Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: Which one should you buy?

Apple released the Apple Watch Series 10, which inherits many features from the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Which Apple Watch should you buy in 2024?

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Ultra 2

In September, Apple released another new Apple Watch. The Apple Watch Series 10 then appeared, which has had a major update. Features that were previously exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra (2) have now also come to the regular Apple Watch. The price difference between the smartwatches is large, but is the higher price of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 still worth it? We have listed the most important differences between the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for you!

1. Housing

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a modified design compared to previous generations of the smartwatch. For the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple has opted for a much thinner casing. The regular version is made of aluminum, the stainless steel version has been replaced by titanium. It is the first time that the ‘normal’ Apple Watch is also made of titanium. With the Apple Watch Series 10 you can choose between 42 millimeters and 46 millimeters.

We see a big difference especially in the thickness, the Apple Watch Series 10 is only 9.7 millimeters thick. On the Apple Watch Ultra 2 this is 14.4 millimeters, making the Series 10 much more compact. This is reflected in the weight, because the lightest version of the Series 10 weighs only 29.3 grams. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is much heavier and bulkier with a weight of 61.4 grams.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is only available with a natural or black titanium casing, while the Apple Watch Series 10 is available in silver, rose gold, black, natural titanium, gold titanium and slate titanium. You have no choice about the size, because the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a standard 49 millimeters. These are the prices for each version:

Don’t see the table? Then view the prices here.

2. Display

Do you like a large screen on the Apple Watch? Then you previously had to rely on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. That has changed with the Apple Watch Series 10, because the smartwatch has the largest screen of all Apple Watches. The tenth generation has a display of 1220 square millimeters, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has 1164 square millimeters.

For the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple has opted for an LTPO3 OLED display, which refreshes every second in always-on mode. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 does not have this function, it is refreshed once per minute. In addition, the new screen of the Apple Watch Series 10 has a much wider viewing angle, which is up to 40 percent brighter when viewed from an angle. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 does have a higher peak brightness of 3000 nits, while the Series 10 has 2000 nits.

3. Processor

There was no new generation of the Apple Watch Ultra released this year, instead Apple released the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in a black titanium version. As a result, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 still runs on the S9 chip, while the Apple Watch Series 10 is equipped with the S10 chip. This means that the regular Apple Watch now has a more powerful and faster processor than the Apple Watch Ultra.

The difference between the two chips is very small. Both the S9 and S10 chips are very fast, so you won’t notice much of the new processor in practice. That’s not a problem, because the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 work incredibly smoothly and have no problems performing tasks. The S10 chip will mainly be an advantage in a few years, because the Apple Watch Series 10 will receive support for new watchOS updates for longer.

4. Health functions

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a new health function, because the smartwatch can detect sleep apnea. This is not a feature that is exclusive to the Series 10, with watchOS 11, sleep apnea detection also comes to the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Furthermore, we see few differences between the smartwatches, both devices have the same health functions.

New to the Apple Watch Series 10 is the depth gauge, which allows the smartwatch to be submerged up to 6 meters. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 already has a depth gauge, but you can use it up to 40 meters underwater. The difference between the Series 10 and the Ultra 2 has therefore become smaller, although the Apple Watch Ultra 2 remains the most advanced smartwatch that Apple has made.

5. Sports functions

We see this especially in the sports functions of both devices. The Apple Watch Series 10 has a depth gauge and the Depth app, but this is much more extensive on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. In addition, the Ultra 2 is water resistant to 100 meters, while the Series 10 is water resistant to 50 meters. With the Apple Watch Series 10 you can practice more sports, but the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the sports watch in every respect.

It is therefore no surprise that the altimeter of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a greater range than that of a normal Apple Watch. The depth gauge of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a range from -500 meters to 9000 meters. The range of the Apple Watch Series 10 is much lower, Apple has not shared precise numbers. Features such as mountain climbing and deep-sea diving remain exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

6. Battery

An important difference between the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the battery life. The Apple Watch Series 10 lasts 18 hours, while the Ultra 2 lasts twice as long with a whopping 36 hours. Have you enabled energy saving mode? Then you get 36 hours with the Series 10 and 72 hours with the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The latter lasts two days without any problems, but that is not the case with the Series 10.

On the other hand, charging is much faster with the Apple Watch Series 10. The smartwatch is charged from 0 to 80 percent within thirty minutes. With the Apple Watch Ultra 2 it takes a little longer, you need an hour to reach 80 percent. You can briefly charge the Apple Watch Series 10 in the morning, the smartwatch will then last for at least a day. The charging time is longer with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but then you no longer have to charge the device for the time being.

7. More features

The differences between the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are relatively small, but a number of features remain exclusive to the Ultra. The smartwatch has a night mode, action button, two speakers, siren and three beam-forming microphones with wind noise reduction. The Series 10 has to do without most of these features, such as the night mode, action button and wind noise reduction.

With the Apple Watch Series 10 it is possible to play media, which was not possible with previous generations of the regular smartwatch. Calling is better with the Series 10 due to the introduction of voice isolation, but the device only has one microphone. For the best sound, you should choose the Apple Watch Ultra 2, especially if you regularly call with the smartwatch.

Want to buy an Apple Watch Series 10 or Ultra 2?

With the arrival of the tenth generation Apple Watch, the titanium casing, the larger screen, the altimeter and depth gauge and the water temperature sensor are no longer exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Series 10 is an extremely good smartwatch that runs on the new S10 chip. For the average user, the ‘normal’ Apple Watch of 2024 is more than enough, with the largest screen of a Watch ever.

Are you a fanatical athlete or do you find the battery life of the Apple Watch very important? Then the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the right choice for you, especially if you prefer a titanium casing. The device also has better speakers, more microphones, a siren and action button. The longer battery life and action button are a major advantage for all users. View the lowest prices of the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 here: