Andrew O'Hara
It's been a few months since Apple launched the black Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the all-new Apple Watch Series 10. Here's how they compare after three months of daily use.
We wore the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for an entire year. Once the new Apple Watch Series 10 was released, we made a chance to the new wearable instead.
This has given us lots of insight into the two models and how they actually compare after prolonged use. We'll go beyond just the specs on a website.
If you nitpick those specs, you'll find a bunch of small differences between the two watches. In reality, you'll find that most of these are inconsequential to daily use.
Some specifications appear to be more important than they are — such as the difference between the S10 SiP in the Apple Watch Series 10 and the S9 in the Apple Watch Ultra 2. While it seems like a generational leap, it's not.
The S10 is ostensibly the same as the S9, with no real speed increase and only minor changes. For example, a new display controller for the Apple Watch Series 10.
The Apple Watch Series 10 now is 40% brighter when viewed from an angle. This is handy when in daily use, since there's less of a need to directly turn the face to you each time.
But, that doesn't really matter for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which has a display that is 50% brighter overall.
Other minor differences include a siren on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, plus a more accurate GPS in cities, and a wider range altimeter. Obstensively these are improvements aimed at people who spend a lot of time outdoors, rather than the more civilian-friendly Series 10.
There are though, things that do matter, so we've distilled them down into two distinct categories. Reasons to buy the Apple Watch Series 10, and why to buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Specifications
| Specifications | Apple Watch Series 10 | Apple Watch Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (starting) | $399 Best Apple Watch Series 10 prices | $799 Best Ultra 2 prices |
| Sizes | 42mm, 46mm | 49mm |
| Display | Retina LTPO3 wide-angle OLED display Up to 2,000 nits | Retina LTPO2 OLED display Up to 3,000 nits |
| Case Materials | Aluminum Titanium | Titanium |
| Processor | S10 SiP | S9 SiP |
| Health Sensors | Third-generation optical heart sensor, Electrical heart sensor, Temperature sensor | Third-generation optical heart sensor., Electrical heart sensor, Temperature sensor |
| Water Resistance | 50 meters | 100 meters |
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours (36 in Low Power Mode) | Up to 36 hours (72 in Low Power Mode) |
| Recharging | Wireless | Wireless |
| Connectivity | LTE, UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS/GNSS, Ultra Wideband | LTE, UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS/GNSS, Ultra Wideband |
| Other Sensing | Emergency SOS, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Always-on altimeter, Ambient light sensor, Gyroscope, Compass, Depth Gauge, Water temperature sensor | Emergency SOS, Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Always-on altimeter, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Depth Gauge, Water temperature sensor |
| Colors | Jet Black (Aluminum), Rose Gold (Aluminum), Silver (Aluminum), Natural (Titanium), Gold (Titanium), Slate (Titanium) | Natural, Black |
Why to buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2
If you're considering the Apple Watch Ultra 2, there are only three reasons to do so.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 looks great in blackThe first big reason is battery life. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the best battery, and we've found we can regularly go two to three days without needing a charge.
That's even with sleep tracking enabled.
Comparably, the Apple Watch Series 10 needs to be charged every day, without fail, because its battery simply doesn't last that long.
It's normally not too much of an issue, but we've run into unfortunate circumstances when we were going out for the night but forgot to charge the Apple Watch earlier in the day. If you want a bit more wiggle room, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the way to go.
The second reason to select the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is its distinctive design. Many prefer the rugged, sharp-edged appearance of this model, over the curved, rounded Apple Watch pebble.
The Ultra's bulkier design affords a larger screen, the aforementioned battery life, and even an extra button. This Action Button is programmable and can be used to open apps, run Shortcuts, or turn on the flashlight.
Personally, we never found a routine to use the Action Button regularly. Nothing stuck for us, and even after a year, we still rarely ever used it.
Others may have more luck, but the Action Button on iPhone has proved to be more useful.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Finally, and this is admittedly more niche, is that it's useful for those who regularly dive or participate in water sports. Apple Watch Ultra 2 is certified for recreational diving, and so has considerably better water resistance over the standard model.
We've used our Apple Watch Ultra 2 for diving, snorkeling, and swimmingIf you snorkel, free dive, SCUBA dive, or even surf, we'd push you towards the Apple Watch Ultra 2 over the cheaper counterpart. It's not the best dive watch — there's no air integration — but it brings a dive watch to even more people.
It tracks the water temperature, your entrance and exit points, and even fills your rings as you dive.
