without losing content. The calculator app and passcode entry buttons are also larger.

The Series 10 is also brighter. The Series 9 and 10 have a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits, but the Series 10’s wide-angle OLED makes the screen 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. While you are typing Apple Watch Series 10 reviewmy colleague Lexy SavvidesHe wore series 9 and 10 on the same wrist. When he looked to check the time at an angle, he saw that the 10 series was slightly brighter.

Series 10 has it too LTPO 3 screen that can go up to a 1Hz refresh rate, allowing a second hand ticker to appear on the always-on display. LTPO 3 isn’t just on the Series 9, it’s rare to see on smartwatches in general. It is mostly found in premium phones iPhone 15 Pro Max and has Galaxy S24 Ultra. In the episode 10 review, Lexy talks about being able to see that second hand ticker without having to wake up her watch screen.

Apple Watch Series 10 is thinner and lighter

The Series 10 is also the thinnest Apple Watch ever. It is 9.7 millimeters thick, while the 9 series is 10.7 millimeters thick. That’s a 10% difference.

The Series 10 is available in aluminum and titanium finishes, while the Series 9 is available in aluminum and stainless steel finishes. Both the aluminum and titanium 10 series models are lighter than their 9 series equivalents.

Yes, the Apple Watch Series 10 charges faster, but the battery life is the same

The 10 series offers faster charging than the 9 series. Apple says it takes about 30 minutes on the Series 10 and about 45 minutes on the Series 9. From 7% to 84% in half an hour, so his test matched Apple’s claim.

Apple also says the 9 and 10 series batteries last up to 18 hours, or up to 36 hours in low power mode. In her review, Lexy notes that it’s unfortunate that the Series 10 doesn’t have longer battery life than the Series 9, especially now that Apple is leaning more toward sleep-focused features. to detect sleep apnea (more on that below), and I agree.

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a new voice isolation feature

The Series 10 has a voice isolation feature not found in the Series 9. It is designed to reduce background noise while taking calls. So for the series 10 review, Lexy put this trait to the test in a noisy scenario: a dragon dance. Lion Dance Me in San Francisco Dragon dances take place at events such as Lunar New Year celebrations and involve drums that can be quite loud. Thanks to the sound isolation, even when Lexy called our colleague, Lisa Eadiciccofrom a dragon dance, the two were able to hear each other.

The Series 10 allows you to play loud music through the speaker, while the Series 9 does not.

New Apple Watch Series 10 water features

The Series 9 and 10 are water resistant and swim-resistant, but the Series 10 has a depth gauge rated for 6 meters and a water temperature sensor not available on the Series 9. The 10 series has it too. Oceanic Plus app for snorkeling, while the Series 9 does not.

Apple Watch Series 9 and 10 get a new sleep apnea feature with WatchOS 11

Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 they have a new tool to detect potential signals sleep apnea. It uses the accelerometer, along with Apple’s algorithms, to recognize possible breathing disorders while you sleep. you can read more about how it works here. This sleep apnea feature comes with WatchOS 11, which ships on the 10 series and is also available for the 9 series.

Additionally, WatchOS 11 includes a new Vitals app that monitors important metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, and wrist temperature while you sleep. The app will highlight these measurements if they are abnormal and let you know if you have two or more points.

With WatchOS 11, both wearables allow you to pause the rings to take an activity break. It’s worth noting that WatchOS 11 is available as an update for older Apple Watches from Series 6 and second-generation SE.

Read more: The best new WatchOS 11 features you need to try on Apple Watch

Beyond the new tools coming to Series 9 and 10 with WatchOS 11, these wearables share the same features you’re already familiar with, such as high and low heart rate notifications, emergency SOS, and fall and accident detection (see table below for more).

Should you upgrade?

In short, the Series 10 offers a bigger, brighter screen and larger case sizes, while being thinner and lighter than the Series 9. The 10 series also has voice isolation and lets you play loud music through the speaker, unlike last year’s model. If you’re upgrading from Series 9, these differences won’t be very noticeable. If you’re currently using a 4, 5, or 6 series, they probably will. That bigger, brighter screen will be more noticeable, you’ll have access to new features, and you’ll have longer WatchOS updates.

To find out how the new Apple Watch Series 10 compares to last year’s Series 9, check out the specs chart below.

Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Series 9

	Apple Watch Series 10	Apple Watch Series 9
The shape	Square	Square
Clock size	42mm, 46mm	41 mm, 45 mm
Materials, finishes	Aluminum, titanium	Aluminum, stainless steel
Screen size, resolution	42mm: 1.65-inch OLED 446 x 374 pixels; 46mm: 1.81 inches 496 x 416 pixels	41mm: 1.61-inch, 430 x 352-pixel OLED; 45mm: 1.77-inch, 484 x 396 pixel OLED
Measures	42mm: 42 x 36 x 9.7mm; 46mm: 46 x 39 x 9.7mm	41mm: 35 x 41 x 10.7mm; 45mm: 38 x 45 x 10.7mm
weight	29.3g-41.7g depending on size, material and connectivity	31.9g-51.5g depending on size, material and connectivity
the colors	Aluminum: silver, rose gold, jet black; titanium: natural, gold, slate	Aluminum: midnight, starlight, silver, rose, Product Red; stainless steel: graphite, silver, gold; Hermes Stainless Steel: Silver, Space Black
Always on	yes	yes
Interchangeable bands	yes	yes
the GPS	yes	yes
Detect automatic training	yes	yes
the compass	yes	yes
Altimeter	yes	yes
Water resistance	50 m, IP6X dust resistance	50 m, IP6X dust resistance
the calls	yes	yes
the microphone	yes	yes
the speaker	yes	yes
Voice assistant	Yes (Siri on device)	Yes (Siri on device)
Mobile payments	Yes (Apple Pay)	Yes (Apple Pay)
Sleep monitoring	yes	yes
Period tracking	yes	yes
The sensors	Accelerometer, altimeter, gyroscope, temperature sensor, compass, third-generation optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor, ambient light sensor, depth gauge, water temperature sensor	Accelerometer, altimeter, gyroscope, temperature sensor, compass, third-generation optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor, ambient light sensor
Emergency features	Fall detection, accident detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calls, noise control, Back	Fall detection, accident detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calls, noise control, Back
compatibility	iOS 18 and later	iOS 17 and later
Software (on startup)	WatchOS 11	WatchOS 10
The processor	Apple S10	Apple S9
Connectivity	LTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, second generation ultra wide band	LTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, second generation ultra wide band
Memory and storage	64 GB capacity	64 GB capacity
loading	Magnetic USB-C fast charging cable	Magnetic USB-C fast charging
Battery life	Up to 18 hours; up to 36 hours in low power mode	Up to 18 hours; up to 36 hours in low power mode
Battery capacity	Not available	Not available
US price	42mm: $399 (Wi-Fi); 42mm: $499 (cellular); 42mm: $699 (titanium); 46mm: $429 (Wi-Fi); 46mm: $529 (cellular); 46mm: $749 (titanium)	41mm: From $399; 45mm: From $429
UK price	42mm: £399 (WiFi); 42mm: £499 (cellular); 42mm: £699 (titanium); 46mm: £429 (Wi-Fi); 46mm: £529 (cellular); 46mm: £749 (titanium)	41mm: from £399; 45mm: from £429
Australian price	42mm: AU$649 (Wi-Fi); 42mm: AU$809 (cellular); 42mm: AU$1,199 (titanium); 46mm: AU$699 (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth); 46mm: AU$859 (cellular); 46mm: AU$1,279 (titanium)	41mm: from AU$649; 45mm: From AU$699