I tested Apple’s Ultra 2 and 1 smartwatches – both are discounted during the Cyber ​​Monday sale, here’s which one you should buy

I’m going to jump right in because these deals aren’t going to last long: It’s almost Cyber ​​Monday and the end of the Black Friday sales weekend, but, more importantly, stock levels are quickly depleting. The US deal I found on the Apple Watch Ultra 1 is literally the last place you can get one at a discount – BestBuy is full price and Amazon doesn’t even have one at all.

With that in mind, here’s a summary: The Ultra 2 has a much brighter, easier-to-read screen and improved internals. The choice really comes down to whether you want something that will handle future updates better – at the moment, both watches are about equal in what they do, and the Ultra 1 is much cheaper Right now.

I will expand on my experience using the Apple Watch Ultra 1 and Apples Watch Ultra 2 below. First, I will focus on the features of the Ultra 2 compared to the Ultra 1 – and explain who would benefit most from these features.

Below, I’ll go over the features shared by the two watches – and when the Ultra 1 would be the better buy. Let’s start…

Reasons for Ultra 2

Screen brightness

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a 3,000 nit display, compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 1’s 2,000 nit display. You can see the difference between the displays in the photo at the top of this page, but holding both up next to each other now – I can tell you the difference is even more striking than that.

As a side note, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 can go down to a single nite, rather than going down to 2 nits like the Ultra 1 does. This saves battery life with the always-on display, but these gains are offset by the more power-hungry upgraded processor – so battery life is basically equal to up to 36 hours.

System in a package

These are upgrades across the block for the internals of the Apples Watch Ultra 2: an S9 processor compared to the S8 previously, a second generation ultra-wideband chip compared to the U1 chip previously – and the introduction of a 4-core Neural Engine in the Ultra 2 like Bien.

This is a faster and more powerful device, which bodes well for future updates and developments. But with all the current apps on watches I find it doesn’t make a significant difference in terms of experience, the responsiveness isn’t much different.

Storage

64GB for the Ultra 2, 32GB for the Ultra 1. I don’t really need more storage on the Ultra 1, but the Ultra 2 has that margin.

To input

The Ultra 2 has Siri built into the device, although to be honest I almost never use Siri, so for me it’s a matter of detail. You also get the “double tap” gesture on the Ultra 2, which can detect when you tap your fingers and the watch answers an incoming phone call, for example.

Reasons for Ultra 1

As you can see, the hardware differences between the Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 aren’t huge, but will help future-proof your watch for a few more update cycles.

The most exciting thing about the Apple Watch right now is the Watch OS10 software update, which brings a host of new features to the newest Apple Watch models – and that includes the Apple Watch Ultra 1.

Power meter connectivity

This is the most important thing: you can now connect cycling sensors to the Apple Watch via Bluetooth. This avoids having to carry a cycling computer on every ride and brings the Apple Watch closer to its competitors Garmin, Suunto, Polar and many others.

FTP estimate

Another great feature. When you use a power meter in combination with the watch’s heart rate detection, it will automatically determine your FTP. From there, it also produces your cycling power zones, which you can use to guide your training.

This isn’t a revolutionary feature – many indoor cycling training apps, including TrainerRoad, have been doing this for a while. But with the arrival of this feature on the Apple Watch, Apple is further cementing itself as a full-fledged player in the cycling tech industry – which is pretty exciting.

Workouts

Now workouts can be transferred from third-party apps directly to the Apple Watch, meaning you can view your sessions from platforms like Training Peaks.

Now let’s get to the hardware…

Sensors

Both the Apple Watch Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 feature an optical heart rate monitor, blood oxygen detection, temperature detection, depth gauge, and water temperature detection. Both can track your sleep stages, detect irregular heart rhythms, and have an ECG app.

Water resistance

The Apple Watch Ultra 1 and 2 have water resistance of up to 100 meters and are certified to dive to a depth of 40 meters. Both have an IP6X rating against water and dust.

Navigation

Finally, both watches feature dual-frequency GNSS, using GPS, GNSS, Galileo and BeiDouL1.

Which watch to choose?

Personally, I would recommend getting the Apple Watch Ultra 1. The most important developments at the moment are all in software, the benefits of which the Ultra 1 takes full advantage of.

For me, the difference in screen brightness and the faster processor aren’t really worth the extra expense at the moment – especially since the discounts on the Ultra 1 are larger in percentage terms and the price catalog is cheaper in the UK.

Yes, opting for the Apple Watch Ultra 1 could mean you end up replacing it a year early. But I have a feeling that the next generation or so could see much bigger hardware upgrades.

I’d rather have the cheapest watch now that basically does all the same things and not feel so bad about spending later, rather than paying a bunch now and still wanting to upgrade at the same time when the new model generation will come out!