Apple Watch Series 9 Vs. Ultra 2: Is The Bigger Battery Really Worth It?
Deciding which Apple Watch to buy was pretty straightforward until Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra. Before this, you only had to choose between the Apple Watch SE and the latest Apple Watch Series model. Unlike the iPhone, Apple doesn't sell old models of the Apple Watch, so all you needed to do was decide whether you wanted the current Apple Watch Series model or were willing to sacrifice features like ECG, blood oxygen sensor, always-on display, and fast charging with the cheaper Apple Watch SE.
When you add the Apple Watch Ultra to the mix, that choice becomes more complicated. The Apple Watch Ultra's features are specifically targeted at athletes and outdoor adventurers. These include a larger display, more durable build, better water resistance, and improved battery life, among others.
Expectedly, these features significantly bring up the price, with the Apple Watch Ultra retailing for $799, a significant markup over the Apple Watch Series 9, which starts at $399. If you're on a budget, choosing between the two smartwatches is easy. If you can afford to shell out the extra $400, though, there are several factors you'll need to consider before deciding which Apple Watch is right for you.
What is the Apple Watch Series 9?
The Apple Watch Series 9 is the latest generation of the standard Apple Watch. It succeeds the Apple Watch Series 8 and was launched alongside the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in September 2023. The Series 9 is the default choice for anyone who wants an Apple Watch and sits between the cheaper Apple Watch SE and the more expensive Apple Watch Ultra.
There are some notable differences between the Series 9 and Series 8, but it probably doesn't make sense to upgrade to this smartwatch if you have a fairly recent Apple Watch model. The battery life is unchanged from older Apple Watches, and so is the design.
However, the smartwatch comes with the new S9 SiP, which Apple claims is faster and more power efficient than the Series 8's S8 chip. In our Apple Watch Series 9 review, we noted that the improvements with the S9 chip are mild, but animations appear smooth and lag-free. The new chipset also enables some additional features, including the Double Tap gesture — two pinches made with your thumb and forefinger. With Double Tap, you can answer an incoming call, silence a timer, or take a photo on your iPhone via the remote shutter.
What is the Apple Watch Ultra 2?
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the successor to the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra. It's Apple's most premium smartwatch, and while it's designed primarily for outdoor use, features like the larger display and better battery life appeal to more casual users too.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a lot in common with the Apple Watch Series 9, including the new S9 chip, Double Tap feature, and second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for precision finding. It also comes with the same health-tracking and fitness-tracking features seen on the Series 9.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 really shines when it comes to outdoor usage. The Apple Watch Ultra's Siren app can be used in an emergency to emit an 86-decibel sound that can be heard from up to 600 feet away. It also has a customizable Action button that can be pressed to trigger a variety of functions. The Watch Ultra 2 features a unique design with a flat display, orange accents, and a larger case.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: design
The Apple Watch Series 9 comes in a choice of 41mm and 45mm case sizes, both available in aluminum or stainless steel materials. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a larger 49mm titanium case that is more rugged and corrosion-resistant. The case is also raised around the edges, protecting the display from scratches and hard impact.
While both smartwatches feature a Digital Crown and side button on the right, the crown on the Watch Ultra 2 is textured, making it easier to turn with wet hands or gloves. There's also an orange Action button on the left. The Watch Ultra 2 is much chunkier than the Series 9 and is also heavier, weighing 64.1 grams. In comparison, the Series 9 weighs between 31.9 grams and 51.5 grams, depending on the variant.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in the same natural titanium finish as the original Apple Watch Ultra, and you can buy it with a choice of three bands: Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, and Ocean Band. The Apple Watch Series 9, on the other hand, comes in a variety of colors. The standard aluminum version can be purchased in Pink, Midnight, Starlight, Silver, and PRODUCT (RED) finishes, while the stainless steel variant comes in Gold, Silver, and Graphite finishes. All the colors can be customized with a range of rubber, textile, and stainless steel watch bands, offering more choice than the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: display
The Watch Series 9 features Ion-X front glass on the aluminum case models and uses sapphire crystal on the more expensive stainless steel variants. In comparison, all models of the Watch Ultra 2 come with a flat sapphire crystal display. Sapphire crystal is known to be scratch-resistant, eliminating the need to use a screen protector for your Apple Watch.
