10 years of the Apple Watch: From a wrist accessory to a necessity

It feels like just yesterday the first Apple Watch landed on our wrists as a shiny, futuristic, and a little unsure of what it wanted to be. Back in 2015, it was more fashion-forward than fitness-focused, with a gold Edition variant priced higher than most MacBooks. Fast forward ten years, and the Apple Watch is one of the most refined wearables out there, tracking workouts, sensing illness, and even calling emergency services when we can’t.

The original model was Apple getting its foot in the door. It introduced the now-familiar Digital Crown, Taptic Engine, and customizable watch faces. But performance was limited. Apps were slow, and the smartwatch leaned heavily on the iPhone for most tasks. Even so, it was a glimpse into the future, and for many, a fun extension of their iOS experience.

From pretty to practical

A year later, in 2016, Apple quietly addressed the pain points. Series 1 offered faster performance, while Series 2 made its mark with built-in GPS and swim-proof water resistance. Finally, the Watch could leave your pocket behind during a run or a dip in the pool. This was the moment it started pivoting from wrist candy to workout partner.

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That shift became even more pronounced in 2017, when Series 3 arrived. This was the first Apple Watch that could truly go solo. Thanks to an optional LTE model, users could take calls, send messages, and stream music straight from their wrist. Siri got a voice too, and the overall experience finally felt more responsive. For many, this was the model that turned the Watch into a must-have.

Redesigned and reimagined

Then came Series 4 in 2018, and with it, the Watch’s first major redesign. The display grew, the bezels shrank, and the device itself got thinner and sleeker. The Series 4 brought ECG functionality and fall detection, nudging the Watch into serious health territory. What began as a fun gadget was now capable of potentially saving lives.

Apple didn’t change the look in 2019, but Series 5 introduced a feature users had been requesting for years, an always-on display. It quietly made the Watch feel more like a traditional timepiece. And with a built-in compass, it was now more helpful for those who liked to wander off the beaten path.

Smoother, sharper, faster

2020 was the year of options. The flagship Series 6 added blood oxygen monitoring, a brighter display, and the zippy S6 chip. But it also marked the debut of the SE which was a more affordable Watch that ditched the fancy sensors but kept the essentials. Apple was now reaching a wider audience than ever before.

In 2021, Series 7 offered refinements rather than revolutions. The screen grew once again, now stretching nearly to the edge with subtle curves. Charging was faster too, though battery life stayed about the same. It felt more polished, like Apple was smoothing out the rough edges.

Go big, or go ultra

The following year, Apple went big. Literally. While Series 8 brought temperature sensing and crash detection, and the SE saw a speed boost, the surprise was the rugged new Apple Watch Ultra. Built with a 49mm titanium case, it was aimed at explorers, athletes, and divers, complete with an Action Button, siren, and multi-day battery life. This watch took this up a notch, especially considering this was not just an evolutionary release.

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In 2023, Series 9 upped the ante with a new S9 chip and double-tap gesture controls. Siri requests were now handled directly on the device, making things even snappier. Ultra 2 kept its adventure-ready form, but now with a blindingly bright 3,000-nit display and improved power efficiency, all while inching toward carbon-neutral production.

At the ten-year mark, Apple launched the Apple Watch 10 in 2024. It was a sleeker, slimmer model with a new magnetic band system and the efficient S10 chip under the hood. Health features saw subtle improvements too, and whispers of future blood pressure tracking felt closer than ever. Alongside it, the updates to the Ultra brought refined performance, better battery management, and further polished the rugged aesthetic. 

Looking back, the Apple Watch has matured in every way. It has come from being a stylish sidekick to a health-first, do-it-all companion. Whether you’re scaling peaks, tracking sleep, or just trying to close your rings, the Apple Watch isn’t like a regular smartwatch anymore. It’s a decade-long evolution on your wrist.