Apple took the smartwatch community by storm on Wednesday after not only introducing the next series in the original Apple Watch lineup known as theApple Watch Series 8, but also by introducing a rugged and capable alternative that the company is callingApple Watch Ultra.
As there’s quite a price difference between the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Apple Watch Ultra, we’re sure you’re probably wondering what the major differences are. Fortunately, iDB went through the differences with a fine-toothed comb so that we could bring you this content you’re about to read today. We hope it helps you make the right decision for your wallet.
Apple Watch Series 8 vs Apple Watch Ultra
Color & material
Unlike the Apple Watch Series 8, which comes in not only different metal choices (aluminum or stainless steel), but also different color choices, such as Midnight, Starlight, Silver, or (PRODUCT) RED in aluminum and Graphite, Silver or Gold in stainless steel, the Apple Watch Ultraonly comes in naturally-colored aerospace grade titanium. Nope… no dark color option for the titanium as has been offered in previous titanium Apple Watch offerings…
Both The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Apple Watch Ultra sport a durable sapphire crystal display, however the Apple Watch Ultrasports a new flat display stylewith a titanium ridge that surrounds the edge to make it more resistant to bumps and shock. While the Apple Watch Series 8’s sapphire crystal display won’t be easy to break in the first place, we have a feeling you’re going to have a harder time breaking the one on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Case size & weight
The Apple Watch Ultra isnotably much bigger and heavierthan the ordinary Apple Watch Series 8. That’s to be expected when you cram so much more tech into a smartwatch. As for the numbers, here’s something to reference and compare:
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Watch Ultra gets a rather significantdisplaybump over the Apple Watch Series 8 as well. While both displays are powered by Always-On LTPO OLED technology, the Apple Watch Ultra’s display iscapable of 2,000 nits max brightness, while the Apple Watch Series 8 is only capable of 1,000 nits max brightness.
The larger 49mm case of the Apple Watch Ultra alsoprovides for a larger display, which sports 410 x 502 pixels in a 1164 sq mm display area compared to the Apple Watch Series 8’s 396 x 484 pixels in a 1143 sq mm display area for the 45mm case or the 352 x 430 pixels in a 904 sq mm display area for the 41mm case.
Battery life
The Apple Watch Ultra trumps the Apple Watch Series 8 all day long inbatterylife. While the Apple Watch Series 8 can manage up to 18 hours of use on a single charge, the Apple Watch Ultradoubles the aforementioned battery lifeat 36 hours of use on a single charge, or 18 hours while connected to 4G LTE.
Performance features
The Apple Watch Ultra is built for high performance that athletes and risk-takers are going to need a lot more than the average Joe just wearing their smartwatch into the office. For this reason, Apple Watch Ultra is equipped with the following performance features that Apple Watch Series 8 doesn’t have:
Conclusion
The Apple Watch Ultra is a serious departure from the ordinary Apple Watch lineup that we’ve been using for so many years. Its rugged and capable design make it the ideal technological tool to have on your wrist if you’re an adventurer and want to remain connected even in the harshest of environments.
That said, the Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399 and is still a great upgrade if you don’t need everything that the $799 Apple Watch Ultra provides in your daily life…
Also see:Apple Watch Ultra tech specs
What are your thoughts about the differences between the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Apple Watch Ultra, and have you decided which smartwatch you’ll be getting this year? Share in the comments below.
