Tech Friday: The Apple Watch Series 10 requires me to adapt
Posted By RichC on January 3, 2025
Take this post will a grain of salt since I’m new to using an Apple Watch. That said, I’ve been an Apple computer user since 1986 and iPhone user for over a decade. My wife is on her second Apple Watch, my best friend on his third and my son Taylor has been using an Apple Watch for a few years now … but since I’ve been overly satisfied with the Fitbit Versa 2 for the last 6 years, I’ve been in no rush to make a change.
This past year though, I can see the writing is on the wall now that Google purchased of Fitbit and is pushing full-featured smartwatch users to their Pixel watches (great for Android users … but so good for Apple Fitbit users). Perhaps Google will still keep the slender and simpler “workout trackers” for a bit longer, but who really knows?
The first thing for me come to grip with in learning to use this new Apple Watch Series 10 present, is that it does not have the battery life of the Fitbit Versa. Four days was the norm on the Versa 2 … and I’m already finding myself eliminating “notifications” and thinking about cutting out some “complications” too. I’m still not sure I can make a charge last for a full day and still sleep with the watch on at night (18 hours is Apple’s estimate). Still one great thing about the Series 10 is the much quicker charging time, so we’ll see.
Unlike the “always-on” display of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, this is not something that seems do-able on the Series 10 IF trying to stretch the battery a full day. So that’s the first setting to change … which will be the same for me as on the Fitbit Versa 2, so no loss. I’m still planning to keep the “Wake on Wrist Raise” at this point and am trying to cramp as much simple data as I can on the “Infograph” watch face (photo). Since I’m accustom to seeing “battery” and “weather info” on my Versa … I’m planning on keeping it for now.
A couple new “complications” on the Apple Watch for me will be seeing the Sunrise/Sunset and Wind indication. As with most long term Fitbit users, I have focused on hitting 10,000 steps each day, so am including that in the bottom sub-dial rather than seeing the normal Apple Activity Rings (which are easy to pull up in Smart Stacks, a nice feature although I’ve yet to learn how to customize it).
For now, the Apple Watch is an upgrade with a learning curve. Still I’m hoping to be able to reply to messages and add a “like” here or there when using social media (keeping a few notifications for now). Stay tuned to figuring out IF I can use SiriusXM “somehow” with the watch … but am doubtful. ☹️
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