Apple Watch Series 10 could get longer battery life thanks to this big upgrade

Chris Hall
·2 min read
Apple Watch Series 9 review.
Apple Watch Series 9 review.

Quick Summary

The Apple Watch Series 10 is rumoured to use a new LTPO OLED display type that is more power efficient, potentially leading to longer battery life.

This change could allow Apple to add more functions to the watch without sacrificing battery life.

The Apple Watch is generally heralded as the best smartwatch you can buy, but it comes with a big limitation: battery life. While daily charging is acceptable for some, increasing the stamina of the Apple Watch will be popular with customers, while giving Apple a little more freedom to increase certain functionalities.

The rumoured change is pretty technical, with the details coming from The Elec, a Korean publication that reports on technology industries. The source claims that Apple is planning to move to a new LTPO OLED display for Apple Watch Series 10 – expected to be announced in September 2024.

The Apple Watch already uses an LTPO-type OLED display, allowing for adapting refresh rates and the always-on function. It was introduced in Apple Watch Series 5 and you'll find it listed in the specs for current Apple Watch models.

But the makeup of this new OLED panel is said to be more power efficient and will be used to "reduce leakage current". The evolved display type might also find its way to the iPhone, which is why, according to The Elec, the industry is interested in it.

What do we know about Apple Watch Series 10?

The new display configuration that Apple is expected to use on the Series 10 is said to come from LG Display, but other details are currently sketchy.

There has been a rumour that Apple will make a substantial change to the design with a move to Watch X naming to celebrate 10 years of Apple's wearable. That redesign could involve a new strap system, while it's thought the new Watch could be thinner and lighter.

It's a safe assumption that it will run watchOS 11, although that won't be limited to just the new model and we won't see what new features it offers until WWDC at the earliest.

There have been rumours for some time that Apple might increase the health options supported by Apple Watch, potentially including blood pressure monitoring, or blood glucose monitoring.

As is the way with Apple devices, we won't know for sure what's happening until Tim Cook takes to the stage to make the announcement.