Apple Watch Series 7 vs. Series 8 vs. Series 9 vs. Series 10: A Comprehensive Comparison
Apple has continued to evolve its Apple Watch lineup with each new series, adding exciting features, improving performance, and refining design. If you're considering an upgrade or purchasing a new Apple Watch, you might wonder how the Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, Series 9, and Series 10 stack up against each other. In this blog, we'll dive deep into a comparison of these four models, highlighting the key differences in design, performance, features, and pricing to help you make an informed decision.
1. Design and Display
Apple Watch Series 7
The Series 7 introduced a significant design upgrade with its larger display, thinner bezels, and softer, more rounded corners. It featured a 41mm and 45mm case size with a Retina LTPO OLED display that was always on, and it also offered enhanced durability with crack-resistant front glass, IP6X dust resistance, and WR50 water resistance.
Apple Watch Series 8
The Series 8 followed the design template of the Series 7 with the same 41mm and 45mm case sizes and edge-to-edge display. The main change in design was improved temperature sensing, which was integrated into the device's health-tracking features, but there was no significant visual overhaul compared to the Series 7.
Apple Watch Series 9
Visually, the Series 9 didn’t introduce any major design shifts from its predecessors. The 41mm and 45mm sizes remained, and the display stayed similar with always-on Retina display technology. However, the Series 9 introduced a more powerful S9 SiP (System in Package) chip, leading to a brighter display (up to 2,000 nits), which enhances outdoor visibility compared to Series 7 and 8.
Apple Watch Series 10
The Series 10 made a design leap with the introduction of a 46mm dial size and an ultra-thin bezel, maximizing the screen real estate even further. While the core look retained Apple's signature style, the larger display and reduced bezels made for an immersive user experience. Like the Series 9, the Series 10 comes with an even brighter display (up to 3,000 nits) and also boasts better durability with stronger materials for the casing.
Summary: The Series 10 features the largest and brightest display among the four models, while Series 7, 8, and 9 have similar design aspects, with minor differences in brightness.
2. Performance and Processor
Apple Watch Series 7
The Series 7 featured the S7 chip, an incremental upgrade from the S6 in previous models. While it improved power efficiency and overall performance, it was not a game-changer in terms of speed or functionality.
Apple Watch Series 8
With the Series 8, Apple introduced the S8 chip, offering better performance compared to the Series 7. However, the improvement was relatively modest, focusing on small gains in processing power and battery efficiency.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Series 9 was powered by the all-new S9 SiP, which provided a significant performance boost over the S8. The S9 allowed for faster processing, quicker app load times, and smoother animations, thanks to a 60% boost in GPU performance and a more efficient architecture. The S9 chip also enabled enhanced features like on-device Siri processing, reducing reliance on the cloud.
Apple Watch Series 10
The Series 10 also features the S10 SiP, building on the performance improvements of the S9 but with even better energy efficiency. This chip offers ultra-fast performance, enabling new features like improved health monitoring algorithms, faster app launches, and smoother multitasking.
Summary: The Series 9 and 10, with their S9 and S10 SiP chips, deliver the most substantial performance improvements, with the Series 10 edging ahead due to even greater efficiency.
3. Health and Fitness Features
Apple Watch Series 7
The Series 7 maintained all of the core health-tracking features that made Apple Watch famous, including ECG, SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, and fitness tracking. It did not introduce any groundbreaking new health features but was an excellent all-around health companion.
Apple Watch Series 8
The Series 8 introduced temperature sensing, which added a new dimension to women’s health by tracking ovulation cycles and offering more detailed menstrual cycle tracking. This sensor also enhanced sleep tracking, making it more accurate.
Apple Watch Series 9
The health and fitness features in the Series 9 remained largely similar to the Series 8, with incremental improvements in accuracy. However, thanks to the S9 chip, health data processing became faster, and on-device Siri enabled more seamless access to health information via voice commands.
Apple Watch Series 10
The Series 10 takes health tracking to a new level by refining existing sensors and improving accuracy for metrics like heart rate, ECG, SpO2, and sleep tracking. The new-generation sensors allow for more precise data collection, especially during workouts and recovery, and it supports advanced AI-driven health insights through the S10 chip.
Summary: The Series 10 excels in health and fitness tracking with the most refined sensors and features, while Series 8 introduced temperature tracking, and Series 9 improved on-device processing.
4. Battery Life and Charging
Apple Watch Series 7
The Series 7 offered a battery life of around 18 hours with normal use and introduced fast charging, allowing the watch to charge from 0% to 80% in about 45 minutes.
Apple Watch Series 8
Battery life on the Series 8 remained the same at 18 hours, with support for fast charging. Power-saving modes were introduced to extend battery life during longer periods of use.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Series 9 featured similar battery life to the Series 8 at around 18 hours, but the S9 chip’s efficiency enabled slightly better performance during heavy use. Fast charging remained a staple feature.
Apple Watch Series 10
With the Series 10, battery life improved marginally to 20 hours due to the efficiency of the S10 chip and optimized power usage in watchOS. Fast charging continues, with added power-saving modes to extend usage when needed.
Summary: The Series 10 offers the best battery life, although the differences are small compared to Series 7, 8, and 9.
5. Software Features
Apple Watch Series 7, 8, and 9
All three watches benefit from watchOS updates, including watchOS 10 for the Series 9. Features like customizable watch faces, advanced health metrics, fitness challenges, and deeper integration with the Apple ecosystem were introduced. With on-device Siri processing in the Series 9, voice commands became faster and more responsive.
Apple Watch Series 10
Series 10 comes with the latest watchOS 10 updates but also leverages the S10 chip for exclusive features like gesture controls, AI-powered health tracking, and even more seamless Siri interactions. The larger screen allows for improved app layouts and interactivity.
Summary: Series 10's software advantages are mainly due to the power of the S10 chip and the larger screen real estate.
Which Apple Watch Should You Choose?
- Series 7: Great if you want a larger display at a lower price point and solid all-around performance.
- Series 8: Ideal for users who prioritize temperature tracking for health, especially women’s health, while retaining the familiar design of the Series 7.
- Series 9: Offers significant performance boosts with the S9 chip and brighter display. A solid option for those who want cutting-edge processing power.
- Series 10: The most advanced option with a larger screen, S10 chip, and improved health tracking capabilities. It’s perfect if you want the absolute latest technology, a bigger display, and enhanced performance across the board.
Each Apple Watch iteration brings incremental improvements, but the Series 10 is the clear choice for those wanting the best Apple has to offer in 2024.