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

Holidays are a good time to buy a smartwatch. If you’re thinking about upgrading your current Apple Watch or purchasing an Apple wearable for the first time, you’re probably considering a new watch Apple Watch Series 10. But you may be wondering how it compares 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 as the Series 9 did at launch (you can find UK and Australian prices in the chart below). There are some key differences between these wearables. Specifically, the 10 Series offers a larger screen and larger case sizes, plus it has a new sound isolation feature and can play music loudly on the speaker. Keep reading for a closer look at how the 9 and 10 Series compare.

The Apple Watch Series 10 gets a larger, brighter display

The Series 10 has the largest screen ever on an Apple Watch. It is available in two new sizes; 46mm option and 42mm option. This 46mm option is slightly larger than the Apple Watch Ultra. On the other hand, the 9 Series comes in 45mm and 41mm options.

Apple says the Series 10’s larger display gives you up to 30% more screen real estate than the Series 4, 5, and 6, and up to 9% more screen real estate than the Series 7, 8, and 9. In everyday use, this means you can have an extra line of text on your watch, or increase the font size without losing content. Buttons for things like the Calculator app and typing your passcode are also larger.

The 10 Series is brighter, too. The 9 and 10 Series both have a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits, but the 10 Series’ wide-angle OLED display makes the screen 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. While writing to her Apple Watch Series 10 reviewmy colleague, Lexi Savideswore Series 9 and 10 on the same wrist. When I looked down to check the time at an angle, I found that the 10 Series appeared a little brighter.

Series 10 also has LTPO 3 screen The refresh rate can be up to 1 Hz, allowing the second hand to appear on the always-on display. Not only is the LTPO 3 not offered in the 9 Series, but it’s rare to see it in smartwatches in general. It is more common in premium smartphones such as iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra. In her review of the Series 10, Lexy praises the ability to see the ticking second hand without having to wake up her watch display.

Apple Watch Series 10 is thinner and lighter

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

The Series 10 comes in aluminum and titanium finishes, while the Series 9 is available in aluminum and stainless steel finishes. The 10 Series aluminum and titanium models are lighter than the equivalent 9 Series models.

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

The Series 10 offers faster charging than the Series 9. Apple claims that going from 0% to 80% takes about 30 minutes on the Series 10 and 45 minutes on the Series 9. In her review of the Series 10, Lexy noted that she charged the watch. From 7% to 84% in half an hour, so their testing pretty much matches Apple’s claims.

Apple also says the battery in both the 9 and 10 Series lasts 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 offer longer battery life than the Series 9, especially since Apple is now leaning more heavily into sleep-oriented features like Detection of sleep apnea (More on that below), I agree.

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a great new sound isolation feature

The Series 10 has a sound isolation feature which is not present in the Series 9. It aims to reduce background noise while receiving calls. So, for our Series 10 review, Lexy tested this feature in a raucous scenario: Dragon Dance in Lion dance for me In San Francisco. Dragon dances occur during events such as Lunar New Year celebrations and involve drums that can be very loud. Thanks to the sound isolation, even when Lexi called our colleague, Lisa EdesicoFrom the Dragon Dance, they were both able to hear each other.

The 10 Series also lets you play music out loud on the speaker, while the 9 Series doesn’t.

New water features in Apple Watch Series 10

Both the Series 9 and 10 are water-resistant and swim-resistant, but the Series 10 has a 6-meter depth gauge and water temperature sensor that is not available on the Series 9. The Series 10 also has Oceanic Plus application for diving, while the 9 Series does not.

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

Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 We have a new tool to detect potential signs of… Sleep apnea. It uses the accelerometer, along with Apple’s algorithms, to identify possible breathing disturbances during sleep. You can Read more about how it works here. This sleep apnea feature comes with WatchOS 11, which comes on the Series 10 and is also available for the Series 9.

