Apple Watch Ultra 2

For 2024, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799) is as big and expensive as ever, but it now comes in black titanium. Alongside the new finish option, there are several matching bands, including a titanium version of the Milanese Loop suitable for high-speed water sports and scuba diving. The rugged smartwatch features a stunning 3,000-nit display that is 50% brighter than the screen on the original model for better visibility in harsh sunlight, and it gets around 55 hours of battery life on a charge, almost a full day longer than the Apple Watch Series 10 ($399). WatchOS 11 delivers new features for all recent Apple Watch models, including a Tides app for seeing when the surf's up, Training Load insights, sleep apnea notifications, and more. The Series 10 costs half the price and is our top recommendation for most buyers, but the Ultra 2 is an excellent choice for outdoor adventurers.

Still Just as Rugged, With Minor Refinements

At $799, the rugged Ultra 2 costs the same as the original model and carries a significant premium over the Apple Watch Series 10 (starting at $399) and the Apple Watch SE (starting at $249). Generally speaking, the Series 10 is the best option for most people, the Ultra 2 is a better pick for water sports enthusiasts, hikers, and other outdoor adventurers, and the Watch SE is a sensible choice for children, older adults, and budget-conscious buyers. 

Like the last generation, the Ultra 2 comes in just one size (49mm), but now you can choose from two finishes: natural or black titanium. The black titanium Ultra 2 has a matte finish like the natural model, but the darker color gives it a sleeker look. I wouldn't call this a true black—in the light it's more of a very dark gray.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Design-wise, the Ultra 2 looks nearly identical to its predecessor, with the same dimensions, 1,185 square mm display area, and three-button configuration. The Ultra 2 has the biggest case of any Apple Watch, but it no longer has the biggest screen. The 46mm Series 10 now holds that title with a display area of 1,220 sq mm, offering just a bit more screen real estate than the Ultra 2.

For reference, you'll see the Ultra 2 pictured throughout this review on my 6-inch wrist. For aesthetics and comfort, I prefer a smaller watch like the 42mm Series 10 or the 40mm Watch SE. As with the last generation, I find the Ultra 2's nubby digital crown sometimes irritates my skin. 

Besides its size, the Ultra 2 differentiates itself from other Apple Watches with a more durable case, a customizable orange Action Button on the left side, a more tactile digital crown and right side button that work better for gloved hands, a brighter display, an upgraded three-microphone array and dual-speaker system, an 86-decibel emergency siren, and a 40-meter (131-foot) underwater depth gauge. The Series 10 also features a depth gauge, but it only goes to 6 meters or around 20 feet.

The Ultra 2 runs watchOS 11, the latest version of Apple's smartwatch operating system, which delivers fresh Flux and Reflections watch faces, new Tides and Translate apps, Training Load insights to help you decide how hard to push yourself, and FDA-cleared sleep apnea notifications. All three Apple Watches require an iPhone XS or later with iOS 18 or above and do not work with Android phones. 

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

On Android, the best alternative to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the Galaxy Watch Ultra ($649.99), which runs Google's Wear OS smartwatch platform and does not work with iPhones.

With a 95% recycled titanium case, the second-generation Ultra is easier on the environment than the original, which featured all-virgin titanium. Like certain configurations of the Series 10, both the natural and black Ultra 2 cases are carbon-neutral when paired with the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, or Titanium Milanese Loop band, as denoted by a green leaf logo on the packaging. There's no carbon-neutral version of the Ocean Band, but it's still available as a stock strap option with the Ultra 2. 

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

You get your choice of one stock band (Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, or Ocean Band) with the Ultra 2, or the Titanium Milanese Loop for $100 extra. Purchased separately, the Titanium Milanese Loop costs $200 and the stock bands are $99. Apple has a few new colors for the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, and Ocean Band, with either natural or black titanium accents to match either case, as well as a fancy Hermès En Mer ($449) band. The second-gen Ultra is still compatible with first-gen straps, as well as 44mm and 45mm Apple Watch bands. 

