Case, titanium and sapphire are the same. The Ultra 3 costs more than twice as much. What for?
Short answer
Ultra 3 - S10 chip, up to 42 h, a slightly bigger 422×514 display and 5G RedCap. Ultra 2 - the same 100 m titanium case for far less.
Key differences
| Spec | Apple Watch Ultra 2 49mm GPS + Cellular | Apple Watch Ultra 3 49mm GPS + Cellular |
|---|---|---|
| Display | OLED, 410×502 | OLED, 422×514 |
| Chip | Apple S9 | Apple S10 |
| Memory | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Battery life | up to 36 h | up to 42 h |
| Connectivity | LTE, eSIM | 5G RedCap, LTE, eSIM |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou (L1 + L5) | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou (L1 + L5) |
| NFC | yes | yes |
| Sensors | heart rate, SpO2, barometer, compass, gyroscope, temperature | heart rate, SpO2, barometer, compass, gyroscope, temperature |
| Protection | 100 m / IP6X / EN13319 | 100 m / IP6X / EN13319 |
| OS | watchOS 10 | watchOS 26 |
| Compatibility | iPhone XS / iOS 17 | iPhone 11 / iPhone SE 2 / iOS 26 |
| Dimensions, weight | 49×44×12 mm, 61.4 g | 49×44×12 mm, 61.6 g |
| Price | current prices | current prices |
Specs come from the device pages on Smartphone.ua.
Chips
Apple S9 vs S10.
Battery life and connectivity
Up to 36 vs up to 42 h. The Ultra 3 adds 5G RedCap to LTE.
What's the same
Titanium, sapphire glass, 100 m, IP6X and EN13319 for diving, dual-frequency GPS (L1 + L5), 49×44×12 mm.
Verdict: who should buy which
- Best-value Ultra - Ultra 2.
- Longer battery and new chip - Ultra 3.
FAQ
Is the case the same?
Yes, 49×44×12 mm, 61.4 and 61.6 g.
Do both have eSIM?
Yes.
Which is cheaper?
The Ultra 2.