I’ve examined nearly each Apple Watch mannequin going again to the unique, so I’ve seen its sports activities monitoring talents evolve and enhance faster than many of the smartwatch competitors. In the event you’re a runner, personal an iPhone and need a smartwatch to run with, there are few higher choices than Apple’s.
I do know, as a result of I’ve examined just about many of the alternate options from the likes of Garmin, Samsung and others as effectively.
If I needed to decide an Apple Watch I’d belief to trace my runs reliably it could be the Watch Extremely or the Extremely 2. I’ve used each for months and months of coaching, raced on marathon programs famend for wreaking havoc with GPS like London and Chicago, and the Extremely stood as much as the duty.
When the Apple Watch Sequence 10 was revealed, with its greater display screen I anticipated it could match the Extremely for sports activities options, given it had grown a bit nearer in measurement to Apple’s costlier Watch. That wasn’t the case although.
We didn’t get Extremely-matching battery life or one other essential function for outside runners – dual-band GPS, or Precision Begin mode as Apple calls it. This featrure stays Extremely-only, for now no less than, and is about enhancing the accuracy of monitoring your actions whenever you’re exterior. In contrast to single-band setups, it may well talk to supported satellite tv for pc positioning methods over a number of frequencies to spice up monitoring accuracy.
The Sequence 10 does share some {hardware} similarities with the Extremely 2, like packing Apple’s newest technology optical coronary heart price sensor and providing you with entry to software program like superior operating metrics, the power to construct customized exercises and in addition get a greater sense of how robust or gentle your present coaching is.
With a spot secured within the 2024 Manchester Half Marathon, because of Puma, I believed it was the best alternative to see how the Sequence 10 fared the place knowledge like GPS accuracy actually issues.
With the brand new all-black Watch Watch Extremely 2 on my non-dominant wrist and the 46mm model of the Sequence 10 on the wrist I normally look all the way down to preserve a verify on my progress, I put Apple’s newest to the check to see what it was product of. Right here’s how I acquired on.
Large love for a much bigger show
I believe it’s honest to say {that a} huge a part of the rationale the newest Sequence 10 now is available in its largest show measurement has one thing to do with the arrival of the Watch Extremely. I wasn’t wholly satisfied about Apple’s determination to go greater on the show entrance with the Extremely, particularly given I’m the proprietor of fairly slime wrists, nevertheless it truly didn’t that lengthy to make the adjustment.
in case you like the thought of operating with an Apple Watch that’s greater, however simply doesn’t really feel greater, that’s what utilizing the Sequence 10 felt prefer to me.
The 46mm model remains to be smaller than the 49mm Extremely 2, however that further display screen actual property means loads by way of letting these operating stats unfold out extra. It made glancing down mid-race to verify progress noticeably extra snug than earlier non-Extremely Apple Watches.
You do nonetheless have extra display screen on the Extremely 2 and in circumstances like this, extra display screen is certainly higher, however the Sequence 10 has elevated that measurement in a extra delicate manner that’s nonetheless very a lot in line with the texture of earlier Sequence Watches. The Extremely 2 is extra dramatic by way of that measurement shift and in case you like the thought of operating with an Apple Watch that’s greater, however simply doesn’t really feel greater, that’s what utilizing the Sequence 10 felt prefer to me.
The opposite huge design facet right here is that you just don’t get an Motion button on the Sequence 10 such as you do on the Extremely. On condition that Apple determined to develop the Sequence 10, I believed it may need thought of including one, however that wasn’t the case.
I do know that almost all runners (together with myself) like extra buttons, however on this explicit situation, I didn’t miss it an excessive amount of. I discover the Motion button principally helpful for pulling up maps from third-party apps that provide integration, or utilizing the backtrack mode when exploring new areas, however throughout a race, I discovered I might reside with out it.
Good knowledge throughout and post-race
After I’m racing I’m primarily involved with a couple of bits of knowledge. One is maintaining a tally of my operating tempo in real-time to make sure I’m sticking to it and can give me a greater thought of the sort of time I’m more likely to cross that end line.
It’s additionally helpful to see the common tempo alongside it to assist ensure that I’m on monitor for my aim. Then there’s after all distance monitoring and with all programs inserting markers at key distances and even every mile or kilometre, it’s straightforward to see in case your Watch is in line as you run previous these markers.
With the Sequence 10 and the Extremely 2 on my wrist, I might inform early on that the 2 had been intently matched
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
With the Sequence 10 and the Extremely 2 on my wrist, I might inform early on that the 2 had been intently matched up by way of these stats. After I hit these distance markers, each watches weren’t far behind it and sometimes matched them.
