APPLE WATCH SERIES 10 REVIEW: MODEST IMPROVEMENTS TO A PROVEN FORMULA

IF YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A BIG APPLE WATCH REVAMP, THIS ISN'T IT, BUT IT'S STILL THE BEST SMARTWATCH AROUND.

- JASON CROSS

For the last several years, the Apple Watch has undergone a relatively modest series of yearly upgrades. It has more or less looked and felt the same since the Series 4, that huge upgrade that gave us a much larger display area (with rounded corners), a big leap in performance, and the impressive ECG feature.

Since then, the watch has gotten just a tiny bit better each year. Maybe just a touch faster. Maybe there's a new sensor, like blood oxygen. Maybe the display is a little brighter. We had hoped the rumors of a iPhone X-style overhaul (fave.co/ 3UqaCKz) with the Apple Watch Series 10 were true. They weren't. This year's update once again takes very modest, measured steps to improve Apple's winning formula.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is my favorite Apple Watch, but it's still only a little better than the Series 9, which wasn't very different from the Series 8, which was only slightly better than the Series 7...

BIGGER AND FLATTER

It has been a while since Apple changed the physical design of the Apple Watch, so the Series 10's new design is notable. And while the updated shape of the Series 10 is not nearly as dramatic as you might have hoped, it is noticeable.

The watch is a little larger on the wrist, but also thinner and flatter, with sides that are even more rounded. The glass top curves smoothly to match the curve of the case with only the thinnest little line; you can barely see it. In practice, it doesn't feel a lot different than the earlier models. Perhaps it's just slightly more comfortable-it's just a couple of grams lighter (though the new high-end titanium model is a lot lighter than the Stainless Steel it replaces), but that weight is spread out a little more. The everso-slightly flatter design tends to catch on cuffs and sleeves a little less, too.