Forget the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — I wear the Apple Watch Ultra 2 every day and it's currently $250 off for Presidents' Day

There's a lot to be said for the latest and greatest Apple Watch Ultra 3 — but that's not what I'm here to talk to you about. In fact, I didn't upgrade to the Apple Watch 3 last year and kept to my trusty Apple Watch Ultra 2, which I wear every day.

The main thing you need to know is the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will cost you $799, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is discounted by $250 down to $549 at Best Buy for Presidents' Day.

When the Apple Watch Ultra 2 launched, it brought with it an upgraded processor, brighter screen and a Black Titanium color. In real-world speak, that means it's lightning fast at launching apps, locking onto a GPS signal, and starting a run or a bike ride workout via the Action button when you need it.

I use mine primarily for exercise tracking, and the 3,000 nits of display brightness make this watch supremely visible even in direct sunlight. I also like the longer 36-hour battery life the Apple Watch Ultra 2 affords you over a regular Apple Watch.

Speaking of battery, it's one of the few areas where the Apple Watch Ultra 3 does outperform the second generation. Apart from bumping the battery life to 42 hours and decreasing the charging time to 45 minutes (as opposed to the hour it takes to juice up the Ultra 2), there's not a whole lot Apple's newer release does better. At least, not $250 better...

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 adds full iMessage and Find My support via Satellite so if you are regularly off the grid it may be a selling point for you. There's also a performance bump from the S10 SiP over the Ultra 2's S9. But otherwise, you've got the same design, same screen brightness and same sapphire crystal display. If you're interested, we've got a full article comparing the two models here.

My Apple Watch Ultra 2 has covered many, many miles with me through runs, hikes and bike rides and survived more than a couple of knocks along the way. My one drawback to an otherwise excellent adventure watch is the 49mm titanium casing makes it a little too bulky to comfortably wear in bed.

Regardless of that fact, if you're in the market for a smartwatch upgrade and are looking for the smart choice, then I'd certainly recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2. You're getting one of the best Apple Watches around with almost all the same features of the current generation — you're just saving a couple of hundred bucks into the bargain.

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Jeff is UK Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide looking after the day-to-day output of the site’s British contingent.

A tech journalist for over a decade, he’s travelled the world testing any gadget he can get his hands on. Jeff has a keen interest in fitness and wearables as well as the latest tablets and laptops.

A lapsed gamer, he fondly remembers the days when technical problems were solved by taking out the cartridge and blowing out the dust.

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