The Watch Ultra 2 features a larger display than the Series 9 thanks to the bigger 49mm case. The brightness on both smartwatches can go down to 1 nit in low light, but the Watch Ultra 2 gets as bright as 3,000 nits, making it visible even in harsh sunlight. The Watch Series 9 isn't too far behind, going up to 2,000 nits brightness, which is double what the Series 8 offered and the same as the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra.
Both displays are Retina OLED LTPO panels and feature always-on display technology, which sets them apart from the cheaper Apple Watch SE. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 also features a night mode that's automatically activated in the dark, turning the display elements red. This is available on the two exclusive watch faces Apple offers for the Watch Ultra: Wayfinder and Modular Ultra.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: software and features
Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 run watchOS 10, bringing a redesigned interface and apps. However, this software is also available on older Apple Watches, so it's not exclusive to these models.
In terms of health tracking, you get a temperature sensor, blood oxygen sensor, ECG, and third-generation optical heart rate sensor on both smartwatches. They can notify you of low cardio fitness levels and irregular, high, and low heart rates. In addition, features like emergency SOS, international emergency calling, crash detection, and fall detection are also available on both devices.
The customizable Action button and Siren are both exclusive to the Watch Ultra 2, as are a depth gauge, water temperature sensor, Depth app, and the Oceanic+ dive computer app. The Watch Ultra 2 also has dual speakers and a three-mic array, compared to the Watch Series 9's single speaker and microphone.
Both smartwatches feature an IP6X dust resistance rating, but while the Watch Series 9 is water resistant up to 50 meters, the Watch Ultra 2 can survive in depths up to 100 meters and is MIL-STD 810H certified for durability. It can be used for recreational dives up to 40 meters and for high-speed water sports, too. The Watch Ultra 2 also has dual-frequency GPS (L1 and L5), compared to the Series 9, which has only L1 GPS, resulting in more accurate location data.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: performance and battery life
Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 are powered by Apple's new S9 SiP. The new processor enables the Double Tap feature and faster on-device Siri with health data access. The latter makes processing Siri requests faster, improves the accuracy of dictation, and lets you ask questions about your health data. Alongside the new chip, both smartwatches feature a new four-core neural engine that processes machine-learning tasks faster.
The new processor maintains the battery life of previous Apple Watch models. On the Apple Watch Series 9, you can expect a battery life of up to 18 hours, which can be extended to 36 hours in low-power mode. The Apple Watch Ultra offers double the battery life. With regular usage, you can expect up to 36 hours, and this number goes up to 72 hours in low-power mode.
Both smartwatches feature fast charging, but while Apple provides a USB-C Apple Watch magnetic cable in the box, you'll need to supply your own 20W power adapter to take advantage of the faster speeds. Apple says the Watch Ultra 2 can charge from 0 to 80% in about an hour, while a full charge takes about 1.5 hours. Since the Watch Series 9 has a smaller battery, the charge times are much faster. A charge from 0 to 80% takes about 45 minutes while charging to 100% takes 75 minutes.
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: price and verdict
While it's clear that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 brings several additional features over the Apple Watch Series 9, the price will be the ultimate deciding factor when choosing between the two. The Apple Watch Series 9 starts at $399 for the GPS version and $499 for the GPS + Cellular model. The Watch Ultra 2 is double the price at $799 and comes in a single GPS + Cellular configuration.
The two smartwatches are pretty much on par with performance and health tracking, but it's clear that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the upper hand when it comes to durability and outdoor-specific usage. The Action button, Siren, better water resistance, and brighter display are great as extras but are unlikely to make a difference in day-to-day usage for the average consumer.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors and in the water, the Watch Ultra 2 is a no-brainer. However, if you're using the Apple Watch mainly to track workouts, keep tabs on your health and fitness, track your sleep habits, and serve as a companion to your iPhone, the Apple Watch Series 9 makes a lot more sense.
While the Apple Watch Ultra 2's battery life is certainly appealing, with fast charging available on the Watch Series 9, the bigger battery alone isn't really worth the extra $400.