At Apple’s recent “It’s Glowtime” event, the company unveiled the new Apple Watch Series 10 alongside updates to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. With starting prices of $399 for the Series 10 and $799 for the Ultra 2, both models are available for preorder, with official release scheduled for September 20th.
The Series 10 brings a larger and slimmer design compared to its predecessor, and both the Series 10 and Ultra 2 are now offered in a sleek black option. This marks the first time the Ultra comes in an additional color. Both watches will feature new functionalities, including sleep apnea notifications (pending FDA approval) and enhanced speaker capabilities for playing music and podcasts.
We have yet to complete our review of the Series 10, but initial impressions suggest the larger display is a notable improvement. To help you decide whether to upgrade, here’s a breakdown of how the Series 10 stacks up against other Apple Watch models, including the Ultra 2, second-gen Apple Watch SE, and last-gen Series 9. A detailed spec comparison is provided at the end for those seeking more information.
Price and Size
- Apple Watch SE: Starts at $249 for the 40mm GPS model and $299 for the cellular version.
- Apple Watch Series 10: Priced at $399 for GPS and an additional $100 for cellular connectivity.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: At $799, it is the priciest option and does not offer a basic GPS model.
The Ultra 2 is the largest at 49mm. The Series 10 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, slightly larger than the Series 9 (41mm, 45mm) and the SE (40mm, 44mm). Larger sizes generally come with a higher price tag; the 46mm Series 10 costs $50 more, and the 44mm SE is $30 more.
Currently, you can find discounts on the Series 9 and Ultra 2; for example, the Series 9 is on sale for $299 and the Ultra 2 for $689. Significant discounts on the Series 10 are unlikely soon due to its newness.
Design All models are water-resistant up to 50 meters and dust-resistant with an IP6X rating. The Ultra 2, however, offers enhanced durability with water resistance up to 100 meters and meets MIL-STD-810H military standards, ensuring it can handle extreme conditions and falls from up to four feet.
The Ultra 2 features additional hardware tailored for athletes, including a customizable Action Button, three microphones, dual speakers, and an 86dB siren with a 600-foot range. Both the Series 10 and Ultra 2 will soon support music and podcast playback through their built-in speakers.
Display Technology All Apple Watches use OLED screens, with the Series 10 boasting the largest display, followed by the Ultra 2. Every model except the SE features an always-on display. The Ultra 2 achieves peak brightness of 3,000 nits, surpassing the Series 10 (2,000 nits), Series 9 (2,000 nits), and SE (1,000 nits). The Series 10 is unique in offering a wide-angle display for better visibility from different angles.
Features All models provide heart rate monitoring, ECG, fall detection, crash detection, emergency calling, Fitness Plus, Apple Pay, and Family Setup. They will all support watchOS 11, introducing features like Training Load measurement and Activity Rings management. However, the SE lacks temperature and ECG sensors and will not support the sleep apnea notifications.
The Series 10 and Ultra 2 are better suited for swimmers with built-in water temperature and depth sensors. The Ultra 2 measures up to 40 meters, while the Series 10 is limited to 6 meters.
Processing Power The Series 10 runs on the new S10 SiP (System in Package), while the Ultra 2 uses the previous-generation S9 chip. Both support features unavailable on the SE, such as the new double-tap gesture and on-device Siri processing. The SE also lacks the second-gen ultrawide band chip, which means it cannot utilize Apple’s Precision Finding feature for newer iPhone models.