For this review, I tested the black titanium Ultra 2 with a dark green Alpine Loop strap, which is carbon-neutral combination. The company also sent a few accessory bands with black titanium hardware to match, including the Trail Loop in black (carbon neutral) and the Ocean Band in a gorgeous Ice Blue color. I have also previously tested the natural titanium Ultra 2 with a Trail Loop in orange/beige, and the original Ultra with the Ocean Band in yellow and the Alpine Loop in starlight.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Out of the three stock bands, the Trail Loop, which is made of lightweight nylon weave with a Velcro-like closure, is the most comfortable and my favorite for everyday wear and casual fitness. My only gripe is that my dog's fur gets stuck in the Trail Loop band and it can be very tough to remove from the tightly woven nylon (I have this same problem with the Apple Watch Sport Loop band, which is also made of a nylon weave). If you have a pet that sheds, consider which color will best hide it when choosing the Trail Loop. The Alpine Loop, made of high-strength yarns with a more secure titanium G-hook clasp, is a better option for outdoor adventuring, while the elastomer Ocean Band is suitable for high-speed water sports. 

For connectivity, cellular support comes standard on the Ultra 2, along with Bluetooth, dual-frequency GPS, and Wi-Fi. A cellular connection, which requires a separate plan through your phone carrier (typically $10 per month), lets you call, stream, and message on the watch when your iPhone isn't nearby. 

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

The heart of the Ultra 2 is Apple's S9 System in Package (SiP) chip, the same one powering the Apple Watch Series 9. The Series 10 features a reengineered S10 SiP, which is single-sided to save space but otherwise matches the Series 9 and Ultra 2's S9 chip in performance.

Note that due to an ongoing patent battle, all Ultra 2 models sold in the US since Jan. 18, 2024 do not support blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurements, a feature most of their WearOS-based competitors support. This also applies to the Series 10, and Series 9 models sold in the US since the ban. For the time being, the blood oxygen app is present on the Ultra 2, but when you click on it, you get a message saying it's not available. If you currently own an Apple Watch with an active blood oxygen sensor, I would not upgrade to the Ultra 2 or the Series 10, because you will lose that feature.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Still the most water-friendly Apple Watch, the Ultra 2 retains its predecessor's WR100 water resistance rating to 330 feet (doubling that of the Series 10) and EN13319 certification (the international standard for diving accessories), ensuring it's safe for recreational scuba diving descents down to 130 feet. The Ultra 2 is also suitable for high-speed water sports like kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing, a spec I tested last generation. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is similarly rated to withstand water pressure at depths up to 328 feet deep, but is unsuitable for high-pressure water activities like jet-skiing and deep diving

The Series 10 and the Watch SE have a lower WR50 rating to 164 feet and are safe for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean, but "should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth," Apple states.

(Credit: Ali Jaber )

The Ultra 2 also one-ups the Series 10's IP6X dust resistance rating with the addition of an MIL-STD 810H certification, the standard used for military equipment, meaning it has been tested to survive high altitude, extreme temperatures, freezing/thawing, blowing sand, and other environmental stressors such as vibration and shock. 

In terms of its environmental limits, the Ultra 2 is safe to wear at altitudes from -500 to 9,000 meters (-1,640 feet to 29,500 feet), exceeding the range of its predecessor and other Apple Watch models, which have an operating altitude range of 0 to 3,000 meters. While wearing it on a plane, the highest elevation reading I saw on the Ultra 2's Modular Ultra watch face was only 7,464 feet due to cabin pressurization. Commercial planes typically fly between 33,000 and 42,000 feet, but cabins are pressurized to a maximum altitude of 8,000 feet to allow for normal breathing.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

An Ultra-Bright Display With No Hit on Battery Life

The biggest change for the second-generation Ultra is a 50% increase in screen brightness to 3,000 nits, Apple's brightest display ever. The Series 10 retains its predecessor's 2,000-nit maximum brightness, matching the Galaxy Watch 7 ($299.99) and the original Apple Watch Ultra. Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra also goes to 3,000 nits.

