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Yes, I know and realize, every time I review a smartwatch I easily change my mind. For a moment I said the Sequent watch is the best, then the Apple Watch Series 8, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and now the Apple Watch Series 10. I have been using the Apple Watch for almost a month now and when I switch back to a Wear OS watch I still feel awkward and this article will try to answer is this new Apple smartwatch worth it?
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
1.96″ wide-angle LTPO3 OLED screen, Ion‑X
416 x 496, 2000 nits
Night mode clock face
Always-On Retina
S10 SiP processor
64‑bit dual-core
4-core Neural Engine
Memory/Storage 1GB RAM + 64GB Storage
watchOS 11 Operating System
Waterproof Protection up to 50m
IP6X dust protection
Sensor Sensor electrical heart
Gen-3 optical heart sensor
Temperature sensor
Blood oxygen sensor
Compass
Always-on altimeter
High-g accelerator
High dynamic range gyroscope
Ambient light sensor
Depth gauge
Water temperature sensor
Others L1 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
LTE & UMTS
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
Bluetooth 5.3
Ultra Wideband Gen-2 chip
Safety SOS Emergency
International emergency call
Accident detection
Fall detection
Noise monitoring
Track back
Battery 327mAh
18 hours/1 day – Normal
36 hours/2 days – Low power mode
Fast charging
80% charge – 30 minutes
Eco-friendly, recyclable construction materials
Starting price RM1,799
Apple says this is the first time the Apple Watch has been completely redesigned. Yes, you must be wondering what's new if it still looks the same? The answer is, it's more on the inside but on the outside you can see that the screen now has thinner bezels and is larger in size and it's the first time Apple has used an ultra-wide-angle AMOLED LTPO screen.
All the internal components have been redesigned and this makes the rotating button on this watch tighter and a little harder to control compared to the Apple Watch Series 9 and below or even the Apple Watch Ultra. This button is tighter because the body is thinner and my hands are larger. The design of other parts such as the side button, and the speaker grille are also now neater.
Apple Watch Series 10 also retains support for finger gesture control without touching the screen. Apple also includes many of the same features and functions as the Apple Watch Ultra. Among them are detecting water depth and temperature, sounding a siren, and a brighter screen that doesn't sacrifice battery life. I also like the Jet Black color option which now looks premium and shiny without any problems with peeling paint for rugged use.
USAGE EXPERIENCE
The Apple Watch Series 10 still brings the same user experience compared to the generation two years ago. Throughout my use, I couldn't feel a significant difference with the Apple Watch Series 8. Despite the new chip, new design, faster watchOS 11 and other changes – this watch just feels more comfortable.
watchOS 11 is one of Apple's operating systems that still doesn't have Apple Intelligence integration. This makes using Siri on this watch less interesting than on the iPhone which now has beautiful animations. However, for use after almost a month – all health tracking on this watch is still among the most perfect.
The recorded data is more accurate, it is easy to read, there is a lot of text help to make it easier for users to understand the meaning of the recorded data. Most tracking and scanning can also be done quickly. The GPS function, supported applications, notification notifications and other uses on this watch are also still fast and smooth without any time lag problems.
Apple also attaches importance to audio support and cashless payments, where using this watch together will ensure a simple and uncomplicated process. I really hope that in the future, Apple can integrate AI into watchOS so that many interesting data, health summaries and others are easier to use than now.
Apple is also still the Apple you know, where this product is ready to be sold at full retail price but there are still features and functions that are not included for users in Malaysia. For example, new features are limited to Vitals only but there is no support for tracking sleep apnea which is said to require recognition from the national health ministry first.
APPLICATIONS
For applications, Apple relies on two, namely Watch and Health. This reuse of the Apple Watch made me realize that Apple was one of the first to require two apps for a single wearable device before Wear OS directed watch manufacturers to use their own apps instead of Google's, while also using Health Connect for cross-brand friendly integration.
Apple's Watch and Health apps are also seen as the main inspiration for the Galaxy Wearables and Samsung Health apps. What I see from Apple is a cleaner iteration with an interface focused on cards, widgets and easy-to-read graphs and charts. Again, if Apple follows Samsung's strategy - this interface will be simpler if health data can be summarized by AI.
BATTERY
For battery, the Apple Watch Series 10 in my opinion is still among the best so much so that the flagship Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra model is also weaker. This non-Ultra Apple Watch has no problem lasting almost 3 days with the use of low power mode. Meanwhile, my daily use is almost two days with each time the watch is charged, there is no problem lasting from 8 am on Monday until Maghrib on Tuesday.
For heavy use such as activity tracking and all health along with interaction with notifications, the Apple Watch Series 10 can only last for a full day. For charging, Apple is also now among the fastest compared to Samsung with 30 minutes can receive 80% power and a full charge to 100% takes less than 1 hour.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
1x Apple Watch Series 10
1x Watch strap
1x Magnetic charger.
1x Safety guide and booklet set.
CONCLUSION
The watch I used is the Apple Watch Series 10 46mm size with cellular support, aluminum construction and set with a textile Sport Loop watch band which costs RM2,449. This watch model can be priced from RM1,799 for the 42mm size + WiFi with a silicone watch band and can go up to RM4,699 for the 46mm size + Titanium construction + Link Bracelet watch band.
Is it expensive? Yes, when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 which starts at RM1,199. Believe it or not, Samsung will provide a more or less similar user experience but I say the Apple Watch Series 10 is more worth it because of its consistent software support, more professional customer support service support, and uncomplicated use for the majority of the time this watch is worn.
If you already have an iPhone as your daily device, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the best alternative to the more expensive Apple Watch Ultra 2 and trust me you won't use all the features and functions. If you have an Android device and yes, I would say the Galaxy Watch7 is the best basic WearOS watch you can get right now.
PROS AND ADVANTAGES
watchOS 11 remains the best smartwatch operating system.
The screen is insanely bright, fast, large, beautiful and scrolls quickly.
Unparalleled smooth performance.
Premium build, durable and very sexy in the hand.
The sensors and data recorded are quite useful for health monitoring.
Very long-lasting battery and fast charging.
CONS AND DISADVANTAGES
watchOS 11 lacks Apple Intelligence.
Dust still easily gets in the cracks of the screen bezel.
Siri is still not smart enough.
The base model's selling price is quite high compared to competitors.