The all-new Apple Watch Series 10 has arrived, featuring the largest screen ever paired with the thinnest design, a new chip, faster charging, and new health/fitness features. Meanwhile, Apple presents the high-end Ultra 2 with the same specs as last year but in a new Black titanium finish option. Here’s an in-depth look at how Apple Watch Series 10 compares to Ultra 2.
Series 10 is powered by the new S10 SiP. Apple didn’t disclose specific details about how much faster it is compared to S9 and earlier, but it claims it was custom-designed for enhanced performance, power efficiency, and intelligence. Ultra 2 continues to use the S9 SiP. During its unveiling, Apple suggested that the S10 will deliver better experiences in machine learning tasks, on-device Siri, health features, and capabilities like Apple Watch double tap control.
In terms of case and display, Series 10 introduces new sizes with the biggest displays and the thinnest design. The 46 and 42mm cases offer up to 30% more screen area compared to Series 6, giving users an additional line of text on the display. The 46mm Series 10 display is even slightly larger than the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra/2. The display and case of Series 10 have more rounded corners, providing a softer and sleeker feel. Interestingly, Apple slightly increased the bezel of the display. Series 10 is also thinner, almost 10% thinner than Series 7-9. Compared to Ultra 2, it is a whopping 50% thinner at 9.7mm vs 14.4mm. Series 10 features a wide-angle OLED display that offers up to a 40% brighter screen when viewed at an angle, while Ultra 2 has the brightest overall screen with up to 3,000 nits.
Apple Watch band compatibility remains the same, allowing users to match most bands with any Apple Watch Series 3 or later case of the same size.
Battery life and charging have been improved with Series 10. It can go from 0 to 80% in just 30 minutes, while Ultra 2 takes 60 minutes for the same. However, Ultra 2 has double the battery life of Series 10. Additionally, Series 10 offers 8 hours of use from an 8-minute charge for sleep tracking, similar to Series 9 and 8.
New features for both Series 10 and Ultra 2 include Sleep apnea notifications, which will arrive for Series 9 as well. Users can also play audio directly through the speakers of both models. Series 10 gains features from Ultra 2, such as the water depth gauge and water temperature sensor. Like Series 9 and Ultra 2, the Blood Oxygen feature is not available in the US for Series 10.
Other key features include Sleep apnea notifications, an ECG app, high/low heart rate notifications, training load, an Action button, IP6X dust resistance, MIL-STD 810H certification, water resistance to 50m, a water depth gauge, a water temp sensor, sleep tracking, crash detection, fall detection, advanced cycle tracking with temp sensing, Emergency SOS, on-device Siri, a double tap gesture control, Siri+Health, and speaker playback. Series 10 has GPS radios (L1), while Ultra 2 has GPS radios (L1 + L5 Precision dual-frequency). Offline Maps are not available on either model. The operating environmental temperature requirements for Series 10 are 32°F to 95°F (0°C to 35°C), and for Ultra 2, it is -4°F to 130°F (-20°C to 55°C) on the wrist.
For Series 10, Apple has switched from stainless steel to grade 5 titanium for the high-end models, similar to Ultra 2. The base models still use aluminum but now offer a Jet Black polished finish. Series 10 aluminum Apple Watch comes in Silver, Rose Gold, and Jet Black. Series 10 titanium Apple Watch is available in Slate, Gold, and Natural. Ultra 2 in 2024 has added Black alongside the existing Natural Titanium.
The price for Series 10 in aluminum starts at $399/$429 (pre-orders open at Apple), and in titanium, it ranges from $699/$749 (pre-orders open at Apple). Ultra 2 sells from $799, and more affordable bands are available.
Apple Watch Series 10 offers a thinner and lighter design, a larger screen, the latest chip, and improved features, while Ultra 2 stands out with its longest battery life, durability, dual GPS radios, and more customizable options. It depends on your needs and preferences. Are you going to upgrade? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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