Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 9: Should you upgrade to the new Apple Watch

Apple's latest smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 10, has arrived, promising a range of enhancements over its predecessor, the Series 9. As consumers contemplate whether to upgrade or which model to choose, it's crucial to understand the key differences between these two iterations of Apple's popular wearable. While both watches offer comprehensive health and fitness tracking, smart features, and access to the vast ecosystem of watchOS apps, the Series 10 introduces several hardware improvements and unique capabilities.

This comparison will delve into the design changes, display enhancements, performance upgrades, and new features that set the Series 10 apart, while also highlighting areas where the Series 9 remains competitive.

Whether you're a fitness enthusiast, a tech-savvy user, or someone simply looking for a reliable smartwatch, this comparison will help you determine if the Apple Watch Series 10's improvements justify its price tag or if the still-capable Series 9 might better suit your needs and budget.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Watch Series 9: Design

The Apple Watch Series 10 introduces a refined design that sets it apart from its predecessor. It's nearly 10% thinner than the Series 9, measuring just 9.7mm compared to the Series 9's 10.7mm thickness. This slimmer profile makes the Series 10 more comfortable for all-day wear and less likely to snag on clothing.



The Series 10 also features more rounded corners and a wider aspect ratio, contributing to a larger display while only slightly increasing the case sizes to 42mm and 46mm (up from 41mm and 45mm in the Series 9). Apple has managed to reduce the weight as well, with aluminium models up to 10% lighter than their Series 9 counterparts.

A significant change is the introduction of titanium as a case material for the Series 10, replacing the stainless steel option from the Series 9. The titanium models are almost 20% lighter than the stainless steel Series 9, offering a premium feel without the added weight. The Series 10 comes in new finishes, including a striking jet black polished aluminium and titanium options in natural, gold, and slate.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Watch Series 9: Display

The display on the Apple Watch Series 10 receives notable upgrades. It features an innovative wide-angle OLED display, optimising each pixel to emit more light at wider angles. This results in up to 40% higher brightness when viewed from an angle compared to the Series 9, improving readability in various lighting conditions.

The Series 10's larger display offers up to 30% more active screen area than earlier models and up to 9% more than the Series 9. This extra space allows for an additional line of text in apps like Messages and Mail, or the option to increase font size without sacrificing content.

Another significant improvement is the faster refresh rate in always-on mode. While the Series 9 updates once per minute, the Series 10 refreshes every second. This enables the addition of a ticking seconds hand on select watch faces without needing to raise your wrist, enhancing the traditional watch experience.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Watch Series 9: Chip

Both watches feature powerful custom Apple silicon, but the Series 10 introduces the new S10 SiP (System in Package). While Apple hasn't provided specific performance comparisons, the S10 chip is designed for improved efficiency and intelligence.

The Series 10 maintains the 4-core Neural Engine found in the Series 9, enabling on-device processing for features like the double tap gesture, on-device Siri, and automatic workout detection. However, the Series 10 introduces new capabilities, such as audio playback through the built-in speaker and improved voice isolation for calls, suggesting enhanced processing power.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Watch Series 9: Features

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Series 9 share many core features, but the newer model introduces several hardware-specific enhancements. Both watches offer comprehensive health and fitness tracking capabilities, including heart rate monitoring, ECG, blood oxygen measurement, temperature sensing, cycle tracking, fall detection, and crash detection. They also share smart features like on-device Siri, Family Setup, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, noise monitoring, and Apple Pay.

One of the most anticipated new health features, sleep apnea detection, is coming to both models via a software update. This underscores Apple's commitment to bringing significant health improvements to existing devices when possible.

The Series 10, however, introduces several unique capabilities that leverage its new hardware. It features a water depth gauge that measures depth up to 6 metres and a water temperature sensor, making it more suitable for water activities. The new model is also compatible with the Oceanic+ app, offering enhanced features for snorkelling enthusiasts.

In terms of audio capabilities, the Series 10 takes a leap forward by enabling audio playback through its built-in speaker. Users can now listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks directly from their watch. Additionally, the Series 10 employs voice isolation technology for calls, using its Neural Engine to reduce background noise and enhance call quality.

Both models benefit from the latest watchOS 11 update, which brings redesigned apps, a new Smart Stack for relevant widgets, new watch faces, enhanced cycling features, mental health tools, improvements to the Medications app, and vision health tracking.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Watch Series 9: Battery and charging

Apple claims the same 18-hour "all-day" battery life for both the Series 10 and Series 9. However, the Series 10 introduces faster charging capabilities. Its new metal back integrates a larger and more efficient charging coil, allowing it to charge from 0% to 80% in about 30 minutes – 15 minutes faster than the Series 9.

The Series 10 also offers more flexibility for quick charges. Fifteen minutes of charging provides up to eight hours of normal daily use, or eight minutes of charging powers up to eight hours of sleep tracking. This improvement makes it easier to use the watch throughout the day and for sleep tracking without significant interruptions for charging.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Watch Series 9: Price in India

The Apple Watch Series 10 comes at a starting price of Rs 44,900. Meanwhile, Apple Watch Series 9 was also officially launched for Rs 44,900, but often retails at a discounted price.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 9: Which one to buy