Technologies

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: Don’t Get the Wrong One

After a month wearing both, this one is still on my wrist.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 have more in common than you might realize, even though they’re very different watches on the outside. While the $799 Ultra 2 is a tougher, bigger and pricier watch than the $399 Series 9, internally they’re almost the same. They share the same S9 chip that supports features like Double Tap, on-device Siri and speedy performance.

So how do you separate the two? Price is likely your first consideration. The $799 Ultra 2 only comes in one 49mm size with a titanium case and LTE connectivity is included.

But the $399 Series 9 is more complicated. First, you need to choose between a 41mm or 45mm size. Then, pick an aluminum or stainless steel case and whether or not you want the LTE version. Indeed, the 45mm Series 9 in stainless steel costs $749, which puts it squarely in the ballpark of the Ultra 2.

The price factor might not be as clear-cut as you first thought. To help you make the right decision, I wore both watches for a month. Here’s what I found.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Screen: Bigger, brighter than Series 9

The Apple Watch Ultra 2’s 49mm case is bigger than the 45mm Series 9, but the screen itself is also slightly larger. That means you can fit slightly more on the Ultra 2’s screen, helpful if you are using an app like Maps for example.

The easiest way to spot the size difference is to boost the text size to the maximum on both watches. Part of the text gets cut off on the Series 9 compared to the Ultra 2, like in the image below.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2 screen size

But the biggest difference in day-to-day wear is screen brightness. The Ultra 2’s screen gets brighter than the Series 9 at 3,000 nits vs. 2,000. I’ve had zero issues seeing the Series 9 indoors or outdoors, but having a little extra brightness on the Ultra 2 is nice for readability, especially for workouts in bright sunlight.

It also gives the flashlight a boost. You can turn the digital crown on the Ultra 2 to force the screen to its brightest setting when using the flashlight, which is helpful in dark situations. I went spelunking with the first Apple Watch Ultra, which shares the same screen brightness as the Series 9, and the Ultra 2. The additional brightness on the Ultra 2 really did make a difference when illuminating the rock face.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2 brightness

Apple Watch Series 9 might be better for smaller wrists

There’s no ignoring that the Ultra 2 is a large watch. Coupled with the chunkier digital crown and flat display, it stands out a lot more than the Series 9. My wrist measures 152mm and even though the Ultra 2 looks hefty, it’s surprisingly comfortable on a small wrist and I wear it all the time.

But there’s no ignoring the fact that the Ultra 2 might be too large if you have an even smaller wrist than mine. That means you might gravitate toward the Series 9 just to have the option of a smaller case size. I also found the Series 9 is more comfortable to sleep with if I do want to track my time in bed.

The Ultra 2 is, however, designed to be a tougher watch than the Series 9. Its titanium case is slightly raised to give more edge protection to the sapphire crystal display. The Series 9 display has two different coverings: Ion-X glass if you get the aluminum case, or sapphire crystal on the stainless steel case

Both are IP6X dust-resistant and water-resistant, but the Ultra 2 can go down to a depth of 100m compared to 50m. It also has an exclusive Depth app and support for the Oceanic Plus app that turns the watch into a dive computer.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Action button speaks my love language

The Ultra 2 has another significant design feature that sets it apart from the Series 9. Just like the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, you can press it to quickly launch your favorite workout, the flashlight, the stopwatch and other preset tasks.

My favorite way to use the Action button is to trigger a Shortcut, which is a quick way of accessing a favorite feature or tasks in an app. You can program a Shortcut yourself using the app of the same name on the iPhone.

One of my top Shortcuts is to navigate home from my current location, but you could also use it to control connected home appliances, or toggle on a focus mode. The possibilities are almost endless. I even made a Shortcut to Rickroll myself (yes, seriously). You can see that in action on the video on this page.

All is not lost on the Series 9 if you like Shortcuts. You can still set a complication on the watch face to launch a Shortcut, it just requires an extra tap on the screen to confirm you want to run it.

Both Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 have Double Tap and Siri

You can use the Double Tap gesture to control both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. It’s powered by the S9 chip and works exactly the same on both watches. When the screen is active, you can double tap your thumb and forefinger to complete a task, rather than touch the screen. For example, raise your wrist and double tap your thumb and forefinger to reply to a message with dictation, then double tap to send.

