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Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 8: Should you upgrade?

The Series 10 delivers key design updates and a powerful new chipset.
By

Published onSeptember 11, 2024

Apple Watch Series 10
MSRP: $399.00
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Positives
Upgraded S10 chipset
Larger 42mm and 46mm case sizes and increased display space
New wide-angle OLED display
Negatives
Limited colorways
Few significant upgrades from last year
Unimproved 18 hour battery claim
Apple Watch Series 8 (Wi-Fi)
MSRP: $399.00
Check price
Positives
Excellent Retina display
Premium design and build
Crash detection
Improved sleep tracking
Plenty of watchOS 9 upgrades
Negatives
Battery life still has not improved
No third-party watch faces

In light of the recently launched Apple Watch Series 10, the Apple Watch Series 8 is now two generations old, but does that mean you should put it out to pasture? Apple’s latest flagship smartwatch upgrades the line’s go-to design with slightly larger case and screen sizes and an upgraded display type. Meanwhile, watchOS 11 packs key improvements that both Series 8 and Series 10 owners call all access. However, the older model’s aging chipset holds it back from certain perks. To find out if it’s worth upgrading, dig into this Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 8 comparison.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 8: At a glance

  • Compared to the Series 8, Series 10 models feature slimmer, lighter builds that are also available in titanium.
  • The Series 10's upgraded design also includes more screen space and new wide-angle OLED displays.
  • The Apple Watch Series 10 packs a higher-performing S10 chipset than the Series 8's S8 silicon.
  • This upgraded chipset also includes a neural engine that powers features like Double Tap, which is not available on the Series 8.
  • Both devices support watchOS 11, though the Series 8 can not provide sleep apnea detection like the Series 10.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 8: Specs

For a complete comparison of the new Apple Watch Series 10 and the still-powerful Series 8, review the table below.

Apple Watch Series 10Apple Watch Series 8
Display
Apple Watch Series 10
LTPO3 OLED Retina
Wide-angle OLED

416 x 496 pixels (46mm)

374 x 446 pixels (42 mm)
Always-on display

Up to 2000 nit brightness
1 nit minimum brightness
Apple Watch Series 8
LTPO OLED Retina

396 x 484 pixels (45mm)

352 x 430 pixels (41 mm)
Always-on display

Up to 1000 nit brightness
Dimensions and weight
Apple Watch Series 10
46mm:
46 x 39 x 9.7mm
Aluminum: 36.4g
Titanium: 41.7g

42mm:
42 x 36 x 9.7mm
Aluminum: 30g
Titanium: 34.4
Apple Watch Series 8
45mm:
45 x 38 x 10.7mm
Aluminum: 38.8g
Stainless steel: 51.5g

41mm:
41 x 35 x 10.7mm
Aluminum: 32g
Stainless steel: 42.3g
Durability
Apple Watch Series 10
WR50
IP6X-certified
Apple Watch Series 8
WR50
IP6X-certified
SoC
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple S10 with 64-bit dual-core processor
Apple W3
Apple U2 chip (Ultra-wideband)
4-core Neural Engine
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple S8 with 64-bit dual-core processor
Apple W3
Apple U1 chip (Ultra-wideband)
RAM
Apple Watch Series 10
1GB
Apple Watch Series 8
1GB
Storage
Apple Watch Series 10
32GB
Apple Watch Series 8
32GB
Battery
Apple Watch Series 10
18 hours
30 min to 80% charge

USB-C magnetic fast charging cable
Apple Watch Series 8
18 hours
45 min to 80% charge

USB-C magnetic fast charging cable
Software
Apple Watch Series 10
WatchOS 11
Apple Watch Series 8
WatchOS 9
Case materials and colors
Apple Watch Series 10
GPS-only, GPS + Cellular
Aluminum: Jet Black, Rose Gold, Silver

GPS + Cellular
Titanium: Slate, Gold, Natural
Apple Watch Series 8
GPS-only, GPS + Cellular
Aluminum: Midnight, Starlight, Silver, (Product) Red

GPS + Cellular
Stainless steel: Graphite, Silver, Gold
Connectivity
Apple Watch Series 10
GPS/GNSS
GLONASS
Galileo
QZSS
BeiDou
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz and 5GHz
Bluetooth 5.0
Apple Watch Series 8
GPS/GNSS
GLONASS
Galileo
QZSS
BeiDou
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz and 5GHz
Bluetooth 5.0

Sensors
Apple Watch Series 10
Always-on altimeter
Blood oxygen sensor
ECG
Third-generation optical heart sensor
Temperature sensor
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Ambient light sensor
Water temperature sensor
Depth gauge
Apple Watch Series 8
Always-on altimeter
Blood oxygen sensor
ECG
Third-generation optical heart sensor
Temperature sensor
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Ambient light sensor

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 8: Design, size comparison, and colors

The Apple Watch Series 10 features larger, thinner cases than the  Series 8.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

In terms of basic shape and styling, Apple doesn’t venture too far from its established formula. Both the Series 10 and Series 8 feature rounded square watch cases, interchangeable bands, a back button, a Digital Crown, and a colorful display. However, this launch season, the company beefed up its design with a 1mm size bump on both models. While the Series 8 is available in 41mm and 46mm cases, the Series 10 landed with 42mm and 46mm options. The builds are also lighter, slimmer, and available in aluminum or titanium, (rather than aluminum or stainless steel).

