Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: Which one is right for you?

This article is part of our series Battle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.

The two best smartwatches you can get for your iPhone are the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9. They’re Apple’s newest wearables with the latest in fitness technology, intelligent features and software that the company has to offer. But there’s a burning question that needs to be asked: Which one is right for you?

After all, these watches are designed with different purposes in mind. The Series 9, which starts at $399, offers an all-around smartwatch experience with sharp looks, fast performance and a vast array of fitness-tracking abilities. Meanwhile, the $799 Ultra 2 is designed for the most rugged activities you can think of, from hiking to diving and everything in between. They also share many similarities on the inside, and they couldn’t be more different from an aesthetic point of view.

Apple has a little something for everyone between the two watches. Let’s break them down and figure out which is better for you.

Editor’s note: Apple recently re-launched new versions of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 without blood oxygen tracking due to ongoing patent disputes around the feature. However, some third-party retailers still offer the older models with blood oxygen capabilities. Keep an eye out for model numbers ending in “LW/A” to make sure you’re getting the original version.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 at a glance

Quick comparison

Modern and sleek vs. rugged and durable

There’s a big design difference between the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. They both look like Apple Watches, of course, but it’s obvious which one tries to fit in with everyday style and which one is begging to be taken to Mt. Everest.

The Series 9 comes with an aluminum build that’s available in a variety of colors like Midnight, Starlight, PRODUCT(RED), Pink and Silver. If you’re feeling classy, you can upgrade to stainless steel for $300 more, which also gets you cellular connectivity. It uses ion-X glass to protect the screen on the aluminum model and sapphire crystal on the stainless steel. It’s available in both 41mm and 45mm sizes.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is constructed out of titanium, giving it greater durability and a much bulkier appearance (while staying nice and light). It’s a much bolder look than the Series 9, but it’s easy to get used to. Of course, it only comes in a single case size — 49mm — which might be too big for some wrists. I’ve compared it a lot to my 45mm Series 8 in anticipation of ordering an Ultra for myself, and it’s not all that much bigger, save for the buttons that stick out a bit more due to their enclosure. Oh, and in case you were wondering, any band for the 45mm Apple Watch will fit on the Ultra 2.

With the Ultra 2, you get sapphire crystal to cover the display, as well as a raised bezel to protect it in case you bang your arm into something. I wish the Series 9 had extra screen protection too; the curved glass looks really good, but one good smack into a table and it’s toast.

Both the Series 9 and Ultra 2 are IP6X dust resistant, but they vary when it comes to water resistance. The former has WR50 water resistance, meaning it can survive up to 50 meters underwater. The latter gets WR100 resistance, letting you go 100 meters underwater. This makes the Ultra 2 perfect for diving, whereas the Series 9 is more geared toward light scubadiving and general watersport activities.

Overall, they’re both Apple Watches through and through, but their aesthetics are very different. I’ve seen plenty of people get away with wearing a Series 9 everywhere from the gym or the beach to a night out or a wedding. The Ultra 2, meanwhile, can be dressed up a bit but always looks best with casual clothes or 100 meters underwater. I will say, there’s something inherently appealing about how rugged the Ultra 2 is, plus the fact that it’s the only watch in Apple’s lineup that looks remotely different from the rest. Still, it’s a bold look, especially with that orange Action button.

The Ultra 2’s display is bigger and brighter, but the Series 9 is no slouch

The display on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the biggest and brightest that Apple has ever shipped on a watch, measuring fractions of an inch larger than the 45mm Series 9 to give you a bit of extra room for text, maps, apps and the QWERTY keyboard. It’s also brighter than the Series 9; the regular Apple Watch can reach up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, while the Ultra 2 can go all the way up to 3,000 nits.

While that’s definitely a big difference on paper, I’d like to point out that both levels of brightness are high. In fact, in regular usage, you’ll never know the difference between the screens’ brightness. It’s only in extreme cases that the Ultra 2 will go past 2,000 nits, like out on a sunny mountain or in the blazing sun on the beach. In most cases, the two watches will look identical, which means they’re both very easy to see regardless of the lighting situation.

The size of the screens is also very similar. While the extra room can come in handy for reading and typing, the Series 9 (especially the 45mm model) has a large enough screen that everything is perfectly visible. I’ve also been typing on a 45mm watch for years and it works totally fine, so you’ll have to really want the biggest screen you can get to justify an upgrade to the Ultra 2.

Same performance and fitness features with a few Ultra-exceptions

The Series 9 and Ultra 2 share the same Apple-designed S9 chip for snappy performance and powering all the fitness features on both devices. These are some of the most responsive smartwatches on the market, and given how well Apple Watches from a few years ago perform today, I wouldn’t worry about them slowing down anytime soon.

You’ll find the same selection of health-tracking sensors on both watches, including heart rate, blood oxygen, temperature and electrical heart. You also get irregular heart rhythm notifications, sleep tracking, depth sensing when underwater, Wayback points (thanks to a souped-up compass) and crash/fall detection.