Why to buy the Apple Watch Series 10
On the opposite side, we have the Apple Watch Series 10. After using it daily for the last several months, there are only two reasons to buy it over the Apple Watch Ultra 2 — but they're big ones.
The first, arguably most important reason, is the price. It starts out $400 less than the Apple Watch Ultra does.
The vast majority of people do not want to shell out north of $700 on a smartwatch without a good reason. The Apple Watch SE is even cheaper, but it's getting a little long in the tooth these days.
The new natural titanium Apple Watch Series 10 looks stunningApple Watch Series 10 fits into a good spot with an affordable price tag, while also having most of the latest features. That it's cheaper than the high-end rugged model is also attractive to some potential buyers.
Apple Watch Series 10
If not the price, it's the design that will convince some people. Compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, it's much more sleek, modern, and compact.
With its curved sides, it's a lot more consumer-friendly and less intimidating than the hyper-rugged, ready-for-action Ultra.
Then there are sizes, as you have two options that can be more comfortable depending on the user. The design is also better for sleep tracking, and it isn't as hard on your wrist when used everyday.
Jet Black is another new color for the Apple Watch Series 10Included under design we also have different material and color choices. Aluminum is offered in in colors like a glossy jet black while titanium comes in those like polished gold.
It's much easier to style this version of Apple Watch than the Ultra's colorways. The natural silver titanium is what partially convinced us to abandon the Ultra this time around as we love its clean look.
You have options
Truly, both of these watches are exceptional. As long as you know what you're getting, you likely won't have much buyer's remorse on either of them.
We've heard criticisms that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is too big. Others complained about the shorter battery life on the Apple Watch Series 10.
If you know that those are possibilities going in and opt for the Apple Watch that more closely matches, you won't be blindsided.
Where to buy an Apple Watch at a discount
Both the Series 10 and Ultra 2 are on sale now, with easy comparison of Apple Watch prices across popular retailers in our Price Guide.
At press time, the steepest discount can be found on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is on sale for $734.89 in select band styles and sizes at Amazon.
You can also find a roundup of the best Apple Watch deals across the range.
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10 Comments
Sorry, Andrew, I've gotta call BS on an important part of this review. You've misrepresented the price difference between the two watches. More an error of omission rather than commission, as they say. Some important context here: in an apples to apples comparison, meaning titanium body, sapphire crystal with cellular, and the larger watch face, the Watch 10 is priced at $749, the Ultra 2 at $799. And the Ultra 2 comes standard with a band for which Apple charges $50 more than the band that comes standard with the Watch 10. (Admittedly, the $99 list price for standard Ultra bands is nuts.) What the Watch 10 offers is a much cheaper "standard" model, which is lacking in the Ultra lineup, BUT... for that $399 price you quote, you have to accept the smaller of the two Watch 10 watch faces, NO cellular, aluminum instead of titanium body and what Apple calls an Ion-X glass crystal instead of sapphire. That's not nothing, my friend! In a more legit price comparison, the larger Watch 10 face with cellular is priced at $549, but that's with aluminum and glass instead of titanium and sapphire, and 18 hour battery life vs 36-48 hours or more. No doubt, that's still a very big price difference and, for most people -- even if the design of each watch weren't a consideration -- the aluminum and glass choice will be well worth the $250 savings. Prior to buying an Ultra 1 -- for me, the design and battery life were everything -- I wore various models of aluminum and glass Apple Watches and they all held up cosmetically through the knocks and bumps of watch-wearing extremely well, So for anyone considering these much cheaper models, I would have no concern about durability of the materials. And that new jet black finish for aluminum models is a game changer.
I use the action button of my ultra 2 regularly for cycling. I do a lot of it, whenever I can leave the car in the garage and use my bike for all sorts of stuff (grocery shopping, post, etc.) it is my personal preference. Especially in winter times when I am all packed up it is super convenient to just press this button instead of finding my way through the menu…
Oh, please! There is only one major difference between the two watches other than price that matters, and that is the fact that the Ultra is larger and thus has a bigger battery. If you want the larger one that lasts longer between charges, get the Ultra. Otherwise, the Model 10 will be the pick for most, and you can get it with cel service for a few extra bucks. It is really not that complicated!
This review seems mis-headlined. It reads more as a spec comparison and a which-should-you-buy rather than the author committing any actual opinion about which they prefer overall. The only thing I gleaned from actual extended use experience was the bit about the action button not being much of a benefit.