KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — I wasn’t all that excited about the Apple Watch 10 if I'm being honest as the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to me is still Apple's best smartwatch.
It was rugged, had two-day battery life and now, praise the tech gods, comes in black.
Why would I need another smartwatch, Apple or not?
After a couple of weeks with the new Apple Watch 10 I was surprised I didn’t miss my Ultra as much as I thought I would.
The main reason is simply that it’s just a lot easier to sleep wearing the Watch 10, which is so light you can (almost) forget it's on.
My review model is the aluminium version with a rose gold case (there’s a fancier titanium model that will cost you over a thousand ringgit more) with a textile strap.
I also got to try the new Link Bracelet in gold, which I’m surprised I like more than my previous favourite, the Milanese Loop.
It’s rather hefty but the links are easily removable so you can get a snug fit on your wrist though of course, I wouldn’t suggest you exercise with it on.
It pairs well with the Rose Gold case to the point only the most annoying people will comment that you’re not wearing a "real watch".
Hush, your "real watch" isn’t going to warn me if I might be having a possible health emergency.
The best health accessory is almost not there
I have sensory issues, which makes me a little too aware about the texture of cloth against my skin, the volume and pitch of someone’s voice, the clatter of cutlery on a table and other daily irritants I would have to do my best to filter out.
It’s why wearing a watch is something part of me resisted for a long time.
My first years with Apple Watches weren’t pleasant as my skin did not like the silicone sports bands and it was tiresome to spot the welts or avoid scratching where the bands touched my skin.
Fortunately there were fabric, leather and metal options I eventually gravitated towards over the years but they proved little comfort when needing to wear them at night to record my sleep.
What I like most about the Apple Watch 10 is that it’s light enough for me to not think about when it’s on.
As much as the Watch Ultra and the Watch Ultra 2 were nice to look at, I didn’t like wearing them to bed.
The Watch 10 however was easy to slip on and slip off, and Apple’s also improved the way it charges so I can get up to 80 per cent battery charged up in just 30 minutes.
My routine is now:
- slide the watch onto a charger at night as I wind down
- slap it on before I sleep
- wake up and put it on the charger again while I shower and have breakfast
- back it goes on my wrist, without a second thought
I never have to check my battery with that simple routine but speaking from experience on long-haul flights you might need to have a charger on standby.
This or the Ultra 2?
Since I’m dealing with multiple health issues at the moment, my Apple Watch and the Health app have been a great help in monitoring my health markers and being able to pause my rings means they will not be additional sources of stress.
For instance, when I first had a knee injury months back, I was alerted to how bad my Walking Steadiness was and over the past few weeks, I've seen the marker improve — testament that the exercises and other accommodations I've been making are having some impact.
I’ve also made a note of my resting heart rate, the changes over the weeks in my respiratory rate and sleep patterns and made adjustments as I saw fit.
The thing about health devices like smartwatches is they need to be there with you, like a cherished partner, through sickness as well as health.
That means the added comfort of the Apple Watch 10 makes it no longer a burdensome irritant but a (mostly) helpful companion.
On WatchOS 11 I wrote a longer piece on what I thought about features such as Vitals.
If you go on long runs or races, hike or climb, perhaps have a schedule that’s busy enough you don’t want to think too much about charging your watch, the Ultra 2 is still the better bet.
If you would rather spend less money and don’t mind charging your watch once or twice a day, the Watch 10’s lightweight being light on actual weight and not features might be a better bet.
The new Apple Watch 10 is available now with prices starting from RM1,799 at the nearest Apple retailer or online.
