Apple Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm) vs Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation)
Apple Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm) ($124) vs Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation) ($209) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right smartwatch.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm) | Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation) |
| Price | $124 | $209 |
| Weight | 38.7g | 61.3g |
| Chip | S9 SiP | — |
| Case | 45mm aluminium, GPS | 49mm Titanium |
| Display | 2000 nit always-on Retina | 2000-nit, brightest Apple Watch at launch |
| Water | 50m, WR50 | 100m WR, EN13319 dive rated |
| Sizes | 41mm and 45mm | — |
| Weight | 38.7g (Apple published) | 61.3g (Apple published) |
| GPS | — | Dual-frequency L1/L5 |
| Battery | — | Up to 36h normal use |
Pros & Cons
Apple Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm)
- Double Tap works one-handed
- 2000 nit display is genuinely bright outdoors
- On-device Siri
- Same case design as the Series 7 and 8
- Battery still about 18 hours
- Blood oxygen disabled on some US units
Apple Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation)
- Titanium case and sapphire crystal, the most durable Apple Watch build
- Dual-frequency GPS for genuinely more accurate outdoor tracking
- 100m water resistance with an official dive rating
- Brightest display of any Watch at the time, still class-competitive
- 61.3g is heavy on the wrist next to any Series or SE model here
- Orange Action Button placement takes adjustment
- Battery life trails Ultra 2's efficiency gains
- Case size doesn't suit smaller wrists
Apple Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm) is the better value at $124. Both are part of our curated smartwatch index — tap through to check current pricing.