After much deliberation, an upgrade to the Apple Watch was made, transitioning from the Series 6 to the Series 10. This transition reveals a mix of significant and minor enhancements. While the essence of the Apple Watch remains unchanged, the new model is noticeably bigger and lighter, making it comfortable enough to wear overnight for nightly sleep analysis. The motivation for the upgrade was primarily due to my previous device’s depleting battery, but it has turned out to be a fortunate decision.

Beyond the obvious form factor changes, several subtle yet impactful upgrades have emerged that don’t receive ample attention. Many of these enhancements aren’t limited to the Series 10 exclusively, but they are particularly prominent on this model. Here are some of the conveniences discovered post-upgrade.

A New Era for the Speaker

Previously, the Apple Watch’s speaker capabilities were quite limited, serving mainly for calls and notifications. While I appreciated the ability to take calls without reaching for my phone, the Series 10 has expanded audio functionality significantly.

With the latest model, it’s now possible to stream a variety of audio content directly through the watch’s speakers. Whether utilizing Apple’s applications like Music and Podcasts or third-party options such as Spotify (available only to Premium users), the speaker offers a new level of usability. For avid media users, it’s worth exploring to see if your favorite apps support this feature.

A particularly pleasant surprise has been the compatibility with Audible and Zenitizer, a preferred meditation app. Now, meditation sessions can commence without reaching for the iPhone. Zenitizer, a guidance-free meditation tool, can effortlessly play background nature sounds through the Apple Watch’s speaker, enhancing the experience.

The Enhanced Photos Watch Face

Finding the perfect watch face has been a challenge over the past decade. Designing a face that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional can be quite tricky.

With that in mind, the newly updated Photos watch face stands out as a top choice. Users should explore this fresh version in watchOS 11. To get started, locate it in the iPhone Watch app. Here, options include cycling through images of nature, cities, or loved ones, with smart suggestions for family names for a personalized touch. The advice is to maintain the clock font as Dynamic, allowing for some additional complications to be added.

This setting guarantees a daily rotation of curated photos, beautifully framed for the watch display. The font will cleverly integrate with the images, providing delightful visual surprises, like appearing against the backdrop of a sunset or amidst a loved one’s hairstyle.

Widgets: A Functional Upgrade

For those who find complications on the watch face limiting, widgets offer a functional alternative. Introduced with watchOS 10, widgets bring a compact representation of iPhone widgets to the watch interface. They are easily accessible by swiping up on the watch face or by using the Digital Crown.

The first available widget provides shortcuts, paving the way for user customization. The Apple Watch will intuitively display relevant widgets based on context or the time of day, while the option to pin favorites is also available.

Widgets have become a crucial part of daily interactions on the watch, enhancing access to the Workouts app, weather updates, meditation timers, and fitness tracking details, among other functionalities. A consideration, however, is the limited capacity to add only a maximum of eight widgets. Currently utilizing seven, an extension of this limit would be a beneficial improvement in future updates.

Enjoying Offline Playback and Independence

Even without a cellular model, the freedom to leave the iPhone behind while depending solely on the Apple Watch has proved enjoyable. The connection between the two devices can be unreliable at times, which has encouraged adaptation to using the watch independently.

The standout feature while using the watch alone? The capability to load media and podcasts directly onto the device. The process may not be instantaneous, but generally opening a compatible media app on both the watch and iPhone provides guidance for synchronizing audio files. Overcast, a favored podcast app, handles this well. Although the syncing can take a while, users can enable automatic downloads for the latest episodes from their preferred playlists when connected to Wi-Fi and charging.

In the Music app, to download playlists, simply choose the three-dot Menu icon and select Download. The Podcasts app will also automatically download episodes lined up in the Up Next queue but offers customization options for consistently downloading certain shows directly to the watch from the Watch app on the iPhone.

The Double-Tap Gesture: A Handy Function

Finally, a noteworthy feature is the double-tap gesture, available on the Series 9 and newer models, which has proven beneficial in various situations. This feature allows users to tap their index finger and thumb together twice in the air to execute key actions on the screen. Whether answering calls, ending them, waking the watch, or scrolling through lists, this functionality simplifies interactions, especially when multitasking.