It’s helpful, accurate and works in many of Apple’s apps. You can answer a call, change tracks and start or stop timers. For third party apps, it will generally perform the default action when you double tap. I use it to quickly reply to Slack messages from colleagues when I’m unable to grab my phone or type a response out at my computer.

It works the same on both watches, because they run the same chip. On-device Siri is also the same, so the watches don’t have to ping the cloud when you ask Siri to do something that doesn’t require the internet. That includes tasks like starting a workout or setting a timer. They also both have 64GB of internal storage, great if you like to put music or have lots of apps on your watch.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 has some special tricks

While you’ll get the same great WatchOS 10 experience and a wide selection of apps on both watches, the Ultra 2 has additional features that swing the pendulum in its favor.

First, watch faces. You might not think this is enough to make you choose the Ultra 2 over the Series 9 but the exclusive faces are nice: Modular Ultra and Wayfinder. They fit a lot of detail on the screen and have room for seven or eight complications, respectively. And they have a dark mode that turns either watch face red when the light sensor detects it’s dark outside.

The Ultra 2 also has a three-mic array to help cut out more wind noise when on calls, plus dual speakers which get louder than the Series 9. I took both watches outside and recorded the call audio so you can hear the difference on the video on this page.

Then there’s the matter of connectivity. The Ultra 2 has LTE as standard, whereas you need to buy the specific LTE (or cellular) version of the Series 9 if you want to use your watch without your phone nearby. Once you add a data plan from your existing wireless provider, you can leave the iPhone behind and still connect to your favorite apps, send messages or make calls from your wrist.

Both have the second-gen ultrawideband chip which means you can find your phone from the watch with precision finding, as long as you have an iPhone 15. If you have an older iPhone, ping your phone from your watch to make it ring.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 have very similar health tracking

Both share a temperature sensor, blood oxygen sensor, ECG or electrocardiogram app, as well as the option for high and low heart rate and irregular heart rhythm alerts. The heart rate sensor is also the same on both watches and accurate when compared to a chest strap.

Fitness tracking is identical and you keep track of your progress using the Apple Watch Activity app. You can also connect Bluetooth accessories like power meter pedals to both watches, create multisport workouts, and keep an eye on your heart rate zones.

A compass app, back track and waypoint functionality is standard on both watches, as well as car-crash detection, fall detection and emergency SOS.

The differences come down to the Ultra 2’s 86dB siren for safety and GPS. The Ultra 2 uses dual-band GPS, both L1 and L5 bands, while the Series 9 uses L1. That means the Ultra 2 is more accurate at tracking distance and route information in built-up areas specifically. But for regular outdoor use for runs in the park or tracking a bike ride on the trails, the Series 9 still does a great job.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the best battery life, period

The Ultra 2 knocks the Series 9 out of the park on battery life. It doesn’t matter how you use the watch, whether you’re running a marathon or just using it as a watch to tell the time and get notifications, it runs rings around the Series 9.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2 battery life

Apple officially rates the Series 9 at 18 hours and the Ultra 2 at 36 hours or runtime. But this is conservative, because I’ve been able to stretch both a lot longer. With what I’d call regular use (phone notifications, the always-on display, a GPS workout and sleep tracking) you can get a day and a half from the Series 9 before charging. With the same use, I can get closer to three full days from the Ultra 2.

Both have a low power mode to extend the battery even further, but of course your mileage will vary depending on how you use the watch. Resource-intensive tasks like using LTE and listening to music over Bluetooth will deplete your battery sooner. We have more on specific battery life usage in our Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 reviews.

Both also support fast wireless charging, as long as you have an 18-watt or higher adapter. The Series 9 charges faster than the Ultra 2 from flat to full because it has a smaller capacity battery.

What’s the difference between Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2?

With a similar overall feature set, including Double Tap and on-device Siri, the main differences between the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 comes down to size, price and battery life. The Series 9 is less expensive, has a slimmer design and two size options compared to the Ultra 2. But you will need to charge it more often.

Both Apple Watches are a great pick if you want a versatile smartwatch that works with the iPhone. After wearing both for a month, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is my favorite for two main reasons, if price wasn’t my primary consideration. Its long battery life means I no longer have battery anxiety about needing to charge it every day. And the Action button is so helpful and customizable, it makes using the watch much more enjoyable and convenient.

Technologies

Zelle App Is Gone. Use These Alternatives to Send Money Digitally

You still have lots of free ways to send money to friends and family electronically.

