Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 10 in comparison

The Apple Watch is celebrating its anniversary – a few days ago the 10th generation of the smartwatch was introduced, which goes by the name Apple Watch Series 10. In addition to the 10, the Watch Ultra 2 has also been redesigned and is now available in elegant black. The Ultra 2 was introduced last year and is very popular, especially among sporty people.

In addition to the many fitness and health functions, the Ultra 2 can do a lot more. However, with the Series 10, a stronger competitor has now positioned itself. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two watches and how do they differ? Is the Ultra 2 still worth it or do you get the better smartwatch with the Series 10? We have compared the two Apple gems.

Watch 10 vs Ultra 2: The design

The screen of the new Series 10 is 9 percent larger than the 9 version, and it is only 9.7 mm high, making it the thinnest Apple smartwatch to date. The case measures 42 or 46 mm, making it 1 mm larger than the Watch 9. Compared to the old Series 3 and 6, the display area is 75 or 30% larger.

However, it doesn’t come close to the Ultra 2, which measures 49 mm. However, it is also significantly taller (14.4 mm) and, at a good 61 grams, much heavier than the Series 10, which weighs between 29 and 41 grams depending on the size and material.

This is also noticeable in everyday life; thicker and heavier smartwatches tend to get caught on sleeves or get in the way when you hold them. You also get used to a lighter and thinner device and it is difficult to go back to having more weight on your wrist.

The Series 10 is available in six different colors depending on the material: the aluminum models are either diamond black, rose gold or silver, and for the titanium watches you can choose between natural, gold and slate. The Ultra 2 was previously only available in natural titanium, but now titanium black is also available.

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Watch Series 10 impresses with its display

Both watches use an always-on Retina OLED display, and the Series 10 also offers OLED with an extra wide viewing angle. Apple also states that it is up to 40 percent brighter when viewed from an oblique angle. It is not quite as bright as the Ultra 2, but a brightness of 2,000 nits should still be more than enough for everyday use. The Ultra Watch even comes with up to 3,000 nits.

Interesting innovation in the Series 10: Compared to the Series 9, the latest model has a faster refresh rate, the OLED can now update the display once per second instead of once per minute. This means that users can now follow the ticking second hand for the first time when the always-on display is active.

Watch 10 vs Ultra 2: The technology and the battery

While the Ultra 2 has an S9 processor, the Series 10 uses the new S10 processor with Neural Engine and four cores. These are also included in the Ultra Watch, but Apple has updated some components in the S10. Both watches have useful functions such as double-tap gestures, quick on-device Siri and the link to iPhones, which can be precisely located using the watch.

When it comes to battery life, the Ultra 2 is still clearly ahead of other smartwatches: up to 36 hours without charging and up to 72 hours in power saving mode are possible, the Series 10 only manages half that. However, it is on top when it comes to fast charging, from 0 to 80 percent it only takes 30 minutes according to Apple, which is half as long as the Ultra 2. This means that the battery of the 10 has not been changed compared to the previous version.

Further advantages of the Ultra 2:

• The GPS is more accurate, the Ultra 2 has a dual-band GPS compared to the common L1 GPS module of the Series 9.
• If you like diving, you should go for the Ultra 2. It is water resistant up to 100 meters and allows you to do sport diving with a depth gauge of up to 40 meters. The Series 10 only reaches values ​​of 50 and 6 meters, but is otherwise just as water resistant and swim-proof. Both watches can also measure the water temperature.

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The Series 10, meanwhile, impresses with its speakers. They are 30 percent smaller than those on the Watch 9 and can play media files such as music or podcasts for the first time. The microphone has also been improved; voice isolation should now sound much more intelligible, especially in louder environments.

Watch 10 vs Ultra 2: The health functions

Although the new Series 10 has no new sensors, it can detect sleep apnea for the first time. This involves short pauses in breathing during sleep, which the smartwatch detects after a few nights using machine learning and alerts the user. This is made possible by a detection algorithm that was developed together with medical experts. The sleep apnea function will also be available on the Ultra 2.

However, the blood pressure measurement function that some users were hoping for has not yet been introduced in the Series 10. Instead, both the Ultra 2 and the Series 10 offer various useful and unimportant health functions that can be used to closely monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, cycle and fitness, for example. You can of course also track and analyze your sleep.

Watch 10 vs Ultra 2: The price

The Ultra 2 costs from 899 euros, depending on the strap, and is therefore not much more expensive than the Series 10. This costs – if you also opt for a titanium case and the largest version (46 mm) – 849 euros, the 42 mm version is available from 799 euros.

It is significantly cheaper if an aluminum case is enough for you. These are available from 449 euros, with the additional cellular option the price starts at 569 euros. You can pre-order the Series 10 and the Ultra 2 in black now, and both watches will be delivered from September 20th.

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Fancy a bargain? Then just get the Ultra 2 in the color titanium natural. This version has been available for a year and has of course already seen a few price reductions. The cheapest Apple Watch Ultra 2 is currently available new from the shop Asgoodasnew – for just 795 euros, which is over 100 euros cheaper than the color titanium black.

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Watch 10 vs Ultra 2: Who wins the comparison?

In terms of features, both smartwatches differ only slightly, both offer outstanding features and a great user experience. The Ultra 2 has only a few advantages such as the stronger battery, higher water resistance and the larger display.

However, it is also significantly heavier and thicker than the Series 10. In addition to its stylish and slim design, the Series 10 also impresses with its display and speakers. For owners of older Apple Watches, we recommend both devices; you are guaranteed not to go wrong and are getting a top model.

If you value a titanium case, you will get a high-quality watch at a high price with both devices. If the material is not so important to you, we clearly recommend the new Series 10.

With its aluminum casing, it is significantly cheaper than the Ultra 2 and offers valuable features and a great design. The faster charging times, the new speakers and the advanced processor are also advantages of the brand new Apple Watch.

In the major smartwatch comparison by Stiftung Warentest, Apple watches left the competition far behind. With the Series 10, the famous company with the apple has now released another potential test winner.