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Apple Watch Series 9
Editor's Choice$329 $399 Save $70The Apple Watch Series 9 offers almost all the same features as the Watch Ultra 2 but for half the starting price. It's the Apple smartwatch we would recommend to the majority of users, and it offers a great experience overall.
Pros- Packed with sensors
- Great overall performance
- Plenty of features
Cons- No battery improvements
- No Action Button
- Minor changes compares to Series 8
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Apple Watch Ultra 2
Excellent alternative$739 $799 Save $60The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a slightly different design to the traditional Apple Watch models, offering a tougher and more rugged look. It also adds some additional features, making it a great option for those that love the outdoors.
Pros- Stunning display
- Great feature set
- Different design
Cons- Expensive
- Too big for some
- Additional features unneccessary for majority
There are several smartwatch models within the Apple Watch portfolio, with three main models on offer, each catering to a different buyer. We've compared the Watch Series 9 and the Watch SE in a separate feature, but here we are taking a closer look at how the Watch Series 9 compares to the top-of-the-range Watch Ultra 2.
If you're in the market for a new Apple Watch and the decision between the Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 is proving too tough to make without some guidance, you're in the right place. Here is how the Watch Series 9 compares to the Watch Ultra 2 and why you might consider buying each of them. For the record, we love both here at Pocket-lint, but there are some differences worth noting that might help your choice between them.
Price, specs, availability
There is quite a big difference in price between the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2. The Watch Ultra 2 is double the cost of the Watch Series 9, at $799/£799 compared to a starting price of $399/£399 so it's not a small purchase decision you are making here. Both are available through Apple itself and various retailers, so neither is difficult to get hold of, though there is a difference in the models available and the sizing.
The Watch Series 9 comes in a range of colour options and there are two size options of 41mm and 45mm, as well as aluminium and stainless steel models and GPS and GPS & Cellular models. The aluminium models come in five colours, while the stainless steel models come in three choices.
The Watch Ultra 2 is a little more simple in its offering. It is only available in one colour - Natural Titanium - and it only comes in one size option of 49mm too. There is also only one model available in terms of material options and all Watch Ultra 2 models have GPS & Cellular connectivity.
We've listed a spec table below to give you a quick glance at how these two smartwatches compare, but read on for more detail and experience, as it isn't all just about the numbers.
Apple Watch Series 9 Apple Watch Ultra 2 Case Material Aluminium or Stainless Steel Titanium Case size 41mm, 45mm 49mm Display 904sq mm, 430 x 352 pixel resolution, 2000 nits (41mm), 1143sq mm, 484 x 396 pixel resolution, 2000 nits (45mm) 1,185 sq mm, 410x502 pixel resolution, 3000 nits 49mm CPU S9 chip, W3 chip, U1 chip (2nd gen) S9 chip, W3 chip, U1 chip (2nd gen) Connectivity GPS only, GPS & Cellular GPS & Cellular Health sensors Body temperature, Blood oxygen, Optical heart rate, Electrical heart rate Body temperature, Blood oxygen, Optical heart rate, Electrical heart rate, 86dB siren, Depth Gauge Dimensions 41 x 35 x 10.7mm (41mm model), 45 x 38 x 10.7mm (45mm model) 49 x 44 x 14.4mm Weight 41mm - 31.9g (aluminium), 42.3g (stainless steel), 45mm - 38.7g (aluminium), 51.5g (stainless steel) 61.3g Mobile payments Apple Pay Apple Pay Color options Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Gold, Silver, Graphite, Black, PRODUCT (RED) Natural Titanium
Design and display
Let's first talk about the design of these two devices head to head, as it marks the biggest distinction between the Watch Ultra 2 and the Watch Series 9. The Watch Series 9 looks virtually identical to the previous Apple Watch Series models that have gone before it. It has a rectangular casing with rounded edges and sides and a display on top that curves into the frame.
On the right edge, there is a Digital Crown and side button below that circular button, while the left edge has a speaker. On the underside of the aluminium or stainless steel casing, depending on the model you select, is the optical heart rate sensor, covered with Ion-X glass if you opt for aluminium or sapphire glass if you opt for stainless steel. You'll also find the buttons for changing the straps above and below the heart rate sensor.
The Watch Ultra 2, meanwhile, is much chunkier. It has a more accentuated design and while it still looks like the Apple Watch we have come to know and love over the years, it is more rugged in its approach. The Digital Crown is ridged to allow it to be used easily with gloves and it - and the side button - are both raised from the side of the Watch Ultra 2's casing.
On the left edge, there is a customisable action button that stands out from the titanium casing thanks to its orange colour, and a speaker sits above. There is a flat display on the top, which is protected by a titanium lip around it, and it's brighter than the Series 9 too, at 3000 nits compared to 2000 nits.