An increase in brightness makes the display easier to read outdoors in bright sunlight. Between its size and brightness, the Ultra 2's display is phenomenal. On a 3,000-nit display, whites are brighter and it's easier to read small text, the compass, and tiny complications when the sun is shining on you. The built-in flashlight also gets a boost thanks to the brighter display. When the flashlight is on, rotate the digital crown to double the brightness. 

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Before testing the Ultra 2, I worried that its brighter screen would come at the expense of battery life, but that's not the case. 

The Ultra 2 delivered similar battery life as the original model in testing—about 55 hours on a charge with the always-on display enabled at maximum brightness. I wore it for a weekend trip to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and it stayed powered the whole time, offering enough battery for two nights of sleep tracking. For this spec it exceeds the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which lasted 46 hours with similar settings in our testing. Credit the power efficiency of the S9 chip for allowing the Ultra 2 to maintain its predecessor's battery life with a brighter screen.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Battery life varies with use, but Apple officially claims that the Ultra 2 lasts up to 36 hours with normal use, or up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode (LPM), just like the last generation. With GPS on and no battery-saving settings, it lasts 12 hours. You can extend that to 17 hours with LPM, which disables the always-on display and limits certain background features such as irregular heart rate notifications (open the Control Center, tap the battery percentage > Low Power Mode > Turn On). For long-distance races and runs, it will last 35 hours with GPS, LPM, and a setting called Fewer GPS and Heart Rate Readings which slows checks on these data points to once per minute (navigate to Settings > Workout to enable it). 

The Series 10 isn't too far behind on battery life, lasting 36 hours with the always-on display enabled in my testing. Under similar conditions, the Google Pixel Watch 3 lasted 34 hours on a charge while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 languished at 22 hours. 

(Credit: Ali Jaber)

Apple Watches have three brightness levels (accessible via Settings > Display & Brightness), and regardless of your setting, use the ambient light sensor to read the amount of light in the environment and automatically adjust the display brightness for optimal visibility and battery life. Consequently, the Ultra 2 only shines at 3,000 nits when you're outside in the bright sunlight (or if you're standing inside under harsh fluorescent lights), and limits its brightness indoors most of the time to save battery life. 

Conversely, when using Sleep Focus mode in a dark room, the Ultra 2 will now dim to a single nit (from 2 nits last generation) to reduce disturbance for light sleepers. Regardless of the ambient lighting, I never have a problem reading the Ultra 2's display. 

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Galaxy Watch models allow for more granular control over screen brightness with a slider and optional adaptive brightness. You have to be careful with the Galaxy Watch because certain display settings needlessly drain the battery, a problem you don't have with the more dummy-proof Apple Watch. That said, I do wish the premium Ultra 2 allowed for more user control over screen brightness.

While the Ultra 2 offers the longest battery life of any Apple Watch, it falls well short of adventure-focused competitors from brands like Coros, Garmin, and Polar, some of which even support solar charging. The Coros Vertix 2S ($699) promises more than a month of battery life with regular use or 118 hours of continuous GPS use. The Garmin Fenix 7 (starting at $649.99) offers up to 18 days of battery life in smartwatch mode or 57 hours in GPS mode. The Polar Grit X Pro (starting at $529.95) promises a full week of battery life or 40 hours with GPS. 

Ready for Adventures

To test its depth gauge, I took the Ultra 2 for a dip in the nearby Gulf of Mexico. I raved over the Depth app last generation, and it works just as well on the Ultra 2, automatically displaying your depth, underwater time, and more when submerged about three feet. To view your session logs on the watch, tap View Recent Dives. 

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

For each session, it tracks your maximum depth, total underwater time, number of dives, and the water temperature. Session logs disappear from the watch after a week but are permanently available in the Fitness app on iOS. The Fitness app logs offer additional details such as your GPS entry point and the ambient temperature and humidity. 

I'm always a bit scared in open water when I can't touch the bottom, but the Depth app quickly helped me forget my fears in the Gulf. Over eight dives, I managed a maximum depth of five feet in the 83-degree salt water—not exactly champion freediver stats, but it's a start, and the watch is at least helping me overcome my unease. 

