Apple Watch Series 10 Still Competes at $250 in 2026 as Series 12 Adds 24-Hour Battery
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Oct 13
Apple Watch Series 10 Still Competes at $250 in 2026 as Series 12 Adds 24-Hour Battery
3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Oct 13
Summary
$250 renewed pricing makes the 2024 Apple Watch Series 10 a plausible buy in 2026, especially for shoppers who do not need the latest hardware.
Series 10 still runs the latest watchOS and keeps key features including a 2,000-nit OLED display, ECG, sleep apnea alerts, crash detection and Apple Intelligence support.
The trade-off is longevity: Apple Watch models often get only four to six years of major updates, and the two-year-old Series 10 already shows some sluggishness in app launches and scrolling.
Series 12 justifies its $400 price with an S11 chip, 4GB of RAM, heart-rate checks every five seconds instead of five minutes, more accurate step tracking and up to 24 hours of battery life versus 18.
The verdict hinges on discount size because Apple no longer sells Series 10 directly, leaving buyers to weigh refurbished-condition savings against shorter support and fewer upgrades.