Even the best smartwatches can always do with extra battery life, and it's something the Apple Watch 10 might deliver. The latest rumor is that the wearable will come with a more power-efficient OLED display, reducing the demand on the internal battery.
This comes from reputable South Korean outlet The Elec (via MacRumors), and if you really want to dig into the technical specs, it involves low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology.
Or, to put it another way, a screen that uses a different way of supplying voltage to pixels, offering more control over how much light goes through each one – and ultimately making it easier for a device to precisely manage illumination and power draw.
You're unlikely to notice anything different from the Apple Watch 9 just by looking at the display, but the internal battery should stretch further. The catch is that LTPO tech is harder to manufacture, so let's hope there's not an accompanying price bump.
Screen machine
According to The Elec, both LG and Samsung could help out with the Apple Watch 10 screen. Although Samsung isn't joining the party until later, so it may not get involved with manufacturing until the Apple Watch 11 in 2025.
If you think you've heard of LTPO OLED screens before, it may be because they're used in the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The tech enables an always-on display without huge battery costs and support for variable refresh rates (ProMotion).
MacRumors says LTPO OLED displays are likely to be kept exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro models this year as well, though that could change in 2025. As with most tech like this, manufacturing it usually gets cheaper and easier over time.
As for the Apple Watch 10 – with, perhaps, more battery life – it's expected in September time, along with the iPhone 16. Head to our Apple Watch 9 review and you'll see we were getting around 20 hours of battery life, so any kind of upgrade would be welcome.
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