Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 8 - A Complete Comparison Guide

Apple Watch has always been a leader in the smartwatch market, gaining a wide user base with its refined design and powerful features. With the release of the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple has introduced a thinner body, a larger display, and a faster S10 chip, making it a new favorite for many consumers.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 8 has been out for two years, and many users with the older model may be considering whether an upgrade is worthwhile. This article compares the differences between the Series 8 and Series 10, helping you decide whether to upgrade your watch.

The Overview of Apple Watch Series 8 vs 10

The Apple Watch Series 8, released in 2022, was the first smartwatch capable of measuring and tracking temperature changes during sleep. Additionally, the Series 8 introduced crash detection, which automatically calls 911 in the event of an accident, enhancing safety. Later, Apple released the Series 9 and Series 10, which enhanced display brightness and added gesture controls. Specifically, the Series 10 features a more refined design with a larger screen, and the display is clearer and more readable from angles. You can also check the article in our website to know more information such as Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 9 and Apple Watch Series 8 vs 9.

Unlike the Series 9, the Series 10 offers larger storage (64GB) and faster charging, as well as a new sleep apnea detection feature. Additionally, the Series 10 introduces new 42mm and 46mm sizes and comes with a wide-angle OLED display with significantly improved brightness. In contrast, the Series 8, while supporting blood oxygen monitoring and available in 41mm and 45mm sizes, has slower charging and is priced more affordably. Nonetheless, both watches run on watchOS 11, providing a similar software experience.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 8 - Specifications

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 8 - Design

In terms of design, the Apple Watch Series 10 makes several notable improvements over the Series 8. Firstly, the Series 10 offers new 42mm and 46mm sizes, providing a larger display compared to the 41mm and 45mm sizes of the Series 8, making it ideal for users who prefer a bigger screen. The overall design is thinner, particularly the 46mm aluminum model, which feels more comfortable to wear and weighs 36.4g.

Material-wise, the Series 10 retains the aluminum version and introduces a titanium version, with a metal and sapphire crystal back, making the overall look more refined and giving it a premium feel. In terms of colors, the Series 10 adds new Slate and Natural Titanium options, offering more variety, while the Series 8 mainly offers silver, red, and starlight, with fewer color options.

Overall, while both watches look similar, the Series 10’s improvements in size, thin design, materials, and color options make it more attractive in terms of both wearing experience and visual appeal.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10 — With its larger screen, thin design, and premium material options, the Series 10 provides a better wearing experience and is the more appealing choice.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 8 - Watch Bands

Both the Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 10 offer a wide selection of bands, including sport bands, woven bands, leather bands, and stainless steel bands. The Series 8 bands are primarily made from silicone and nylon materials, with the silicone bands providing a comfortable wearing experience and good durability, while the nylon bands are appreciated for their quick-drying and breathable qualities. The Series 10 offers more design innovations, adding aluminum and titanium bands, focusing more on durability and aesthetics, meeting the fashion needs of different users.

For those seeking high cost-effectiveness and quality, Bandletic is a brand worth considering. Specializing in sport watch bands, Bandletic offers a variety of Apple Watch bands such as Apple Watch Ultra 2 bands and Apple Watch Series 10 bands, balancing comfort, durability, and style. Compared to other brands, Bandletic bands are particularly suitable for sports enthusiasts, ensuring stability and comfort during wear, and enabling you to perform well in any situation.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 8 - Display

In terms of screen technology, the Apple Watch Series 10 uses an all-new wide-angle OLED display, which offers significant improvements in brightness and visibility compared to the LTPO OLED display of the Series 8. The Series 10's maximum brightness reaches 2000 nits, while the Series 8 reaches 1000 nits, making the Series 10 perform better in bright environments. Additionally, the Series 10 display can be dimmed to as low as 1 nit, adapting to various lighting conditions.

In terms of resolution and display area, the Series 10 provides a larger display space and higher detail. The 42mm version has a resolution of 374 x 446 pixels with a display area of 989 mm², while the 46mm version has a resolution of 416 x 496 pixels with a display area of 1220 mm². In comparison, the Series 8's resolution is 352 x 430 pixels (41mm version) and 396 x 484 pixels (45mm version), with display areas of 904 mm² and 1143 mm², respectively. The Series 10’s larger screen and higher resolution offer a clearer, more detailed visual experience.

Furthermore, the new wide-angle OLED screen of the Series 10 extends across the sides of the body, further expanding the display range, providing a better visual experience from any angle. Notably, the Series 10's brightness has been improved by 40%, ensuring better visibility from different angles.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10 -  The brightness, resolution, and display area of the Series 10 significantly surpass the Series 8, offering a better visual experience, particularly in bright environments.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 8 - Software and Performance

System Support and Features

Both watches run on watchOS 11 and support similar features, such as customizable activity goals, rest days, and a Vitals app that shows sleep abnormalities. However, because the Series 10 is newer, it has a significantly longer support cycle, expected to be usable until 2029, while the Series 8 will stop receiving updates in 2025. Additionally, the Series 10’s longer update and support cycle means it will enjoy more extended feature optimizations.

