The Apple Watch Series 10 recently made its debut at the company’s Glowtime event, but Apple didn’t launch a new version of its premium sporty smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Instead, Apple updated the existing model with new band and color options. Given the processor, casing, and screen upgrades of the Series 10, should amateur athletes still pay up for the Ultra 2, or will the base model fit your needs? Let’s compare specs to find out.
Apple Watch Series 10
Bottom Line
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Bottom Line
Price and Size
The Apple Watch Series 10 offers more options than the Ultra 2. It comes with a 42mm or 46mm case in a GPS-only model or one equipped with LTE. You can pick an aluminum body or a more premium titanium case. The Series 10 starts at a much lower price than the Ultra 2 but catches up quickly with some of the premium upgrades.
The 42mm GPS model with an aluminum body costs $399. Apple charges an extra $30 for the larger 46mm case and an extra $100 for LTE, so the aluminum model tops out at $529. The titanium model costs $699 for the 42mm version and $749 for the 46mm version. The titanium models include LTE.
If you choose a 46mm titanium Series 10, you won’t save much money over the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Ultra 2 comes in a single size, 49 mm, has a titanium case, and includes LTE. If you want a small Apple Watch or don’t want to pay for cellular connectivity, you need to stick with the Series 10.
The Ultra 2 is available in black or natural titanium with a variety of bands. The Apple Watch Series 10 has more style choices, with silver, rose gold, or jet black finishes in aluminum and gold, natural, or slate finishes in titanium—all with a similar variety of band choices.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 10
Display
Both watches have Apple’s traditional square shape, but the Series 10 now stretches to 46mm and has new rounded edges. Apple claims its OLED panel supports a wider angle of view, which should make it easier to see from askance, and it has a faster refresh rate as well.
Diving into the details, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a bigger case of 49mm and a bigger screen accordingly, but both should be equally sharp. The screens are OLED panels with 326 pixels per inch (ppi). The Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets much brighter at up to 3,000 nits. The Series 10 reaches up to 2,000 nits, which is still plenty bright for most ordinary circumstances.
Diving into the details, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a bigger case of 49mm and a bigger screen accordingly, but both should be equally sharp. The screens are OLED panels with 326 pixels per inch (ppi). The Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets much brighter at up to 3,000 nits. The Series 10 reaches up to 2,000 nits, which is still plenty bright for most ordinary circumstances.
