Apple has been a dominant player in the wearable tech market with its highly innovative smartwatches. And now with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in mid-September 2024, Apple fans and newbies alike have been given two premium options and are eager to find out the key differences between them to understand if there is a better one among the two. In this guide, we will go through the salient features, specifications, and use cases of both the Series 10 and Ultra 2 to find out their target audiences and their suitability.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is Apple’s latest release in its flagship line of smartwatches. The Series 10 watch offers all of the familiar functionality that Apple Watch users know and love but with some more improvements.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 on the other hand offers a powerful design specifically for rough use, for extreme athletes and adventurers for whom durability and extended functionality are necessary. Both watches share some distinct similarities but the key difference between them is the target audience.
Let us now delve into the specifics of both watches with respect to design, features, performance, durability, and more to deduce why each of them is meant for different user types.
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2: An Overview
Table Of Contents
The latest iteration in Apple’s smartwatch line is the Apple Watch Series 10, coming in with a sleek design, advanced health tracking, and seamless integration with iOS devices to give you a smart product that is perfect for everyday use.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is on a spectrum of its own, with enhanced durability, a larger display, extended battery life, and other specialized features that make the watch ideal for athletes, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts who require a stronger companion device.
While both watches offer powerful features for their intended use, they cater to different users in various ways which we will now elaborate on with a comprehensive comparison of the products in terms of build, features, performance, and more.
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Design and Build Quality
The Apple Watch Series 10 still retains the classic Apple Watch design with the sleek, rounded edges but also boasts the thinnest design to date. The base edition offers two case sizes – 42 mm and 46 mm, metal and sapphire crystal back case, and three color options – Jet Black, Rose Gold, and Silver Aluminum, and a wide array of band options, both silicon and fabric.
There are also three new titanium versions that weigh 20% less than the existing aluminum versions, and a new metal backplate as well. The cases weigh between 29-41 grams between models.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a durable design with a stock case made with aerospace-grade titanium, ceramic & sapphire crystal back case, and a 49 mm case size.
Coming in two color options – Natural and Black Titanium, its case weighs around 61 grams, making it bulkier and heavier than the Series 10, but able to withstand rough use and harsher environments. Additionally, Ultra 2 also has a dedicated Action button for quick actions.
Our Choice: For style and comfort we would suggest the Series 10. If you need something tougher that can stand extreme environments, Ultra 2 is the way to go.
Display and User Experience
The Apple Watch Series 10 promises the “largest active display area ever”, and comes with a new LTPO3 OLED Ion-X glass display for the base watch and a sapphire crystal display for the titanium one, both offering a better off-angle viewing than previous models in the line.
The brightness levels reach up to 2000 nits, which is well beyond the necessary levels even for the sunniest days. The fluid display is smooth and curved at the edges, and very responsive with highly intuitive haptic feedback.
The Ultra 2 offers a large LTPO2 OLED sapphire crystal display which is completely flat on top as opposed to Series 10. With a maximum brightness of 3000 nits, it is perfect for the outdoors in bright and direct sunlight.
The responsiveness is comparable to the Series 10 but Ultra 2 offers slightly better visibility and interaction. The Ultra 2 has dual speakers and three microphones while Series 10 has one speaker and microphone. However, there is not much difference in dB levels during music playback.
Our Choice: For a larger and brighter display, Ultra 2 wins. Series 10 serves well if everyday use is your requirement.
Health and Fitness Features
As far as health and fitness features are concerned, both watches boast the same capabilities with health metrics such as ECG, blood oxygen tracking, sleep apnea, wrist temperature, mindfulness, and more.
Both watches also have cycle tracking and workout modes, but Ultra 2 goes beyond the Series 10 in this regard since the Ultra 2 also includes a dual-frequency GPS for precise tracking, depth gauge and dive computer mode for divers, and altimeter for mountain climbers. In total, Ultra 2 has up to 7 data fields per sport mode setting, whereas Series 10 has 6.
Our Choice: For extreme athletes and adventurers the Ultra 2 is the apt choice, but the Series 10 works just fine for everyday health tracking and fitness.
Battery Life And Durability
The Apple Watch Series 10 offers 18 hours of battery life which can be extended further using low-power mode. The Ultra 2 outperforms the Series 10 in this aspect, offering up to 36 hours of battery life on a single full charge which can extend up to 60 hours on low power mode.
The Series 10 features water resistance up to 60m and a crack-resistant display which promises durability for regular use. However, for extreme sports and the like, the Ultra 2 provides military-grade durability and water resistance up to 100m.
Our Choice: For longer battery life, the Ultra 2 is the clear winner. Ultra 2 is also better for harsher environments and rough use, but for regular use, the Series 10 is more than durable enough.
Software And Smart Features
Both watches run on WatchOS 11 which means most of the software features are essentially the same with a few key differences. While both watches have Double Tap, offline Siri, and all common features in WatchOS, Ultra 2 also boasts a Modular watch face and Night Mode.
Ultra 2 also has a Precision Start feature using the Action button, and has cellular built-in for all models, whereas Series 10 has cellular only in certain models.
Our Choice: For the general smart features for everyday use the Series 10 is best. Ultra 2 is more suitable for those who require specialized features for sports and outdoor activities.
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Price
Both units offer a variety of stock/base bands including fabric ones as default options. The prices for the Apple Watch Series 10 are as follows:
- Aluminum (42mm): $399
- Aluminum (46mm): $429
- Aluminum (42mm + cellular): $499
- Aluminum (46mm + cellular): $529
- Titanium (42mm + cellular): $699
- Titanium (46mm + cellular): $749
The price for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (which includes cellular) is $799.
Our Choice: Series 10 is clearly the affordable choice compared to Ultra 2, and offers pretty much the same default band options as well. However, Ultra 2 could be a good investment if you want significantly better battery life and durability.
Conclusion
All in all, Apple has outdone itself in asserting its dominance in the smartwatch game. While both the Series 10 and the Ultra 2 are powerful smartwatches, they each cater to different audiences.
The Series 10 offers all the smart features one would need in a smartwatch, and the Ultra 2 gives you all that plus more, including stronger specifications that make it suitable for extreme use. The better choice ultimately depends on the user’s lifestyle and personal preferences.