Processor and Performance

The Series 10 is equipped with the latest S10 SiP processor, featuring a more powerful four-core neural engine that handles complex tasks and multitasking more smoothly, particularly in Siri operations and gesture controls (such as the Double Tap gesture). In contrast, the Series 8 uses the S8 SiP processor, which performs well but is slightly slower in multitasking and data processing.

Storage and Functionality

The Series 10 offers 64GB of storage, supporting faster data access and storage management, allowing users to store health data and other app information more easily. The Series 8's 32GB storage is sufficient for basic needs but may become limiting as app and data demands grow. Additionally, the Series 10's Siri operation speed has been significantly improved, making on-device operations more efficient, a feature that the Series 8 lacks.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10 - The Series 10 offers significant advantages in performance, storage, feature support, and future system updates, making it ideal for users seeking high performance and long-term support.

Apple Watch Series 8 vs 10 - Health Tracking

Common Features 

Both the Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 10 come equipped with powerful health tracking features, including a third-generation optical heart rate sensor, ECG sensor, wrist temperature monitoring during sleep, cycle tracking, and sleep tracking. These features make both watches excellent for daily health management.

Differences

Blood Oxygen Monitoring 

The Series 8 retains the blood oxygen monitoring feature, but due to a legal dispute between Apple and Masimo, this feature is temporarily unavailable on the Series 10 in the U.S. market. As of January 18, 2024, all new Apple Watches (including Series 10) in the U.S. have removed the blood oxygen monitoring feature until the legal issue is resolved.

Sleep Apnea Detection 

The Series 10 introduces sleep apnea detection, utilizing an accelerometer to monitor body movements during the night, assess sleep quality, and alert users to moderate to severe sleep apnea. This feature analyzes data every 30 days and provides feedback, which is not available on the Series 8.

New Features 

The Series 10 also adds underwater depth and temperature sensors, which are particularly useful for swimming and snorkeling enthusiasts. Additionally, it offers FDA-approved sleep apnea notifications, informing users if they need to seek professional medical diagnosis.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10 - The Series 10 offers additional health tracking features such as sleep apnea detection and underwater depth sensors, making it more useful for users focused on sleep health and water activities.

Apple Watch Series 8 vs 10 - Battery Life

In terms of battery life, the Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 10 are quite similar. Both watches claim around 18 hours of usage, suitable for short daily use. In comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra offers a longer battery life of approximately 36 hours, but both Series models are almost identical in battery longevity.

However, the Series 10 excels in charging speed. While the Series 8 takes 45 minutes to charge to 80%, the Series 10 only requires 30 minutes to reach the same level. This improvement makes the Series 10 more efficient when charging, offering better convenience for users who need quick recharges daily.

Winner: Apple Watch Series 10 - Although both watches have similar battery life, the Series 10's faster charging speed gives it a clear advantage in charging efficiency.

Apple Watch Series 10 Vs 8 - Which One is Right for You?

Choosing between the Apple Watch Series 8 and Series 10 depends on your needs and budget. If you prioritize value for money and have moderate requirements for design and health monitoring, the Series 8 is undoubtedly sufficient for your daily use. However, if you care about stronger performance, better display quality, more intelligent health features, and longer battery life, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the better choice.

Advantages Comparison 

The Series 10 features a larger display (46mm version) with a new OLED panel, offering higher brightness and clearer display quality. Additionally, the Series 10 has enhanced performance, including faster device-side Siri operations, support for health data access, and the Double Tap gesture. These improvements make the user experience smoother and more convenient. Notably, the Series 10 introduces FDA-approved sleep apnea detection, further boosting its health tracking capabilities.

If you currently own a Series 8, upgrading to the Series 10 would be an ideal choice, especially considering the enhanced features and optimized design of the Series 10. However, it is important to note that the Series 10 does not support blood oxygen monitoring in some regions.

Design and Comfort 

The Series 10's slim design and new materials (deep black aluminum and titanium alloy finishes) make it more comfortable to wear, even during sleep. If you care about the watch's appearance and wearing experience, the Series 10 offers better comfort and a more stylish look.

Summary 

Overall, the Apple Watch Series 10 is a more feature-packed and powerful smartwatch, ideal for users looking for top performance, health monitoring, and extended battery life. If you’re after the latest technology and best experience, the Series 10 is undoubtedly the best choice.