This is the fourth in a series of posts reviewing Apple’s 2024 across their major product lines. I did this last year and you can read last year’s Apple Watch report card here.

Series 10

It’s always fun when we get a new Apple Watch design, and this year’s model delivered a pretty decent one. I think the jet black aluminum model is a really good way for people to get the glossy look of the more expensive models for $300 less, and the thinner body is of course welcome. The only downside on the physical front is the continued inching up of the face size. If you’re a fan of small watches, you’re surely going to be at least a little annoyed that the size keeps creeping up, with the small Series 10 now being as large as the original large Apple Watch.

Beyond the physical changes, there wasn’t a ton here. The new OLED screen sports better always-on brightness, especially when viewed off angle, and the Ultra’s depth app and water temperature sensor have come to this model as well. There’s also faster charging, delivering a 0-80% charge in 30 minutes, which is nice and twice as fast as you get from the Ultra 2 (although the Ultra 2 also has more than double the battery life).

In general I think this was a pretty solid update, and much like we saw with the iPhone, several features from the more expensive model came down the line to this one and I think that’s great.

Ultra 2

Apple’s website will put an orange “New” badge under products that are, well, new, but we got the very rare “New Color” badge on the Ultra 2 this year. That’s because the Ultra didn’t get a traditional update this year, but it did change a bit.

As I predicted last year, Apple did add a dark titanium color to the lineup, they just did it in the same Ultra 2 that they’ve been selling since last year.

We also got some new features in the Ultra 2 through a watchOS update, including being able to play music and podcasts from the built-in speaker. It’s always nice to get new stuff for a product you’ve already bought, so this is a net good for existing owners, but probably a bummer for those ready to buy an Ultra and were hoping to buy into a new model this year rather than buying an already-one-year-old version.

Truthfully, the only thing the Ultra 2 is lacking is the new S10 SoC from the Series 10, which honestly probably isn’t a big deal, but in theory this does mean software updates will end a year earlier than the Series 10.

SE

The Apple Watch SE didn’t get any changes at all this year. The current model released in 2022 with the same chipset as the Series 8 and Ultra 1, which isn’t bad. There were 3 years between the first and second generation SE watches, which happens to be the same cadence as the iPhone SE, so it’s not a big surprise that this didn’t get touched in 2024. I think it’s a fine low-end watch for kids and the like, so I’m not personally bothered by this one right now.

What I want in 2025

You’ll be shocked to hear it, but I expect all 3 Apple Watch lines to get updates this September. The Series 11 will sport the same form factor as the current model, it will get a new S11 SiP, at least one of the color options will change, and it’s been a few years since a sensor was added to the watch so let’s say a new health sensor of some sort will be included.

I think the Ultra line has been more successful than anyone expected and it won’t take another year off, so we’ll see an Ultra 3 this year with all the same features as the Series 11, but it will also get some exclusive features all to itself. I’m not tapped into the extreme sports world enough to make a great prediction here, but my gut tells me we could see something with water sports or scuba diving, enhancing the existing functions that are already a big part of Apple’s pitch for the Ultra. We may also see something with “training readiness” or something of the like. We have a version of this with the new Vitals app, but my understanding is that this is a bit remedial compared to other rugged watches, so maybe there’s room to grow.

I also think the SE will get it’s every-three-years update in 2025 and will come in the Series 7/8/9 form factor. It too will get the S11 chip so that it can live on for several years in the lineup without issue, and I’m really mixed on the always-on functionality. I don’t think it’s technically difficult for them to do it, but I also worry that including it will make the SE and Series 11 feel too similar and screw up Apple’s product line differentiation so they won’t include it. I’d love to see it, but product segmentation might take that off the table.

How is the Apple Watch as we exit 2024?

Despite only one new model coming out this year, I still feel like the Apple Watch is in a pretty good place right now. Do I think someone buying a year-old Ultra 2 is going to be disappointed? Absolutely not! Will an SE buyer? Maybe, but honestly probably not and they’ll have a watch that will serve them well for a few years easily.

Long-time Birchtree readers will know that for a few years I was one of the biggest voices online talking about the Apple Watch. I had a real passion for the product and I really thought it was going to be something special. I do think it ended up being a really good product, but it’s much more of an iPhone accessory than the stand-alone thing I once thought it would become. I really like my Apple Watch, but I mostly use it for checking the time, tracking workouts, and seeing notifications that I’ll interact with on my phone. From that perspective, it’s not a product that needs to be massively changed year over year. Also, given no one is allowed to make a remotely competitive product like it on iOS, there’s really no competition for iPhone users who want a smart watch, so there isn’t a ton of pressure to make massive changes either.

So despite previously being a big part of my online persona, I sit here at the end of 2024 without any big complaints or desires for the future of this product. I’ll continue to use one regularly and I hope they continue to receive solid, iterative updates, but I don’t have any grand dreams about what this product could be one day. It’s a watch that shows me health data and iMessage notifications and maybe that’s enough for me.