If Zelle has been your go-to app for sending money digitally, it’s time to find a new method. The digital payment app shut down on April 1.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use Zelle altogether, however. Zelle has only discontinued its standalone app. You can still send money using Zelle if your bank belongs to the Zelle network. You’ll just need to do it through your bank’s app or website. You also have other services to choose from. Here’s what you need to know about this change and your options moving forward.

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Why the Zelle app is shutting down

When Zelle launched in 2017, only about 60 US financial institutions offered the service by the end of that year. Today, that number exceeds 2,200. As a result, less than 2% of Zelle transactions occur through the standalone app. Zelle has been phasing out the ability to make transactions on its mobile app since October 2024.

«Today, the vast majority of people using Zelle to send money use it through their financial institution’s mobile app or online banking experience, and we believe this is the best place for Zelle transactions to occur,» Zelle said in an October 2024 press release.

In December, Zelle was in the spotlight when the Consumer Financial Protected Bureau sued the company and three of the largest US banks for failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the peer-to-peer payment network. The lawsuit has since been dropped.

Other ways to send money digitally

You can still use Zelle through your bank’s app or website if it belongs to the Zelle network. You can also switch to another digital payment app, such as:

Apple Wallet
Cash App
PayPal
Venmo

Take some basic precautions when using Zelle or any other digital payment service. These apps are a frequent target for scammers, and Chase Bank has started blocking some Zelle payments it believes could be fraudulent. Only send money to people you know and trust, and watch for red flags like an urgent message claiming to be from your bank or an online ad for concert tickets that seem impossibly cheap.

Technologies

Marvel Rivals Season 2 Starts Next Week, Devs Drop Big News

Emma Frost and Ultron are joining the Rivals roster in season 2, and developers are upping the pace to one new hero per month starting with season 3.

After surviving the endless night in New York City with the Fantastic Four, Marvel Rivals players are getting invited to the shores of Krakoa for the start of season 2 on April 11. The game dropped the first trailer for the new season, giving us our first official look at the new heroes, and a developer vision video dropped major news about the future of hero releases.

The trailer features the former foe and sometimes-leader of the X-Men, Emma Frost, inviting people from across Rivals’ various timelines to the mutant nation of Krakoa, where everyone gets dressed up for a fancy gala — even Wolverine puts on a white tux. The event, however, is unceremoniously interrupted when Ultron shows up preaching extermination.

We also got a look at some of the cosmetics in season 2, though it’s unclear which are from the shop and which might be in the battle pass. In addition to the dressed-up Wolverine, we also got looks at Magik and Psylocke in the traditional X-Men blue and yellow. Nonmutant guests are also getting in on the fun, with fancy attire for heroes like Cap, Widow and Luna Snow.

New Heroes and balance changes in Marvel Rivals Season 2

Emma Frost joins the roster as a Vanguard. We don’t have detailed information about her abilities yet but expect that information to drop ahead of next week’s season launch. Ultron is coming in the season 2.5 update, which should be in late May.

Some team-ups are changing in season 2, including three new team-up abilities that were previewed in the newest developer vision video.

Emma Frost allows Magneto and Psylocke to create illusions of themselves.
Doctor Strange teams up with Scarlet Witch allowing her to use small portals to seemingly increase her damage output via a rapid-shooting alternate fire.
Cap finally teams up with Bucky, allowing the Winter Soldier to leap to allies.

A few existing team-ups are getting adjustments, with Psylocke, Winter Soldier and Doctor Strange being removed from older team-ups in favor of new ones, and Namor moving from working with Luna’s anchor to Hulk’s to empower his ultimate with gamma energy. Two team-ups are being removed entirely: Magneto can no longer team up with Scarlet Witch, and Thor is no longer anchoring Cap and Storm.

The developers vaguely teased other balance changes, including buffs to Peni, Mister Fantastic and Moon Knight, with Strange trading offensive pressure for more survivability and Rocket getting more utility while Loki and Adam Warlock receive nerfs to their Regeneration Domain and Soul Bond abilities.

Future seasons will be shorter, which means more new heroes

One of the most surprising moments in the developer video was the announcement that, beginning with season 3, seasons will be two months long instead of roughly three. There has been a lot of discussion online about whether Rivals’ pace of new heroes (about eight per year based on three-month seasons) was sustainable. Well, apparently the Rivals devs took that personally and are cranking up that pace to a new hero every month, meaning 12 new heroes per year.

