The Weekender
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A decade of Apple Watch

A decade of Apple Watch

Apple's smartwatch is a time-saver -- and a lifesaver!

Lewis Wallace
April 26, 2025

In partnership with

I think I’ve worn an Apple Watch every single day for the last 10 years. During that time, it’s motivated me to exercise, kept me connected without pulling out my iPhone, helped me navigate city streets and much more.

To me — and millions of other Apple Watch fans — it’s an essential piece of everyday tech. And in some situations, it could even save your life.

It’s a truly remarkable device. So here’s a salute to a decade of the Apple Watch, which marked its 10th anniversary this week. It’s come a long way in a short time.

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

If you don’t already own an Apple Watch, our new buying guide will help you find the model that suits your lifestyle (and your wallet).
The AI-powered Image Wand in Apple’s Notes app turns your doodles into polished images. Here’s how to use it.
Just how thin will the iPhone 17 Air (or whatever it’s called) be? New videos offer insight into the rumored super-slim device.
Don’t miss this week’s fantastic deals on Apple gear (especially the M4 MacBook Air and iPad 11) and other goodies. The big price cuts on Mac customization tool MacPilot and iOS content manager AnyTrans end soon.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

Apple Watch at 10

10 years of Apple Watch history: A timeline

For the 10th anniversary of its launch, we compiled over a decade of Apple Watch history into a quick timeline.

7 everyday tasks that Apple Watch makes easier

For certain tasks, an Apple Watch beats an iPhone.

Plus, more Apple Watch how-tos:

Which Apple Watch should you buy?

Whether chasing fitness goals or seeking peace of mind, there’s an Apple Watch for every lifestyle. Find out which Apple Watch to buy.

Ask one simple question to get the most out of your Apple Watch

It’s easy to increase your Apple Watch use — it can do far more than activity tracking. All you must do is keep asking yourself one question.

How-tos

Turn your hand-drawn sketches into AI images with Image Wand

Image Wand is a new feature in Apple Notes that turns rough sketches into full images — and creates images from scratch based on the context.

How to hard-lock your iPhone in a hurry

If a police officer or federal agent requests or demands your iPhone, hard-lock it before handing it over to protect your private data.

Share a link with quoted text in Messages [Pro Tip]

Want to share a link with highlighted text in Messages? There’s an easy but hidden way to do it in Safari.

How to make apps avoid the MacBook screen notch

If your favorite app doesn’t work well with the screen notch in your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, there is a solution.

A message from The Rundown AI

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News

New videos show shocking thinness of iPhone 17 Air

Get an eye-opening look at just how slim the rumored device will be.

Plus, more Apple leaks and rumors:

There’s a fix for aging batteries and it involves ... heating them?

A surprising breakthrough in battery recycling involves heat, which can restore instead of damaging these ubiquitous power sources.

Apple’s convoluted iPhone sideloading rules break EU law

The EU says Apple’s new rules come with “overly strict eligibility requirements.”

Plus: EU fines Apple and Meta hundreds of millions for DMA violations

More iPhone users say yes to paying for Apple Intelligence

A new survey marks $10 to $14.99 as the sweet spot.

Deals

M4 MacBook Air deal pushes powerful notebook to its lowest price yet

Save on Apple’s latest laptop. Plus, there are bargains on older versions.

Plus, more deals on Apple gear:

Price drop: Score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac (just $70)

Save on Home and Business edition, with essential productivity apps Word, Excel and more.

Plus, more software from Cult of Mac Deals:

Can a charging cable be sexy? Because this one comes close.

The Statik GloBright RGB USB-C cable lights up as it charges. And it can handle 100W of power.

Plus, more hardware from Cult of Mac Deals:

Train for top IT certifications like CompTIA and AWS for less than $80

This bundle provides training across multiple platforms, including CompTIA, AWS, Microsoft and Cisco, so you can pass those IT exams.

Reviews

Save with Ugreen's solid AirTag alternative plus wallet tracker [Review]

Our hands-on Ugreen FineTrack Smart Finder review finds excellent value in the AirTag alternative and the super-slim wallet tracker.

Brilliant Alogic Clarity 5K Touch display conjures touchscreen magic [Review]

Our hands-on Alogic Clarity 5K Touch Monitor review finds a lot to love about the Studio Display alternative.

Setups

I want everything in this Mac Studio workstation

What's not to love in a M1 Max Mac Studio and Pro Display XDR setup? Maybe a newer computer. Check out the super-cool pegboard stands.

Sublime KEF speakers rock Mac mini rig

If you can afford them, you can't really go wrong with KEF speakers. This Mac mini setup adds a subwoofer and great headphones, too.

Killer Mac mini rig sports color-calibrated BenQ displays

Dual BenQ monitors make the most of Mac color matching in this slick M4 Pro Mac mini setup with Edifier speakers.