I’ve now owned an Apple Watch for ten years. I started with the original version, then moved to the Series 4, and finally, I got the Series 10 which I have owned since March this year.
While I’ve had my ups and downs with my Apple Watch, the Series 10 is currently my favourite tech device. It’s been incredibly useful as I try to lose weight. Having owned it for nearly six months, I decided to do a follow-up review after my initial review earlier this year. Here are my thoughts.
The watch has been really useful for my workouts. I love being able to see my stats and calories burned while walking. It’s also handy to have the GPS to see maps of where I’ve walked. I also like having the watch set to play music when I start a workout and it is also useful for podcasts. The music control via the wrist is also very useful, and I often leave my iPhone at home to reduce bulk. While the Apple Watch is now capable of being used while swimming, I’ve decided not to use it in a pool. I’m just concerned that the chlorine will damage the watch in the long run. It’s a personal choice.
One Apple Watch advantage that’s easy to forget about and take for granted are the watch faces. I’ve found a face with plenty of complications that I can personalise to suit my needs. I’ve also set the watch face to change depending on the current iPhone focus, such as when I’m exercising. It’s all very smooth and works really well.
The one change I would like to see in the future is that when you place your watch into the cinema/theatre mode (which is really a focus), that it also updates the status on the iPhone with the same focus.
The fast charging continues to work well, and I now wear the watch almost 24/7. It’s very handy because a couple of quick charges a day keep the battery boosted. I usually charge it while in the shower in the morning and then again at night while watching TV. To offer more flexibility, I bought two extra Apple Watch fast chargers and I can now charge in my bedroom, office or even front room. This fast charging now allows me to wear the watch at night and gets me through the day.
The torch facility on the Apple Watch is also handy in low light conditions. A quick press on the watch face provides light to help you navigate. The vitals information, which is collected overnight, has also proven very useful. Initially, I thought the information was gimmicky, but it has turned out to be quite helpful. The handy indicators allow you to quickly assess important tracked metrics. Certainly, when feeling unwell recently, the watch alerted me to the fact that I was run down before symptoms started to be noticeable.
I also find the Smart Stack function handy. The watch adjusts to provide useful and relevant information as needed. It’s like having little widgets that display when they’re considered handy, such as music controls or extra exercise information. I understand that this functionality is getting enhanced soon with a new IOS 26 for Apple Watch.
I decided to take out extended Apple Care for my watch. At £4 a month, it makes sense to have while it’s so well-used and new. The initial cover was 90 days, but I think it’s worth paying a little extra in case of an accident.
I’m very happy with the overall experience of the Apple Watch, and the software is excellent. It’s so good that I hardly run or use any third-party apps on the device. Apple has truly nailed the Apple Watch, making it a very useful gadget.
To learn more about the new IOS 26 features coming in September that I referenced, take a look at the official Apple website here –
https://www.apple.com/uk/os/watchos/