This feels borderline ludicrous compared with other hero shooters that average about three new heroes per year, or even MOBAs like League of Legends, which has averaged about four new champions per year over the past five years. Rivals benefits from having an overflowing stable of Marvel characters to pull from rather than inventing their own hero concepts, and compared with Overwatch, the developers seem less worried about mechanical overlap in their heroes, as seen with many support ultimates. Still, a new hero every month feels unheard of for a hero shooter.

New Krakoa map and competitive changes

A new Krakoa-themed domination map is being added in season 2, and Yggsgard: Royal Palace (domination) and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya (convergence) will rotate out of the map pool for ranked modes, though they’ll still be available in quick play and custom games.

The threshold for competitive picks and bans, which currently only happen in diamond-ranked lobbies, will be lowered to gold 3. Players in Eternity or One Above All ranks will only be able to duo queue, instead of queuing with larger groups — a measure that’s likely intended to keep high-level teams from stomping lobbies.

Speaking of ranks, season 2 will drop everyone by 9 divisions, which is equal to 3 ranks. That means players in Eternity will drop to diamond, and any players at platinum 3 or below will start their climb from bronze 3 again. (AGAIN… AGAIN.)

Rivals developers also announced that individual player performance will be weighted higher when determining competitive progress after a match, meaning if your stats outperform your team’s, you’ll earn more for winning and drop less for losing. This change can help elevate smurfs and other high-skill players in lower-ranked lobbies by getting them into their appropriate ranks faster. However, it can also lead to players stat-farming, instead of playing in a way that is most effective for winning games. Overall, given that Rivals doesn’t use any sort of competitive placement matches, this should be a net positive for the game.

Other announcements

Rivals is adding new skin recolors to certain hero skins and (finally) giving players the option to gift costumes to their friends so they can surprise someone for their birthday, which you definitely did not forget about.

Missions are changing a bit, with the addition of weekly missions and a redistribution of where battle-pass-progressing chrono tokens are earned. The devs framed this as creating a «smoother expectation» of how to earn chrono tokens, but the surface-level description sounds like they’re just making it harder to earn battle pass progress over the season by tucking away more progress under missions with shorter time limits.

The developer vision update also gave us our first look at the competitive distribution, showing how many Rivals players are in each tier as of season 1.5.

The Hellfire Gala trailer says season 2 will start on April 11. While it doesn’t give a specific start time, expect the between-seasons maintenance to finish sometime in the middle of the night in the US.

For more on Marvel Rivals, check out which heroes and roles you should play and how to get free skins.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch 1: Every Detail Compared

The Nintendo Switch 2’s official specs aren’t too different, but the new console has a lot of upgrades on the original Switch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 may look like its predecessor, but there’s been a lot of changes to its features and under the hood. The new console has «10x the graphics performance» compared to the original Switch, says Nvidia, which built the custom processor powering the Switch 2.

The Switch 2, with a release date on June 5, is priced at $450 alone or $500 in a bundle with Mario Kart World, the headliner of the console’s launch games. Here’s all the info on how to preorder the Switch 2.

Note that we’re mostly comparing the Switch 2 to the original Switch 1 released in March 2017, because looping in the Switch Lite and Switch OLED gets complicated.

Design

Broadly, the Switch 2 is a larger version of its predecessor, with everything looking slightly inflated: bigger footprint, bigger screen, bigger Joy-Cons.

Original Switch: The original Switch, with Joy-Cons slotted into the side rails, is a little over 9.4 inches wide, 4 inches tall, a little over half an inch thick and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Joy-Cons slide into place from the top of the device’s sides, while a thin wedge of plastic pops out of the back of the console to serve as a kickstand.

The Switch also came with a dock, which the console could slot into to for recharging and outputting to a TV or large display via HDMI port.

Switch 2: The new Switch 2 is bigger in every way, but it has the same overall shape and layout as the original. The new Joy-Cons will indeed be held in place on the console magnetically, and connect to the console via pins. The new console also sports a wide U-shaped kickstand that spans almost its entire rear width, which can be moved around to prop up the Switch 2 at a variety of angles. Nintendo says the console has more powerful speakers, which we’re looking forward to testing.

The Switch 2’s dock is largely similar in function though it has rounded edges and an internal fan to cool down the console during long game sessions. More importantly, it can output games in 4K to TVs, but only for select games.

