Smartwatches are perhaps among the most difficult devices I’ve ever had to review. They’re fine gadgets, and I’m glad I own one, but in most ways, the latest models are almost always merely incremental upgrades over older ones. Improvements have become so incremental that earlier this year, I wrote that the Apple Watch SE, Apple’s 2022 entry-level watch, is still the best option for most people . I’m happy to report that after spending some time with the Apple Watch Series 10, that’s no longer the case.
Apple Watch Ultra vs Series 10: Which is Better for You?
While some see smartwatches primarily as fitness trackers, to me they’re the successor to the iPod nano: small, easy-to-navigate devices that can control my music, podcasts, or tap-to-pay features without requiring me to dig for my phone. In that sense, for me, comfort is the most important component of a smartwatch.
That’s made the SE, Apple’s least expensive and, to date, smallest smartwatch, my default recommendation for the past few years. Now the Series 10 finally supplants it, because it’s a whole millimeter thinner.
That might not sound like much, but when you put these watches side by side, you’ll notice how much sleeker the Series 10 looks. And that goes for the feel, too. While the SE’s sensor often felt like a coin being squished between my wrist and the watch itself, the Series 10’s sensor is barely noticeable.
