The Apple Series 10 is displayed during an event at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 12, 2023.
Loren Elliott | Reuters
The new Apple Watch Series 10 hits stores on Friday. I’ve been testing it for the past five days, and there are enough refinements to appeal to first timers and those considering an upgrade.
I wasn’t necessarily excited when Apple announced the new watches earlier this month. The company revealed a slightly thinner design, somewhat larger screens and some software features that will apply to earlier models. But taken together, there’s a good amount to like.
The Apple Watch is part of the company’s Wearables, Home and Accessories unit, which reported $8.1 billion in revenue during the fiscal third quarter, down 2% from a year ago. CEO Tim Cook said at the time of the report that two-thirds of Apple Watch buyers are still new to the device.
The Apple Watch Series 10, as its name implies, marks the tenth year of the Apple Watch. It’s the best yet, even if some changes are minimal.
What’s good
The charging is great. The Series 10 has new coils under the back glass that charge it to 80% in 30 minutes. I could get plenty of juice for the day ahead by plugging it in while reading a book or taking a shower. A full charge lasts 18 hours, which has been standard since the Series 1.
The screens are slightly bigger, which is nice for typing and selecting songs in a playlist or tapping buttons. I’ve been using my personal Apple Watch Series Ultra for the past couple of years and have adjusted to it, but the bigger display makes a big difference when you’re trying to tap out a quick response to a text message.
I like the new speakers that allow you to listen to podcasts, music or audiobooks without using headphones. I don’t find myself often in a spot without my phone or my AirPods, but sometimes I leave my phone charging downstairs. It was nice to keep listening to part of an audiobook I had started in the car while I was putting my clothes away after work.
Apple added new features such as an option to detect sleep apnea, which received Food and Drug Administration approval Monday and will be ready when the watches start reaching consumers on Friday. It’s already available for the Apple Watch Series 9. I’m excited to try it since I’ve been treated for sleep apnea in the past and I’m aware of how problematic it can be if undetected.
Finally, I love the move from steel to titanium on the higher-end models. Apple’s polished steel versions were always my favorite but they were heavier than the aluminum options. The titanium is much lighter.
I really like the appearance of the shiny black aluminum option. It looks more expensive than the matte silver or rose gold models but starts at the same price: $399.
What’s bad
The Series 10 is thinner than earlier Apple Watches, which weren’t particularly thick. I’d be fine with the prior thickness if it meant longer battery life.
That remains the biggest weakness. The Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 are compelling in part because they offer up to 36 hours of battery life. It makes a huge difference when traveling or if you just forget to plug it in one night.
There aren’t a lot of big health upgrades. Apple is reportedly working on blood glucose monitoring or blood pressure monitoring for the Apple Watch. I wasn’t expecting either this year, but I worry about spending money on a device now only to have it outdated when big health features drop.
Should you buy it?
The Apple Watch Series 10 is a great first buy for the two-thirds of folks who are making a first-time Apple Watch purchase. You’re getting a new chip, a bigger screen, a thinner design and faster charging. Owners of a Series 6 or older might also see enough to justify an upgrade. But if you’re into more extreme sports such as diving or hiking and need features including extra accurate GPS and support for deeper water submersion, or just much longer battery life, I’d recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2 instead.
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People stand in front of an Apple store in Beijing, China, on April 9, 2025.
Tingshu Wang | Reuters
Apple iPhone sales in China rose in the second quarter of the year for the first time in two years, Counterpoint Research said, as the tech giant looks to turnaround its business in one of its most critical markets.
Sales of iPhones in China jumped 8% year-on-year in the three months to the end of June, according to Counterpoint Research. It’s the first time Apple has recorded growth in China since the second quarter of 2023.
Apple’s performance was boosted by promotions in May as Chinese e-commerce firms discounted Apple’s iPhone 16 models, its latest devices, Counterpoint said. The tech giant also increased trade-in prices for some iPhone.
“Apple’s adjustment of iPhone prices in May was well timed and well received, coming a week ahead of the 618 shopping festival,” Ethan Qi, associate director at Counterpoint said in a press release. The 618 shopping festival happens in China every June and e-commerce retailers offer heavy discounts.
Apple’s return to growth in China will be welcomed by investors who have seen the company’s stock fall around 15% this year as it faces a number of headwinds.
Since then, Huawei has aggressively launched devices in China and has even begun dipping its toe back into international markets. The Chinese tech giant has found success eating away at some of Apple’s market share in China.
Huawei’s sales rose 12% year-on-year in the second-quarter, according to Counterpoint. The firm was the biggest player in China by market share in the second quarter, followed by Vivo and then Apple in third place.
“Huawei is still riding high on core user loyalty as they replace their old phones for new Huawei releases,” Counterpoint Senior Analyst Ivan Lam said.
Chinese tech giant Baidu has bolstered its core search platform with artificial intelligence in the biggest overhaul of the product in 10 years.
Analysts told CNBC the move was a bid to keep ahead of fast-moving rivals like DeepSeek, rather than traditional search players.
“There has been some small pressure on the search business but the focus on AI and Ernie Bot is a key move ahead,” Dan Ives, global head of tech research at Wedbush Securities, told CNBC by email. Ernie Bot is Baidu’s AI chatbot.
“Baidu is not waiting around to watch the paint dry, full steam ahead on AI,” he added.
Baidu AI overhaul
Baidu is China’s biggest search engine, but — as is also being seen by Google — the search market is being disrupted.
Users are flocking instead to AI services such as ChatGPT or DeepSeek, which shocked the world this year with its advanced model it claimed was created at a fraction of the cost of rivals.
But Kai Wang, Asia equity market strategist at Morningstar, also noted that short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou are also getting into AI search and piling pressure on Baidu.
To counter this, Baidu made some major changes to its core search product:
Users can now enter more than a thousand characters in the search box, versus 28 previously;
Questions can be asked in a more direct and conversational manner, mirroring how people now use chatbots;
Users can ask questions through voice but also prompt the seach engine with pictures and files;
Baidu has integrated its AI chatbot features, which enable users to generate photos, text and videos, into the product.
“This is more aligned with how people use ChatGPT and DeepSeek in terms of how they look for answers,” Wang said.
Outside of China, Google has also been looking to enhance its core search product with AI, highlighting how search has been under pressure from the burgeoning technology.
Baidu on the offense
Baidu was one of China’s first movers when it came to AI, releasing its first models and ChatGPT-style product Ernie Bot to the public in 2023. Since then, it has aggressively launched updated AI models.
However, the Beijing-headquartered company has also faced intense competition from fellow tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent, as well as upstarts such as DeepSeek.
These companies have also been launching new models and infusing AI into their products and Baidu’s stock has fallen behind as a result. Baidu shares have risen around 2.5% this year, versus a 30.5% surge for Alibaba and a 20% rise for Tencent.
“This is a defensive and offensive move … Baidu needs to be aggressive and perception-wise show they are not the little brother to Tencent on the AI front,” Wedbush Securities’ Ives added.
