I wore the Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 for a month. This one is my favorite

The Apple Watch Series 10 may be Apple’s newest smartwatch, but you might be surprised to learn that it has a lot in common with last year’s Apple Watch Ultra 2. Both have an extensive selection of health and fitness tracking tools, which work similarly to WatchOS 11 software and support the same selection of apps. So how do you choose between them? I wore both watches for a month to compare everything from screen differences to health tracking.

With its sturdy build and longer-lasting battery, the $799 Ultra 2 is clearly aimed at sports enthusiasts. But the Series 10 holds its own alongside Apple’s most expensive watch thanks to different display technology that makes it easier to see from different viewing angles and a streamlined design that fits more wrists.

Of course, none of that matters if you don’t have the budget to pay for both watches. And price may be the bigger deciding factor when it comes to choosing the best Apple Watch for you. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t have many options other than the finish. The Ultra 2 is made of titanium and comes in a single 49 millimeter size for $799 (£799, AU$1,399).

The Apple Watch Series 10 is available in two sizes, 42 millimeters and 46 millimeters, and is made of aluminum or titanium. The 42mm aluminum Series 10 starts at $399 (£399, AU$649), with some configurations costing as much as the Ultra 2. So if you base your decision on price alone, you might not get the right watch for your needs. That’s why I’m here to help.

Apple Watch Series 10 screen: tick tick the clock goes

While the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a larger case, the 46mm Series 10 technically has the largest screen of any Apple Watch: it’s 3% larger than the Ultra 2. And after testing the 46mm Series 10 with the Ultra 2 Compared, I can’t see any difference between them. With the same watch faces, app list and notification screens side by side, you’ll need a magnifying glass to see any practical difference. So I wouldn’t pick the 46mm Series 10 for size-based bragging rights.

Something you can do Actually Note the Apple Watch Series 10’s wide-angle OLED, which makes the screen brighter than the Ultra 2 when viewed off-axis. This is especially noticeable when you look down to check the time.

Certain watch faces also support a ticking second hand, such as Reflections, Flux and Activity Digital. This is made possible by the Series 10’s LTPO 3 display, which drops the refresh rate to 1Hz when Always On is active. The Ultra 2 doesn’t have a ticking second hand, even if it uses the same dials.

If screen brightness is important to you, the Ultra 2’s screen will be brighter than the Series 10’s, maxing out at 3,000 nits compared to 2,000. During my testing, I had no problems seeing either watch, whether indoors or outdoors.

The Ultra 2’s titanium case is slightly raised, providing more edge protection to the sapphire crystal display. The Series 10’s display has two different coverings depending on the case material you choose: Ion-X glass on aluminum or sapphire glass on titanium.

Both watches are dust and water resistant, but the Ultra 2 can be submerged up to 100 meters instead of 50 meters – it also has exclusive diving features, including the Oceanic Plus app that supports diving.

Comfort is very subjective, but after wearing the Ultra 2 for a year, my wrist breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I switched to the Series 10. It’s much more comfortable for everyday use and sleep tracking.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2’s action button is useful

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has one design feature that continues to draw me in: the orange action button, which lets you start a workout, the stopwatch, the flashlight, or even a custom shortcut with the touch of a button. Its functionality may also change depending on the context. For example, if you’re exercising, you can press it to highlight a segment.

In WatchOS 11, the action button becomes even more useful as you can long press it to see a list of other actions appear. This means you no longer have to keep switching off what the button does on the first press, because you can just long press to reveal all the options.

The Series 10 does not have an action button. While you can achieve some of the same results with dial complications, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as pressing a physical button.

Both Apple Watches have the same storage

The Apple Watch Series 10 runs on the newer S10 chip, while the Ultra 2 runs on the earlier S9 chip. I tried my hardest to find noticeable performance differences between the two watches, such as opening the same apps, using Siri on the device, or selecting something with Double Tap, but the Ultra 2 was just as good at all of these tasks. fast as the Series 10.

Both watches support precision sensing when paired with an iPhone 15 or 16, and each has 64GB of storage.

The Ultra 2 has two exclusive watch faces, Modular Ultra or Wayfinder. They fit a lot of detail onto the screen and offer room for seven or eight complications respectively. Each mode supports a night mode that automatically turns red when it’s dark, or you can leave it on all the time. The Ultra 2 also allows you to place another data field on the training screen.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Ultra 2 call quality and speakers

You can make calls on both watches if your phone is in range, as they both have a speaker and microphone. LTE is standard on the Ultra 2 and titanium Series 10, so you can make calls or send messages when you’re out of range of your phone. The LTE option is an additional cost for the aluminum Series 10. Remember, you generally pay an additional fee to your wireless carrier to activate LTE on a compatible watch.

I compared the microphone quality of both watches and recorded the sound of a phone call, which you can hear in the video on this page. In short, the call quality is very similar and I didn’t notice much difference between the two at all, even though the hardware configuration is slightly different. Both did a good job of suppressing background noise and isolating my voice.

Both watches allow you to listen to your favorite songs without headphones and play music through the built-in speaker. Just load up music, audiobooks or podcasts, press play and send the audio through the watch’s speaker.

Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 sensors and health tools

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 are comparable when it comes to health and fitness tracking. They all have a temperature sensor, ECG or electrocardiogram app, high and low heart rate alerts, and irregular heart rhythm alerts. They share the same heart rate sensor, you can connect Bluetooth accessories like pedals with power meters and track your daily activity with Apple’s ring-based system.

Both also offer sleep apnea notifications, fall detection, car accident detection and emergency SOS. If you are in the US and purchase a new Ultra 2 or Series 10, you will not have access to the blood oxygen sensor due to a patent dispute. But if you manage to find an Ultra 2 sold before January 18, 2024, the blood oxygen sensor should still work.

However, not everything is the same for outdoor functions. The Ultra 2 has an 86 dB siren designed to attract attention if you’re stranded, and has a longer range than the Series 10. This means you can take it to colder temperatures and higher altitudes than the Series 10. It also has a depth sounder up to 40 meters compared to 6 meters on the Series 10.

GPS performance is also different. The Ultra has a dual frequency GPS with both L1 and L5 bands, while the Series 10 uses L1. In my testing, the Ultra 2 is more accurate at tracking distance and route information in built-up areas.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 delivers a clear gain in battery life

Apple officially rates the runtime of the Series 10 at 18 hours and the Ultra 2 at 36 hours. But in real world use you can get a lot more out of it. With phone notifications, always-on display, 1-hour GPS workout, and sleep tracking, I can enjoy the Series 10 for a day and a half before needing to charge it. With the same usage I get closer to three days from the Ultra 2.

Both have a power saving mode to extend battery life even further, but your mileage will obviously vary depending on how you use the watch. Resource-intensive tasks like using LTE are more likely to drain your battery. I’ve definitely noticed the battery draining faster than normal when playing music through the speaker, for example.

Both watches support fast wireless charging, as long as you have a 20-watt or higher adapter. The Series 10 allows you to charge up to 80% in 30 minutes, while the Ultra 2 charges up to 80% in an hour.

Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 takeaways

Even though they look very different on the outside and suit different use cases, the Series 10 and Ultra 2 are surprisingly similar on the inside.

If you want the best battery life, need a sturdier build, and specific diving features, get the Ultra 2. But for most people, including myself, I recommend the Series 10. It will do pretty much everything you need as long as you don’t mind charging it more often.