Joy-Cons

The Joy-Cons were a marvel when they arrived on the first Switch, and while they’re functionally similar in its successor, there have been upgrades in the Switch 2’s controllers.

Original Switch: The Switch Joy-Cons are simple but powerful controllers that slid on and off the console via plastic rails, connecting and recharging via pins on the side. Detach and they become their own micro-controllers, with little shoulder buttons to boot.

Switch 2: The new console’s Joy-Cons are larger to fit the Switch 2, and lock into the side of the console via powerful magnets — there are small inward-facing buttons to the side of ZR and ZL to detach the controllers from the console. The larger-size Joy-Cons have longer L and R outside shoulder buttons, as well as much wider SL and SR internal shoulder buttons, which are accessible when detached from the console.

And yes, you can use the Switch 2 Joy-Cons as mice by placing their inner edges flat on a surface. During the Nintendo Direct, we saw it being used to control active action games like the wheelchair basketball-simulating DragXDrive and strategy games like Civilization VII.

Display size

Original Switch: The original Switch has a 6.2-inch LCD screen with 1,280×720-pixel resolution, which was reasonably impressive at launch in 2017 but has been outclassed by newer handhelds with sharper displays. The Switch OLED upgraded this with a larger 7-inch display showing deeper blacks and colors, but no upgrade in resolution. The Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD screen.

Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2’s larger size means a larger display. The new console has a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen that can get up to 120Hz refresh rate in handheld mode, or up to 4K when docked and outputting to a TV.

Why no OLED display? Possibly to save on costs… or possibly to give Nintendo room to release a Switch 2 OLED version down the line.

CPU/GPU

Original Switch: The original Switch runs on an Nvidia custom Tegra X1 processor split into four ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores, and according to Hackaday, there are four extra A53 cores that aren’t used.

Switch 2: Once again, Nintendo hasn’t released any official info on the Switch 2’s specs, even after the Nintendo Direct reveal stream — and they most the company reveals is that it has a «custom processor made by Nvidia» on the Switch 2’s official specs page. Nvidia confirmed it also has a custom GPU, claiming that the new console has «10x the graphics performance» of the Switch 1, and the custom processor’s AI-powered features include Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), face tracking and background removal for video chat and real-time ray tracing.

We do still have more supposed details from previous leaks. Months ago on X (formerly Twitter), leaker Zuby_Tech posted that the Switch 2’s CPU will be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. They also suggested that the GPU will be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with years of similar rumors reported on by Eurogamer and others about the custom chip, which derives from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and mobile devices.

RAM and storage

Original Switch. The Switch has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD cards in the slot beneath the kickstand.

Switch 2: Even after the reveal stream, Nintendo didn’t release official specs for RAM. Leaker Zuby_Tech posted on X back in September suggesting the Switch 2 will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. That leak also suggested the new console will have two internal fans, up from the single one in the original Switch.

Nintendo did confirm that the new console will have 256GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded with special microSD Express cards — sorry, your old Switch-compatible microSD cards won’t work on the Switch 2.

Battery life

Original Switch: The original Switch packs a 4,310-mAh battery, which gives between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life depending on screen brightness and other factors.

Switch 2: Though Nintendo didn’t release details on the Switch 2’s capacity in the reveal stream, the company does list specs on its website, showing it packs a 5,220mAh battery. While that’s notably larger than the one in its predecessor, Nintendo estimates this will only get players between an estimated 2 and 6.5 hours, depending on games played.

Ports

Original Switch: The first Switch sports a single USB-C port out the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. On the top is a slot at the top for Switch game cartridges as well as the microSD slot beneath the kickstand on the rear of the console.

Switch 2: The Switch 2 retains the original’s USB-C port on the bottom and 3.5mm jack on the top while adding another USB-C port topside, and now we know what it’s for: to connect with accessories like the Nintendo Switch Camera, a webcam-like camera on a stand to let you do Nintendo’s version of FaceTiming while you play games with your friends.

Nintendo hasn’t clarified the console’s connectivity options, and rumors are scarce on the subject.

As for cartridges, Switch 2 will play some original Switch games in physical versions. The cartridge slot is to the right of the headphone jack in the above image, which is where the slot is on the original Switch. You can tell game cartridges from the two console generations apart by color: ones for the new Switch 2 are red, while older Switch 1 games are black.