Additionally, WatchOS 11 introduces a new Vitals app that monitors important metrics while you sleep, like your heart rate, breathing rate, and wrist temperature. The app will highlight these metrics if they are abnormal and notify you if you have two or more outliers.

With WatchOS 11, both wearables also let you pause your episodes to take a break from the activity. It’s also worth noting that WatchOS 11 is available as an update for older Apple watches dating back to the Series 6 and second-generation SE.

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

In addition to the new widgets coming to the 9 and 10 Series with WatchOS 11, these wearables share many of the same features you may already be familiar with, like high and low heart rate notifications, emergency SOS, and fall and collision detection (see Below chart for more).

Should you upgrade?

In short, the 10 Series offers a larger, brighter screen and larger body sizes, while being thinner and lighter than the 9 Series. The 10 Series also features sound isolation and allows you to play music loudly on the speaker, unlike last year’s model. If you’re upgrading from the 9 Series, these differences probably won’t seem so stark. If you’re currently using a Series 4, 5, or 6, you probably will. This larger, brighter screen will be sharper, you’ll have access to new features, and you’ll get WatchOS updates for longer.

For more information on how the new Apple Watch Series 10 compares to last year’s Series 9, check out the specs chart below.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Series 9

	Apple Watch Series 10	Apple Watch Series 9
appearance	square	square
Watch size	42mm, 46mm	41mm, 45mm
Materials and finishes	Aluminum and titanium	Aluminum, stainless steel
Display size, resolution	42mm: 1.65-inch OLED 446 x 374 pixels; 46 mm: 1.81 inches 496 x 416 pixels	41mm: 1.61 inches, 430 x 352 pixels OLED; 45mm: 1.77 inches, 484 x 396 pixels OLED
Dimensions	42mm: 42 x 36 x 9.7mm; 46mm: 46 x 39 x 9.7 mm	41mm: 35 x 41 x 10.7mm; 45mm: 38 x 45 x 10.7mm
weight	29.3g – 41.7g depending on size, material and contact	31.9g – 51.5g depending on size, material and connection
colors	Aluminum: silver, rose gold, jet black; Titanium: natural, gold and slate	Aluminum: midnight, starlight, silver, pink, red product; Stainless steel: graphite, silver, gold; Hermes Stainless Steel: Silver, Space Black
Always on	Yes	Yes
Interchangeable bands	Yes	Yes
GPS	Yes	Yes
Automatic exercise detection	Yes	Yes
compass	Yes	Yes
altimeter	Yes	Yes
Water resistance	50m, IP6X dust resistance	50m, IP6X dust resistance
Calls	Yes	Yes
microphone	Yes	Yes
speaker	Yes	Yes
Voice assistant	Yes (Siri, on device)	Yes (Siri, on device)
Mobile payments	Yes (Apple Pay)	Yes (Apple Pay)
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes
Track your menstrual cycle	Yes	Yes
Sensors	Accelerometer, altimeter, gyroscope, temperature sensor, compass, 3rd generation optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor, ambient light sensor, depth gauge, water temperature sensor	Accelerometer, altimeter, gyroscope, temperature sensor, compass, 3rd generation optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor, ambient light sensor
Emergency features	Fall Detection, Fault Detection, Emergency SOS, International Emergency Calls, Noise Monitoring, Rollback	Fall Detection, Fault Detection, Emergency SOS, International Emergency Calls, Noise Monitoring, Rollback
Compatibility	iOS 18 and later	iOS 17 and later
Software (at launch)	WatchOS 11	WatchOS 10
Processor	Apple S10	Apple S9
Contact	LTE, UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, 2G Ultra Wideband	LTE, UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, 2G Ultra Wideband
Memory and storage	64 GB capacity	64 GB capacity
shipping	USB-C magnetic fast charging cable	USB-C magnetic 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: Starts at $429
UK 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
Australian price	42mm: AU$649 (wifi); 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: starts at AU$649; 45mm: starts at AU$699