Starting a workout is mostly the same, save for the customizable Action button on the Ultra 2 that can be programmed to start whatever workout you want. The Series 9 is stuck with touch controls for getting one started, unless you rely solely on auto-workout detection (which, let’s be honest, no one does). Of course, both watches also work with GymKit, which lets you tap your wrist on supported gym equipment to start a synchronized workout.

The Ultra 2 throws in a couple of extra features to justify its price. For example, there’s dual-band GPS support, which means it can more accurately track GPS-oriented workouts, giving you a clever picture of how far you went or the direction you followed. It also comes with a 86-decibel siren that you can play if there’s an emergency.

Oh, and the Depth app for diving is only available on the Apple Watch Ultra series because of course it is.

Beyond that, tracking your health and fitness with either of these watches will produce the same results, and you’ll have the same experience using both. Mind you, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that; the Apple Watch is one of the best fitness trackers on the market, so it’s nice that you get an identical experience regardless of which model you buy. The thing you should consider, then, is whether you need the extra ruggedness during your workouts that the Ultra 2 gives you. Otherwise, the Series 9 will suffice.

watchOS 10 gets Double Tap and on-device Siri with both watches

Apple ships watchOS 10 on both the Series 9 and Ultra 2, and they offer a nearly identical experience. I say “nearly identical” because there are a few watch faces specifically designed for the Ultra 2 that you can’t get on other Apple Watches, as well as a few user interface elements to accommodate for the Action button.

Beyond that, this is simply watchOS, with the usual set of customizable watch faces, app support and slick notifications. New in watchOS 10 is an updated interface with more visually appealing apps, the Smart Stack on your watch face for showing relevant information through widgets, some tweaks to Maps and Compass, and new features for runners and cyclists. All this is available on older Apple Watches as well.

What’s unique to the Series 9 and Ultra 2 is Double Tap, which uses a mind-blowing amount of data from your wrist to detect when you tap your pointer finger and thumb together. This allows you to control primary interface elements without having to touch the screen, such as when you want to answer a phone call or pause your music. The feature works the same across both watches and can come in handy when one hand is full and you need to control something on the fly.

You also get on-device Siri support with both these Apple Watches, which gives you faster response times and a few new abilities, like being able to log your weight using your voice.

Apple never specifies how long it’ll support an Apple Watch with watchOS updates, but since the Series 4 from 2018 is still getting updated to this day, it’s a safe bet that the Series 9 and Ultra 2 will likely continue getting upgrades for years to come.

Need the best battery life? Get the Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Series 9 is rated for up to 18 hours on a charge. In reality, that translates to a full day to a day and a half with normal use. But if that’s not good enough for you and you need the best battery life ever on an Apple Watch, the Ultra 2 is the only way to go.

This watch is rated for up to 36 hours of normal usage, which translates easily to two to three days between charges. This is by far the biggest perk of owning an Ultra 2: You don’t have to worry about charging it every day. You can wake up, strap it to your wrist at 100%, use it all day, track your sleep and get up the next morning and still have 40% to 50% left.

Of course, whether spending $800 on an Apple Watch is worth it for multiday battery life is up to your discretion, but I know many people who went for the Ultra simply because it lasts longer than the Series 9.

Charging is identical on both watches; Apple includes its puck-style charger that refuels your Apple Watch from zero to 100% in about 70 to 75 minutes. Just make sure you have an extra USB-C charging adapter lying around since neither watch comes with one.

The Series 9 is a far better value for most people

This goes without saying, but the Ultra 2 is expensive.

For $800, you get a ruggedized version of the Apple Watch that, at its core, isn’t much different from the Series 9. Sure, it can go depths underwater that no Series 9 could, and it’s far more durable and lasts longer on a charge, but for most people, the Series 9 does enough.

You get all the same fitness features as the Ultra 2, the same watchOS 10 experience, the same cellular connectivity, the same band support plus a smaller model for those with smaller wrists, all for hundreds of dollars less. Yes, I am a big believer in simply buying “the best thing” because you’re obsessed with the Apple Watch and just want the best one, but if all you need is an Apple Watch that aces the basics and delivers most of the same features (or if you just want one that fits your wrist), the Series 9 is the right move.

Bottom line

There’s no question that these are some of the best Apple Watches ever made. It just comes down to what your particular use case is. Do you plan on going hiking or diving with it? Do you just need it to track your steps during the day? Want the biggest screen possible? Have a smaller wrist and want a watch that accommodates?

There’s no single right answer on which to buy, but there is a way to generalize things. If what you need is a good ol’ fashion Apple Watch, get a Series 9. If you want extra durability and battery life (and you’re willing to pay a lot), go for the Ultra 2. Neither will let you down; just make sure you take your wallet’s feelings into consideration at checkout.