Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Watch Ultra 2: spec comparison

Earlier this week, during Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event, the tech giant introduced the new Apple Watch Series 10 and a new look for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The smartwatches start at $399 and $799, respectively, and both are available for preorder ahead of their forthcoming release on Friday, September 20th.

The new Series 10 is both bigger and slimmer than its predecessor, and both the Ultra 2 and Series 10 now come in a slick black color. This is the first time Apple is offering the Ultra in a second shade, but it’s not the only change Apple announced for the watch. Both watches will offer new capabilities, including notifications for sleep apnea (pending FDA approval), a disorder that makes people stop breathing while sleeping. You’ll also be able to use their built-in speakers to play music and podcasts, as opposed to just using them as a speakerphone for calls.

We’ve yet to publish our review of the Series 10, but we can confirm that the larger display does make a difference. But is it enough to warrant an upgrade or the extra cash over the Series 9? To help you decide, we’ve highlighted the key differences between the Series 10, Ultra 2, and other Apple Watch models — including the second-gen Apple Watch SE and last-gen Series 9. We’ve also rounded up all the raw specs in a chart at the end, so you can dive deeper if you want to.

Understandably, each wearable differs significantly in price. The budget-friendly Apple Watch Series SE starts at $249 for the 40mm model with GPS or $299 with cellular connectivity. In comparison, the Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 with GPS, and you’ll have to pay $100 more for cellular connectivity. At $799, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the most expensive in the lineup and does not include an entry-level GPS configuration.

Except for the Ultra 2, which is the largest wearable in the lineup at 49mm, all of the wearables also come in two sizes. The Series 10 is available in 42mm and 46mm configurations, which are slightly larger than the Series 9’s (41mm, 45mm) and the SE’s (40mm, 44m). The larger sizes also cost slightly more than their smaller counterparts; the 46mm Series 10 costs $50 more, while the 44m SE runs $30 extra.

That being said, you can almost always find the Apple Watch SE, Ultra 2, and Series 9 for far less than their original MSRP. Right now, for example, the Series 9 is on sale for $299 ($100 off) at Amazon, while the original Ultra 2 is down to just $689 ($110 off). We’ll probably not see any significant deals on the Series 10 anytime soon, though, given it’s a new model.

All of the wearables are water-resistant up to 50 meters and IP6X-rated for dust resistance. However, the Ultra 2 offers enhanced durability, with water resistance up to 100 meters. It’s also certified to the MIL-STD-810H US military standards for durability, which means it’s built to withstand extreme heat, cold, moisture, and falls from as high as four feet.

Given it’s designed for athletes, the Ultra 2 also comes with a few extra hardware features — including an Action Button you can customize for various activities. The wearable sports three mics and a pair of speakers, as well, along with an 86dB siren with a range of up to 600 feet should you get in trouble. And, just like the Apple Watch Series 10, the watch’s built-in speakers will soon be capable of playing music and podcasts.

All of the smartwatches offer OLED screens, with the display on the Apple Watch Series 10 being the most spacious, followed by the screen on the Ultra 2. Each wearable also features an always-on display, except for the Apple Watch SE. In terms of brightness, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, making it brighter than the Series 10 (2,000 nits), Series 9 (2,000 nits), and SE (1,000 nits.) Only the Apple Watch Series 10 offers a wide-angle display, however. Apple says this allows pixels to emit more light at a wider angle, thus improving brightness when viewed from the side.

No matter which wearable you choose, you’ll get features like heart rate monitoring, ECG, and fall detection. You also get other non-health-related features, including crash detection, emergency calling, Fitness Plus, Apple Pay, and Family Setup. Plus, all of the wearables will support watchOS 11 upon its release, so you’ll be able to take advantage of features like Training Load measurement and the ability to pause your Activity Rings.

However, the most significant difference between the models is that the SE lacks temperature and EGG sensors. The SE also won’t support the sleep apnea feature should it get FDA approval. Available only in the Series 10, Series 9, and Ultra 2, the wearables use an accelerometer to monitor your sleep and send alerts if it detects the condition. They can also produce detailed reports for your doctor to give you an official diagnosis.

Lastly, compared to the Series 9 and SE, the Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 offer more features for swimmers. Both sport built-in water temperature and depth sensors that let snorkelers and divers know how deep they are, for example. That being said, the Ultra 2 can measure at a depth of 40 meters compared to the Series 10, which is limited to six meters.

The forthcoming Series 10 runs on Apple’s new S10 SiP (System in Package), while the Ultra 2 runs on the last-gen S9 chip, both of which allow for features not possible on the Apple Watch SE. These include support for Apple’s newer double tap gesture, as well as on-device Siri processing. The SE is also the only wearable that lacks Apple’s second-gen ultrawide band chip, too, meaning you can’t use Apple’s Precision Finding feature to locate newer iPhone models.

That’s just an overview of how each model compares to the other, but there are other differences. If you’d like to explore how the wearables differ in greater detail, check out the raw specs in the table below.