If you’re going to buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2, I don’t think you’re doing it because you want the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Chances are, you want the Apple Watch Ultra, and the second-generation version Apple just unveiled is simply the model that’ll be on shelves.
That’s to say there aren’t very many upgrades between the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, and certainly not enough to make someone who has the original upgrade to the new one. Despite the Ultra’s brighter display, new complication-packed watch face, and the introduction of a performance-boosting chip, the Apple Watch Series 9 is instead the most exciting Apple Watch available this year.
Though for the biggest display and longest battery life possible, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 still has plenty to offer, and could hook those holdouts. In addition to the processors enhancements, it gets a fresh ultrawide-band chip and proudly transitions from virgin titanium to a 95% recycled titanium frame. Like the Apple Watch Series 9, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is among Apple’s debut offerings of carbon neutral-certified devices, too.
As someone who has used the Apple Watch Ultra for the larger part of the last year, I can’t say I gravitate to the rugged watch as much as I did the first time around. But I went hands-on with it to get a taste of the key changes. Here’s what you need to know.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 price and availability
You can preorder the Apple Watch Ultra 2 now, with full availability starting September 22. Our guide to Apple Watch 9 preorders guide gives relevant advice for getting the Apple Watch Ultra 2 as early as possible.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 maintains the same $799, which is double the starting price of the Appel Watch Series 9 ($399.) I’ll admit, I was worried the titanium-induced price hike for the iPhone 15 Pro could hit the Apple Watch Ultra. But for $799 you get your choice of Ultra-specific band, a braided charging cable and Cellular support.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 design
You’re be hard-pressed to tell the Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Apple Watch Ultra apart by a glance. The device maintains the same general design, featuring a flat 49mm display, protruding right-side button array, and orange action button on the left side. It doesn’t so much as come in a new color.
You might catch that the display is brighter than before — up to 3,000 nits from 2,000 nits — made possible by the S9 SiP, but more on that below. I couldn’t really tell from the hands-on demo, though I did get to see the new Modular Ultra watch face. It’s probably the most complication-rich Apple Watch face yet, I believe moreso than the Wayfinder face we saw debut with the first Apple Watch Ultra.
What you can’t tell just by appearances is that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is made of 95% recycled aluminum, a major improvement from the virgin material used in the first-gen model. Apple has made a serious commitment to making all its devices carbon-neutral by 2030, with the new Apple Watch family taking a major step in that direction. With the re-sourced Trail Loop and Alpine Loop, the Apple Watch Ultra earns the carbon neutral certificate. I’ve become a more eco-conscious shopper than ever over the past year, so I’m definitely excited by the Ultra embracing sustainability.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 specs and performance
Performance-wise, the Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 have a lot in common. It packs the S9 processor, which promises the first true power upgrade since the Apple Watch Series 6. Apple claims its 25% more efficient, built on 5.6 billion transistors with 30% faster GPU animations and 4-core neural engines that enable machine learning twice as fast.
The S9 efficiency makes the 3,000 nit display possible without sacrificing battery life. You’ll get 36 hours of “normal use” with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but up to 72 hours leveraging the low power mode feature.
In addition to the S9, the Apple Watch Ultra gets Apple’s upgraded U2 ultrawide-band (UWB) chip, complete with some clever new functionality. If you misplace your iPhone, now the Apple Watch’s ping feature will direct you to your iPhone’s location, similar to how Find My works for an AirTag. The U2 chip’s proximity sensing will also prompt you to launch a playlist from your wrist when you’re near your HomePod, if you own one.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 new features
I go a bit more in-depth about the double tap gesture for Apple Watch Ultra in my Apple Watch Series 9 hands-on review, but in brief, it’s a fresh way to navigate your Apple Watch one-handed. So, if you’re hanging off a cliff (which is something I imagine some Apple Watch Ultra users do for fun) you could theoretically answer calls and open apps by tapping your index finger and thumb of your watch hand together.
Speaking of cliff-hanging, Apple covers cyclists and divers some new features with the Apple Watch Ultra 2. With watchOS 10, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will now connect via Bluetooth to power meters, speed sensors, and cadence sensors for cyclists wanting more metrics and workout views.
The built-in Depth app gets an upgrade, too. Now it’ll save a log of each dive so users can take a look back at their most recent sessions on their Apple Watch Ultra 2, or check out the complete history of all their dives in the Fitness app on iPhone.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 outlook
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is, overall, a modest improvement over the original. I wouldn’t be convinced as an Apple Watch Ultra user to change up for the new version, but it’s definitely a welcome pick-up for a first-time Ultra owner. That said, we’ll need to conduct a full review to see whether the upgrades make a difference.
