Key Takeaways
- The Apple Watch Series 10 offers a competitive alternative to the Ultra with a larger display.
- The Series 10 has faster charging and is thinner and lighter than the Ultra 2.
- For running and fitness, the Series 10’s features may be sufficient despite the Ultra’s advanced capabilities (which makes it better suited to hostile conditions, diving, and endurance sports.
When the Apple Watch Ultra debuted in 2022, it trounced the high-end Series 8 watch for fitness enthusiasts. Only two years later, the Series 10 model offers a competitive alternative to the chunkier Ultra 2 model. In fact, despite being a daily runner and utilizing some advanced features, the Series 10 is attractive enough to sway me away from my Ultra 2. Here’s why.
Evaluating the Different Apple Watches
Every day I lace up my shoes and go for a run between three and four miles. Since the beginning of 2020, I’ve logged over 5,000 miles and recorded nearly every run using an Apple Watch. It’s indispensable with its health tracking and media capabilities.
I wasn’t sure about the Apple Watch Ultra when I made the leap to it in 2022. At the time, I was worried it was too much watch for me, both in features and in size. It took several weeks to adjust to, but soon enough, I found its large display, Action Button, and immense battery life to be perfect for running. That’s why I stayed with it for the Ultra 2.
As soon as Apple unveiled the Series 10 with a larger display than the Ultra, it sent me down the path of considering switching. The giant screen size would probably be the hardest thing to let go of but since moving to a Series 10 wouldn’t force me to accept a smaller screen, I began to seriously consider it.
The Series 10 Is Good Enough For Running
Beyond the large screen size, which makes glancing at vitals and tapping buttons easier while moving, the battery life is the highlight of the Ultra (and Ultra 2) for me. It means I can do a 10-mile long run with GPS and cellular turned on, and not have to be concerned that my watch will die before the end of the day.
The Ultra 2 has a rated 36 hours of battery life. That’s hard to beat. The new Series 10 comes in with just 18 hours of battery life. This is a big hit, no matter how I try to justify it. But as much as I like the freedom that the Ultra provides, I’ve almost never gotten down to 50% in the last two years. Even after busy days, my Ultra is usually only down to 60% battery.
I’m going to have to get over worrying about whether the Series 10 gets low on battery life because it probably will. And I will likely need to take advantage of the Series 10’s even faster charging capabilities (thirty minutes of charging time will boost the watch back up to 80%). Apple advertises the Series 10 as being able to get up to 36 hours of battery life in Low Power Mode, for what it’s worth.
Beyond battery, the other major consideration for running and fitness users is the more accurate dual-band precision GPS (L1 and L5) on the Ultra 2, especially in dense urban areas. I don’t live in the heart of a major city and don’t find myself in one more than a dozen times a year. I’ve yet to run a race through a city either.
With the EN13319 certification, diving to 40 meters, and water resistance to 100 meters, siren, and –500m to 9000m altimeter operating range, it would be hard to switch from the Ultra 2 if I was spending time under the sea or on top of mountains, but I’m not. I’m road-running in normal places. For people doing more extreme sports, your needs may not quite be met with the cheaper Series 10.
The Ultra Is No Longer the “Best” Apple Watch
When the Ultra debuted it was the best in every way, except for maybe its weight and heft. Now, that’s no longer true. It doesn’t have the LTPO3 OLED screen for better visibility at off-axis viewing—40% better according to Apple. It doesn’t even have the largest screen.
The Ultra 2 got a new cool black color, but it didn’t get a new SiP (system in package). It keeps the previous S9 while the Series 10 gets the S10. In practice, this could be a nearly identical chip, but there are probably at least some minor differences tucked in somewhere.
The Series 10 has the fastest charging, able to go from zero to 80% in 30 minutes, while it takes the Ultra 2 one hour to do that. The Ultra 2 is no slouch, but it just isn’t universally the king of the hill right now.
The Series 10 Has Enough Ultra Features
It’s a treat that the Series 10 gets a water temperature sensor and depth gauge. I would have hated to give those up, even if I don’t need them regularly. My Action Button has been set to open the Workout app, something the newer widget system can take over for me.
Ultimately, I decided that a thinner frame and lighter overall weight were more important to me than extra battery life that I rarely used and niche features for extreme sports.
The Ultra 2 weighs 2.17oz (61.4g) compared to the 46mm Series 10 which weighs 1.25oz (35.3g). The cheaper model is around 43% lighter. The Ultra 2 is 0.57 inches (14.4mm) thick, compared to the Series 10 which is 0.38 inches (9.7mm). The new model is around 33% thinner. These are serious selling points for me.
Even though I run every day, it’s usually for 30 minutes or less. I would rather have a sleeker watch on my wrist for all those other hours of the day. Plus, it’s always nicer to carry less weight while running, even if it is only marginally lighter.
Trying to decide which Watch is for you? Check out our full Apple Watch Series 10 vs. UItra 2 showdown.
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