Apple Watch 10: Everything we know so far, including blood pressure monitor rumor

Apple Watch Series 10, also called “Apple Watch 10” or “Apple Watch X” among tech enthusiasts, should be fast approaching if the Cupertino-based tech giant follows its usual release schedule. We’re expecting the Apple Watch 10 launch alongside the iPhone 16 in September.

We’re not too far from September, so as you can imagine, the leaks, rumors, and spilled beans have been flooding in. From murmurs of a new blood pressure monitor to whispers about a new sleep apnea sensor, here’s everything we know about the Apple Watch 10.

Apple Watch 10 release date

As mentioned, the Apple Watch 10 is expected to drop in September 2024. For reference, here are the release dates for some of the previous-generation Apple Watch devices.

• Apple Watch Series 9 – Sept. 12, 2023

• Apple Watch Series 8 – Sept. 7, 2022

• Apple Watch Series 7 – Oct. 18, 2021

• Apple Watch Series 6 – Sept. 15, 2020

Save for the Watch Series 7, which was released in October, all the other smartwatches dropped in September, so we’re expecting the same for the Apple Watch 10.

In fact, according to a report from CNMO, the Apple Watch 10, alongside the iPhone 16, is expected to launch on September 10.

Apple Watch 10 price

There haven’t been any credible leaks about pricing, but Apple Watch 10 is expected to have the same starting price as its predecessor: $399.

This is because there haven’t been many price hikes for the Apple Watch models in recent years, so we’re expecting a similar strategy in 2024.

Apple Watch Series 10 (41mm, GPS only) – $399

Apple Watch Series 10 (45mm, GPS only) – $429

Apple Watch Series 10 (41mm, GPS + cellular) – $499

Apple Watch Series 10 (45mm, GPS + cellular) – $529

The Watch Series models have had the same starting price of $399 since the Apple Watch Series 3. (The Apple Watch Series 2 was $369 before its successor was bumped up to $399; and it’s been the same price ever since.)

Apple Watch 10 design

According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, a reputable source with a respectable track record, the Apple Watch 10 will have a bigger display that’s nearly as big as the screen found on the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

For reference, the display size on the Watch Series 9 is somewhere between 1.6 inches and 1.8 inches, depending on the size you get. The Apple Watch Ultra’s display is 1.9 inches big. That being said, Gurman is technically claiming that the Watch 10 will offer a new display size that comes closer to the two-inch mark.

Gurman’s claims echoed a report from Ming-Chi Kuo, another respected Apple analyst, who said that the Apple Watch 10 will feature new sizes: 45mm and 49mm (as opposed to 41mm and 45mm).

You may be wondering, “If the Watch 10 display will be closer to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, does it follow that the Watch Ultra 3 will get a redesign, too?” According to Gurman, the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra will not feature any significant design changes. Keep in mind that the Ultra line is relatively new, getting its debut in 2022.

Kuo also claims that Apple may add a new color of a darker hue to the Apple Watch 10, but the specific color is unclear.

Finally, Gurman claims that the Watch 10 will feature a new magnetic mechanism for bands, making it easier to swap them out for other styles.

Apple Watch 10 new features

According to Gurman, here are the following health tools that Apple has been working on for the Apple Watch:

• blood-pressure monitor

• sleep apnea sensor

• glucose monitor

However, according to Gurman, the blood-pressure sensor has been hitting a couple of snags during testing. So unfortunately, while the Cupertino-based tech giant may have planned to add the new health tool to the Apple Watch 10, it may not make it to the final product. As such, it may be postponed until the Apple Watch 11.

“There have been particular concerns about the blood-pressure feature working properly with the new Series 10 design,” Gurman said.

So even if the new blood-pressure monitor does launch on the Apple Watch 10, it won’t be a reliable alternative to the blood-pressure cuff. It’s not supposed to give an actual reading. Instead, it will determine your baseline and determine whether your blood pressure is high based on that reference point.

The sleep apnea sensor, which depends on user’s blood-oxygen levels, is also facing some challenges. After all, the blood-oxygen tool in its Apple Watch devices has been disabled due to a legal dispute with Masimo Corp.

Apple Watch 10 performance

As expected, the Apple Watch 10 is getting a new chip, according to Gurman.

This new processor will lay the groundwork for some AI-powered features in the future, however, don’t expect Apple Intelligence, the company’s new suite of AI features, to hit the Apple Watch models anytime soon.

Apple Watch 10 watchOS 11

Fortunately for us, Apple has already revealed its plans for the Apple Watch’s next big software update: watchOS 11.

Apple Watch 10 will launch with watchOS 11, however, this update will also support Apple Watch Series 6 and newer (as long as you have an iPhone XS or later running iOS 18 or later). Apple Watch SE 2nd generation is also supported by watchOS 11.

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Unveiled at WWDC 2024, some of the cool features coming to watchOS 10 include the following:

• Check In, available on iPhone, is now available on Apple Watch

• Smart Stacks now supports Live Activities

• A new app called “Vitals” now lets you see key health metrics and offers context

• Cycle tracking now as better support for pregnant users; the app also shows gestational age and supports symptom logging

• New support for training load (measures how workout intensity affects the body over time)

• Translate app is now available on Apple Watch, so you can access translations for a gaggle of languages directly from your wrist

• Double Tap now supports scrolling

• Use “Tap to Cash” to send and receive Apple Cash by placing the Apple Watch near another one or another iPhone

WatchOS 11 is expected to roll out to users with supported Apple Watch devices some time in September. (Last year, the watchOS 10 was released on Sept. 18, 2023.)

Will the Apple Watch 10 be worth it?

If Apple Watch 10 can pull through with at least one of the rumored health tools, either sleep apnea detection or blood-pressure monitoring, it will definitely be more helpful for those who want to keep track of interruptive snoring and hypertension. Plus, the Apple Watch 10 has steep competition, considering that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 already has these features.

If Apple isn’t able to fix the snags it’s been reportedly dealing with regarding the new health tools, it may be worth it to wait for the Apple Watch 11.

Keep in mind that there is also the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and potentially a new Apple Watch SE to watch out for, too.