Like the Watch Series 9, however, the optical heart rate sensor is present beneath the casing on the Watch Ultra 2, and it is protected by sapphire crystal like the stainless steel models of the Series 9. The buttons for changing the straps are on the underside of the Watch Ultra 2 too, like the Series 9, but you'll also see screw holes in the four corners, making for a more industrial finish overall.
As mentioned, the Watch Ultra 2 only comes in a 49mm casing option. There is no smaller size. It is compatible with the specific Watch Ultra 2 straps, or the 45mm straps available for the Watch Series 9 and the Watch SE (2022). The Watch Series 9 comes in 41mm and 45mm models. The images shown in this feature are the 41mm model.
Features
The Apple Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 share a similar set of features, though the Watch Ultra 2 does have a couple more in the bag. The question is whether you will use these extra features, however. Both offer a feature called Double Tap, which is brilliant for operating the smartwatch one-handed. A double pinch of your thumb and fore finger will allow you to answer calls, scroll through the Smart Stack widget or start a workout when it appears on your screen if you forget to start it at the beginning, for example.
What is Double Tap on Apple Watch: How do you use it and what can it do?
Apple announced a powerful gesture coming to the Apple Watch Series.9 and Ultra 2; here's what it does.Both models also offer Precision Finding for iPhone which is one of our favourite features. It allows you to press the button to ping your iPhone and then be guided to it directly from your Watch. On-device Siri is also available on both the Watch Ultra 2 and the Watch Series 9, allowing for quicker responses and the ability to ask Siri to add and read health data.
Elsewhere, the Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 both offer blood oxygen tracking, the ability to take an ECG and they will monitor irregular heart rate and deliver notifications for low cardio fitness too. They also both have body temperature tracking, Emergency SOS, Fall Detection and Crash Detection. For the more basic features, both devices are identical, offering sleep tracking and great fitness tracking, along with smartphone notifications delivered from your iPhone.
Where the Watch Ultra 2 is superior to the Watch Series 9 is more to do with outdoor activities. Both the Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 are water-resistant and swimproof, but the Watch Ultra 2 is resistant to 100m, while the Series 9 is 50m. The Watch Ultra 2 can also handle high-speed water sports and recreational diving to 40m, while the Series 9 isn't recommended.
The Watch Ultra 2 also offers precision dual-frequency GPS (L1 and L5) compared to the L1 GPS that the Series 9 has and there is a built-in siren on the Watch Ultra 2 as well. Both Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 have a compass with waypoints, however, as well as a feature called Backtrack and an Elevation view. The Watch Ultra 2 offers a depth gauge and water temperature sensor too, as well as a preinstalled Depth app and a Dive computer app available to download, so it is more equipped for more extreme activities than the Series 9.
Hardware and battery
The majority of the Watch Ultra 2 and Watch Series 9 make-ups are very similar, though like the features, there are some differences. Both run on the new S9 SiP, which was redesigned for the 2023 models, though it continues to offer a 64-bit architecture. They also both have the W3 wireless chip, a 4-core Neural Engine and a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. In terms of connectivity, Wi-Fi 4 is on board both smartwatches, as is Bluetooth 5.3.
Perhaps the biggest difference in hardware and performance is the battery, however. The Watch Ultra 2 promises up to 36 hours, which is double that of the Watch Series 9, which is at up to 18 hours in normal mode. In Low Power Mode, the Watch Ultra 2 offers up to 72 hours and the Watch Series 9 is up to 36 hours.
If you want a smartwatch that you don't need to charge every night or overnight depending on whether you want to use sleep tracking or not, then the Watch Ultra 2 is the one you'll want. Fast charging is on board both, and it doesn't take long to change either up enough to get multiple hours out of them, so it's not necessarily a dealbreaker for everyday use. The bigger battery of the Ultra 2 certainly comes in handy for activities though, so keep that in mind when making your decision.
As mentioned, both the Watch Ultra 2 and Watch Series 9 come with a compass and a number of sensors. There's an electrical heart sensor in the Digital Crown for example, used for the ECG function. Both also offer IP6X water and dust resistance, though the Watch Ultra 2 is also MIL-STD 810H approved too. There is an always-on altimeter on both the Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 too, but there is an expanded operating range from -500m to 9000m on the Watch Ultra 2, which would effectively allow you to climb Everest.
Conclusion
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers almost all the same features as the Watch Ultra 2, and it is half the price, so it's the smartwatch we would recommend to the majority. It misses out on a couple of the Watch Ultra 2's features - better battery life being the one with the most impact - but overall, you get a very similar experience and that experience is a great one.
The Watch Ultra 2 does look great, however, and it offers something a little different to what we've seen from the Apple Watch since it launched in 2015. It also has some extra features for those that enjoy outdoor sports or activities with better GPS, better battery life that we mentioned, an expanded altitude offering and better water resistance. Whether you need those extra features or not will come down to what your lifestyle is like, though it's perfectly acceptable to also buy the Watch Ultra 2 for just its design too. You just have to be able to justify double the cash to do that.
