32 facts in comparison

Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum vs Apple Watch Ultra 2

DesignDisplayHealth & fitnessBatteryConnectivitySoftware

Tap a category to see which one wins it.

64Points
95Points

Why is Apple Watch Ultra 2 better than Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum?

  • 4 mm more Case size ?49 mm vs 45 mm
  • 5 ATM more Water resistance ?10 ATM vs 5 ATM
  • 0.02 " more Display size ?1.92 " vs 1.9 "
  • 18 px more Resolution ?502 px vs 484 px
  • 1,000 nits more Peak brightness ?3,000 nits vs 2,000 nits
  • 18 h more Battery life ?36 h vs 18 h
  • Has Dual-frequency GPS ?
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What matters to you?

Drag the sliders to weight each category and re-rank the products to suit your priorities.

Design
Display
Health & fitness
Battery
Connectivity
Software
Your ranking
Apple Watch Series 9 AluminumYour pick67
Apple Watch Ultra 2Your pick95

Score breakdown

Design
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum63
Apple Watch Ultra 275
Display
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum0
Apple Watch Ultra 2100
Health & fitness
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Apple Watch Ultra 2100
Battery
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum24
Apple Watch Ultra 2100
Connectivity
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum82
Apple Watch Ultra 2100
Software
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum100
Apple Watch Ultra 2100

Design

Weight ?
31.9 g
61.4 g

A lighter watch is more comfortable to wear all day.

Case size ?
45 mm
49 mm

The case diameter; larger cases fit bigger displays, smaller ones suit slimmer wrists.

Case material ?
Glass front
Sapphire crystal front

The case material (e.g. aluminium, titanium).

Water resistance ?
5 ATM
10 ATM

A higher ATM rating allows swimming and diving.

Always-on display ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Shows the time and stats without raising your wrist.

Sapphire glass ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the screen.

Colors ?
Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Pink, Red
Titanium, Black

The case and band colour options the watch is sold in.

Display

Display size ?
1.9 "
1.92 "

A larger display is easier to read and interact with.

Resolution ?
484 px
502 px

A higher pixel count produces sharper text and graphics.

Display type ?
Retina LTPO OLED
Retina LTPO2 OLED

The screen technology (e.g. AMOLED).

Peak brightness ?
2,000 nits
3,000 nits

A brighter screen is easier to read in sunlight.

Health & fitness

Heart rate monitor ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Continuously tracks your heart rate.

Blood oxygen (SpO2) ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Measures blood-oxygen saturation.

ECG ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Takes an electrocardiogram to check heart rhythm.

Blood pressure ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Estimates blood pressure from the wrist.

Sleep tracking ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Monitors sleep stages and quality.

Built-in GPS ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Tracks routes and distance without a phone.

Skin temperature ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Senses skin temperature for health insights.

Fall detection ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Detects hard falls and can call for help.

Sport modes ?
? Unknown (Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum)
? Unknown (Apple Watch Ultra 2)

More tracked workout types suit more activities.

Battery

Battery life ?
18 h
36 h

Estimated hours of use between charges.

Fast charging ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Tops up quickly from empty.

Wireless charging ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Charges on a wireless pad or puck.

Charging time ?
45 min
60 min

How long a full charge takes; lower is better.

Connectivity

Bluetooth version ?
5.3
5.3

A newer Bluetooth version improves range and efficiency.

Wi-Fi ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Connects to Wi-Fi for updates and sync without a phone.

Dual-frequency GPS ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

L1+L5 GPS gives more accurate tracking in cities and forests.

LTE / cellular ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Make calls and stream without your phone nearby.

NFC payments ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Pay contactlessly from your wrist.

Speaker & microphone ?
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Take calls and use a voice assistant on the watch.

Software

Operating system ?
watchOS 10
watchOS 10

The watch software platform.

Onboard storage ?
64 GB
64 GB

More storage holds more offline music and apps.

The bottom line

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the clear winner, scoring 95 to 64 on our VS Score. It leads on Design, Display and Battery.

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