As far as colorways, the Series 10 does feel scaled back to the basics. In aluminum, the device is available in Rose Gold, Silver, or a new Jet Black. Titanium Series 10 models are available in polished Gold, Slate, or Natural finishes. Aluminum models of the Series 8 are available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and Product Red. Stainless steel Series 8 models can be found in Graphite, Silver, or Gold. In other words, neither line offers a broad range of fun colors but all the options are attractive.

The Apple Watch Series 10 features larger case and screen sizes as well as upgraded wide-angle displays.

Aside from their larger case sizes, Series 10 models also feature new wide-angled OLED displays that are up to 40% brighter when viewed from an angle. The displays are also slightly larger than those of the Series 8, with a wider aspect ratio and more rounded corners.

Finally, Series 10 watches also offer a redesigned charging coil to provide users with faster charging speeds. Once on the charger, the devices will reach 80% battery in just 30 minutes, roughly 15 minutes faster than the Series 8’s charging specs.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 8: Features

An Apple Watch Series 10 on a user's wrist displays the App Library.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

Regarding features, the most important difference between the Series 8 and Series 10 is the latter’s upgraded S10 chipset. Like the S9 found on the Series 9, the S10 equips a powerful neural engine that supports features like onboard Siri processing and Double Tap gesture control, which allows users to complete simple tasks on-device single-handedly. The Series 10 also brings back the same ultra-wideband chip introduced on the Series 9, which provides more precision within Apple’s Find My Phone features.

New to the scene is sleep apnea detection, which debuts on the Series 10 and will roll back to the Series 9 as well, but will not hit Series 8 devices. The Series 10 also boasts a water temperature sensor and depth gauge to support Apple’s Depth app as well as a new Tides app. This is a bit of a niche upgrade, but it does further differentiate the latest generation from previous ones.

The Series 10's powerful chipset supports significant features that won't make their way to the Series 8 via future software updates.

Meanwhile, both Series 8 and Series 10 users can access all the new upgrades headed to wrists via watchOS 11, including tweaks to Smart Stacks and updates to photo watch faces. The new software also introduces an extensive Translate app, a helpful new Vitals app, and greater customization related to Apple’s famous activity rings. For those looking for a gym companion, Apple also introduced Training Load, a new metric intended to help users better balance their training efforts.

Beyond these examples, the two generations share similar core experiences. Each boasts highly accurate health and fitness tracking sensors, a robust smartwatch toolkit, and unmatched third-party app support. They also both offer 18-hour battery life claims, though we find Apple Watches often exceed those claims. Both also pack safety features, music storage, and on-wrist phone call support. Notably though, unlike the Series 8, the Series 10 allows users to play music and media via its built-in speaker.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 8: Price and availability

An Apple Watch Series 10 displays the watch face Flux
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

Apple Watch Series 10 42mm GPS: Starts at $399
Apple Watch Series 10 42mm GPS + Cellular: Starts at $499
Apple Watch Series 10 46mm GPS: Starts at $429
Apple Watch Series 10 46mm GPS + Cellular: Starts at $529

Apple Watch Series 8 41mm: Starts at $299
Apple Watch Series 8 45mm: Starts at $329

True to form, the Apple Watch Series 10 launched at a starting price of $399. Opting for a 46mm model over the 42mm runs shoppers an extra $30. It then costs another $100 for a cellular model rather than a GPS one. These starting prices apply to the aluminum builds. The Series 10’s new titanium options start at $699. The Series 10 is now available for preorder, and will officially hit shelves starting September 20.

Current pricing for the Apple Watch Series 8 is a little harder to nail down. Though the devices originally launched at traditional prices, they can now be found a various price reductions thanks to the existence of the Series 9 and Series 10. We expect these prices to drop even further as the Series 10 officially hits general availability. Shoppers can grab a great deal on Series 8 from third-party retailers like Amazon.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 8: Should you upgrade?

An Apple Watch Series 10 face down display the device's sensors.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

The Apple Watch Series 10 isn’t a huge upgrade compared to its predecessor, but it does stand out a bit more when compared to two generations ago. The difference in processing power between the Series 8 and Series 10 means that some features simply can’t be supported on the older devices. It’s never fun to upgrade a device after just two years, but fortunately, Apple also offers users some useful design tweaks for their trouble, including a larger more impressive display. It’s also likely we will see more use cases for the S10 chip.

Would you upgrade from the Apple Watch Series 8 to the Apple Watch Series 10?

218 votes

With that said, the Series 8 is still a very capable smartwatch and none of the 10’s new tools are necessarily deal breakers. If you don’t have sleep apnea concerns, and you aren’t hankering for Double Tap or a depth gauge, you can probably stick with your current device. The Series 8 packs a display that is plenty big and updating to watchOS 11 will already feel like an upgrade.

See price at Amazon
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple Watch Series 10
Increased display size
Thinner, sleeker build
Faster charging
See price at Amazon
Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS, 41mm)
17%off
Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS, 41mm)

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 8: FAQ

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Series 8 both feature water resistance that makes them safe for showering and swimming to depths up to 50 meters.

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Series 8 feature 18-hour battery life claims.

No, the Apple Watch Series 10 cannot measure blood pressure.

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