The two Apple Watch Series 10 changes I hope Apple announces today

Apple’s big fall event is nearly here. The “It’s Glowtime” event will likely bring us the iPhone 16 lineup, as well as the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. It’s going to be a big show, and the anticipation is high.

While the iPhone 16 is going to be the big highlight of the show, let’s not forget that the Apple Watch hits its 10th anniversary today, September 9, the day of the event. This should be a significant update for the Apple Watch, and there are whispers that we may see a new design and even a new band attachment system.

As someone who has been using the Apple Watch for the past decade, I’m eager to see what the Apple Watch Series 10 has in store. Here are a few things I’m most excited to see later today.

A new design and a bigger display

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Series 8 showing the ambient displays.
The Apple Watch Series 9 (left) and Apple Watch Series 8 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

According to what we know so far, the Apple Watch Series 10 could be getting a new design. Reports suggest that it will become thinner and have a new size: 49mm, with the 45mm becoming the “small” one.

We’ve had the same overall design for the Apple Watch for the past 10 years, and I think it’s ripe for an aesthetic refresh. While I don’t mind the square look of the Apple Watch, I would say that it has been a bit “chunky” in terms of thickness. A thinner Apple Watch body would help make it less bulky, and having larger sizes means bigger displays, which is always a good thing.

It would definitely be interesting if the new sizes were 45mm for the small one and 49mm for the large one. That would be one less advantage that the Apple Watch Ultra would have over the standard Apple Watch, though the Ultra would still have other features that are not available in the base model.

In the past, I’ve preferred the smaller sizes, but ever since I got the first Apple Watch Ultra, I’ve changed my mind. Though larger watches may look a bit odd on smaller wrists like mine, I find the practicality of having a big display on my wrist worth the trade-off. You can have more complications on your Apple Watch face with faces like Modular Ultra, and that means more information and data in a single glance at your wrist. It’s also easier to see more of my notifications, messages, and other information.

It seems that the Apple Watch has just gotten bigger and bigger over the years, and honestly, that’s fine. For a small computer on your wrist, it just makes sense to go that route. It’s not fine jewelry.

An easier way to attach bands

The Apple Watch Series 9 seen from the side on a person's wrist.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

There have also been rumors about the Apple Watch Series 10 possibly having a new watch band system. This new system would be magnetic and would likely remove the cutout on the body that currently exists for attaching bands. This would also lead to more space for internal components, such as larger batteries. Who doesn’t want more battery life?

I love the idea of a magnetic band attachment system. Though the current system works fine, sometimes I struggle with third-party bands, as they could have a more snug fit or whatnot. And sometimes I have a hard time with the button for releasing bands.

Apple has also done wonders with magnets; I can’t live without MagSafe on my iPhone at this point. I would love to have magnetic bands that require no effort to attach and even remove — it might mean I change my bands out more frequently. However, I’m sure that the reliability of third-party bands depends on how strong the magnets used are, similar to some MagSafe iPhone cases, which are way too weak.

Of course, switching over to a new band attachment system also means that the past decade of Apple Watch bands would be rendered useless. I’m not looking forward to that, as I’ve accumulated quite a lot of bands (that’s a lot of money!), but it’s still exciting.

A lot to look forward to

Official announcement graphic for Apple's iPhone 16 event.
Apple

Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event is sure to be exciting for the future of the iPhone and Apple Watch. I’m excited about the iPhone 16, as the entire lineup will allegedly have a new Capture button. As someone who takes way too many photos, I can’t wait to use that.

Apple will undoubtedly make many exciting announcements later today during its big launch event. We’ll be covering all of the exciting news as it happens, so make sure to stay tuned. The It’s Glowtime event officially kicks off at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.