As I acquired deeper into the race, I began to see some disparity when the Watches vibrated and informed me I’d accomplished one other kilometre of the course. That is the place the Watch Extremely 2’s added Precision Begin mode appeared to think about, significantly operating round a metropolis with tall buildings that inevitably impacts the GPS monitoring accuracy.
About midway by the race, the Sequence 10 and Extremely 2 weren’t totally in sync, however the Sequence 10 additionally wasn’t wildly off from the course markers or the Extremely 2. After I hit cease on the end line, that is what the Sequence 10 and the Extremely 2 displayed on display screen:
Apple Watch Sequence 10 – Distance: 21.19km (13.2miles) | Common tempo: 4.14/km
Apple Watch Extremely 2 – Distance: 21.30km/13.2miles | Common tempo: 4.13/km
Each Watches recorded barely over the 21.1km/13.1-mile distance of the official half marathon distance, however they weren’t off by a regarding quantity, with each telling largely the identical story.
You usually by no means run in a straight line in a race as you weave out and in of different runners, so some variance is predicted.
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
The typical tempo knowledge I usually take note of wasn’t that totally different both. Digging into the tempo of various race sections (see above), whereas they didn’t match up completely, they had been just a few seconds off. And as you possibly can see, the center price figures had been almost an identical your entire time.
Delving into the brand new superior operating metrics which Apple now gives throughout each Sequence 10 and the Extremely 2, the info informed me an identical story concerning the run. Metrics like vertical oscillation, which tells you the way a lot you bounce throughout a run, and the size of my stride had been comparable on each watches as proven under:
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
For GPS accuracy fiends, pulling the GPS tracks out from every Watch and evaluating did present some variations the place each Watches had their struggles precisely capturing the route reliably, however that was a bit extra of the case with the Sequence 10 the place tracks had been barely wobbly in locations, however I used to be principally proud of what I noticed.
General, the Sequence 10 didn’t really feel vastly out of sync with what the Extremely 2 recorded or what my official time acknowledged after the race.
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
Race-fit battery
There was a time when the battery life on the Apple Watch wasn’t match for operating longer distance races. Particularly in case you had them strapped on all morning main as much as a race as it could suck up juice earlier than you even acquired transferring.
Fortunately, that’s not the case anymore and the Sequence 10 had no issues making it by a morning of on the point of run, racing and making it by the remainder of the day too.
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
the Sequence 10 had no issues making it by a morning of on the point of run, racing and making it by the remainder of the day too
I made a decision to completely cost each Watches the evening earlier than after which change them off so I had them at 100% for your entire day. With a 6am begin, I switched the watches again on at 7am. By the point I used to be initially line, they’d each dropped to 98%.
By the top of the run, the Sequence 10 dropped to 79% and the Extremely 2 was at 86%. I ought to add that the Extremely 2 was paired with an exterior coronary heart price monitor.
That’s a 19% drop on the Sequence 10 and 12% on the Extremely 2. Apple suggests a 7-hour GPS battery life for the Sequence 10 and 12-hour GPS battery life for the Extremely 2.
That Sequence 10 efficiency would recommend a barely decrease battery life whenever you’re placing the GPS to the check. It does appear to be it could nonetheless have sufficient to make it by a marathon, although might wrestle on an extended one going over 5 hours relying in your tempo.
The decision
So, having strapped on the Apple Watch Sequence 10 with a bit scepticism about whether or not it was going to match the Apple Watch Extremely 2 for efficiency, I used to be truly shocked at how effectively it did.
I’ve at all times had a great expertise with earlier Sequence instalments, however with the emergence of the Extremely 2, I believed there may need been a much bigger gulf between the 2. That’s not how issues labored out.
run-lovers who need a fantastic smartwatch or are set on Apple Watch don’t essentially must spend huge on the Extremely 2 to get it
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
Mike Sawh
I believe the combination of a much bigger show on the Sequence 10 makes it a extra snug, greater look ahead to runs and non-running time and I didn’t discover like I actually missed the Motion button both, although I’ll at all times take extra buttons from a run and exercise monitoring standpoint.
When it got here to delivering the info the place it mattered, the Sequence 10 did rather well and whereas it didn’t fairly match the Extremely 2 in all departments, crucially, each informed comparable tales concerning the race and ought to be enough for many runners.
Given the 46mm Sequence 10 sits at £429/$429 and the Extremely 2 is available in at £799/$799, I’ve not seen something vital to say the Sequence 10 is a massively inferior Apple Watch in relation to taking it out for runs and racing.
The largest positive aspects can be that greater battery life and that upping in GPS accuracy, which can repay in more difficult monitoring circumstances, however the Sequence 10 was a strong performer and proves run-lovers who need a fantastic smartwatch or are set on Apple Watch don’t essentially must spend huge on the Extremely 2 or await the Apple Watch Extremely 3 to get it.
