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

Earlier this week, the tech giant unveiled the new Apple Watch Series 10 and a new look for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 during Apple's “It's Glowtime” event. The smartwatches start at $399 and $799, respectively, and are available for pre-order ahead of their upcoming release on Friday, September 20.

The new Series 10 is taller and slimmer than its predecessor, and both the Ultra 2 and Series 10 now come in a chic black. This is the first time Apple has offered the Ultra in a second shade, but that's not the only change Apple announced for the watch. Both watches will offer new features, including notifications for sleep apnea (pending FDA approval), a disorder where people stop breathing while they sleep. You can also use the built-in speakers to play music and podcasts, rather than just using them as a speakerphone for calls.

Our Series 10 review isn't out yet, but we can confirm that the larger display makes a difference. But is it enough to justify an upgrade or the extra cost 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-generation Apple Watch SE and the last-generation Series 9. We've also summarized all the raw specs in a table at the end so you can dive deeper if you need to.

Understandably, the prices of each wearable vary considerably. 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 with GPS starts at $399, 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 doesn't include an entry-level GPS configuration.

With the exception of the Ultra 2, which is the largest wearable in the lineup at 49mm, all wearables come in two sizes. The Series 10 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes, which are slightly larger than the Series 9 (41mm, 45mm) and SE (40mm, 44mm). The larger sizes also cost a bit more than their smaller counterparts; the 46mm Series 10 costs $50 more, while the 44mm SE costs $30 more.

However, you can almost always find the Apple Watch SE, Ultra 2, and Series 9 for significantly less than the original MSRP. For example, the Series 9 is currently on sale at Amazon for $299 ($100 off), while the original Ultra 2 is down to $689 ($110 off). However, since it's a new model, we probably won't see any significant deals on the Series 10 anytime soon.

All wearables are water resistant up to 50 meters and have an IP6X rating for dust resistance, but the Ultra 2 offers improved durability with water resistance up to 100 meters. It is also certified to the US military standard MIL-STD-810H for durability, meaning it can withstand extreme heat, cold, humidity and drops from up to 1.2 meters.

Because the Ultra 2 is designed for athletes, it also has some extra hardware features – including an action button that you can customize for different activities. The wearable also features three microphones and a pair of speakers, as well as an 86dB siren with a range of up to 180 meters in case you get into trouble. And just like the Apple Watch Series 10, the watch's built-in speakers will soon be able to play music and podcasts.

All smartwatches have OLED screens, with the Apple Watch Series 10's display being the most spacious, followed by the Ultra 2's screen. Each wearable also has 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). However, only the Apple Watch Series 10 offers a wide-angle display. According to Apple, this allows pixels to emit more light at a wider angle, 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'll also get other non-health-related features, including accident detection, emergency calling, Fitness Plus, Apple Pay, and family setup. Additionally, all wearables will support watchOS 11 upon release, so you'll get features like exercise load measurement and the ability to pause your activity rings.

The biggest difference between the models, however, is that the SE lacks temperature and EGG sensors. The SE also won't support the sleep apnea feature should it receive FDA approval. The wearables are only available in the 10, 9, and Ultra 2 series and use an accelerometer to monitor your sleep and send alerts when they detect the condition. They can also generate detailed reports for your doctor so you can get an official diagnosis.

Finally, the Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 offer more features for swimmers compared to the Series 9 and SE. Both have built-in water temperature and depth sensors that let snorkelers and divers know how deep they are, for example. However, the Ultra 2 can measure up to a depth of 40 meters, while the Series 10 is limited to six meters.

The upcoming Series 10 runs on Apple's new S10 SiP (System in Package), while the Ultra 2 runs on the last-generation S9 chip. Both enable features not available on the Apple Watch SE, including 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-generation Ultrawide Band chip, meaning you can't use Apple's Precision Finding feature to locate newer iPhone models.

This is just an overview of how each model compares to the others, but there are more differences. If you want to explore the differences between the wearables in more detail, check out the raw data in the table below.