(Credit: Ali Jaber)

The watchOS Oceanic+ app from scuba diving technology company Huish Outdoors has a freedive mode (which requires a $4.99 monthly subscription) with custom algorithms for target depth, max dive time, sequential depth, surface time, and max session time. The Oceanic+ freedive mode can also automatically disable haptics and alarms, as well as reduce the display brightness while you're diving so you don't startle fish. 

Even in murky conditions, the Ultra 2's display is very easy to see underwater with goggles. I will note, though, that the display does not register touch inputs when you're in the water. You can use the buttons and scroll with the digital crown, but forget about trying to select anything on the display when you're diving.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Back on dry land, I found topographic maps on the Ultra 2 for Yosemite and Redwood National Parks in Apple's home state of California, as well as Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Topographic maps are located inside the watchOS Maps app (not the Workout app or the Compass). To see them, navigate to a supported park in the Maps app, then use the digital crown to zoom in until you see contour lines and elevation. 

Last year, I griped that there were no topographic maps available for Big South Fork National River in Tennessee, where I had spent a weekend off-grid backpacking, and Apple has since added them for the area, plus Great Smoky Mountain National Park and and Acadia National Park. I still do not see topographic maps for any Florida parks, however.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

With watchOS 11, you can download curated and custom hiking routes to directly your watch for offline access. Previously, you could only view offline maps on the Apple Watch with your iPhone nearby and powered on. Serious backpackers are probably still better off with a dedicated adventure watch from a competitor like Coros, Garmin, or Suunto, which offer more comprehensive topographic maps and offline mapping capabilities. Casual hikers, on the other hand, probably won't mind the Ultra 2's map shortcomings, and third-party apps may be able to help fill the gaps.

The Compass app is a joy to use on the Ultra 2 and can automatically generate safety-focused waypoints for the last place you had cell reception with your carrier and the nearest spot you can make an emergency call via any available carrier's network. Moreover, the Compass app shows elevation data for your saved waypoints and can provide elevation alerts when you have passed a certain threshold. Any points of interest you have saved in Guides in the iPhone Maps app that are within 50 miles of your current location show up as waypoints in the Compass. 

A True Lifestyle and Health Companion 

The Ultra 2 has one big advantage over outdoor adventure watches from Garmin and other brands: It's an Apple Watch. Besides all the adventuring features, the Ultra 2 offers reliable connectivity plus a robust selection of preinstalled lifestyle, safety, health, and fitness tools. Of course, it also has a better selection of third-party watch apps than you can get from any other brand.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

I sometimes experience lag on the Ultra 2 while pulling up locations in the Maps app or searching the App Store, but the watch is otherwise very zippy. A test call sounded crystal clear and sufficiently loud in a quiet room. My mom on the other end of the line said she could hear me just fine, and wouldn't have known I was calling from the watch and not my phone. 

The four-core Neural Engine in the Ultra 2 enables on-device Siri processing, the double-tap gesture, and more accurate dictation. I often use dictation to send texts and to search within Maps and the App Store, and it's usually pretty accurate, but sometimes gets unusual names and words incorrect. 

The App Store lets you browse and download third-party watchOS apps directly on the watch, including popular favorites like AllTrails, Calm, Pandora, Peloton, Shazam, Spotify, Starbucks, and Strava, just to name a few. Google's rival WearOS platform also offers a wide selection via the Play Store, but it still trails Apple's watchOS in terms of high-quality, third-party watch apps.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Apple offers a good selection of watch faces, and there are many more available via third-party apps. One of my favorites is Modular Ultra, which can use the integrated ambient light sensor to detect low-light conditions and automatically enable Night Mode for better visibility. Auto Night Mode is also available for the Ultra-exclusive Wayfinder watch face. To enable it, scroll to Night Mode when editing these watch faces, and select Auto. Auto Night Mode is one of those little features that just makes me happy. It automatically switches to black and red at dusk, which help to reduce eye strain, and just looks very slick. 

Modular Ultra is highly customizable, with room for up to seven complications of your choice, and six options for the size and layout of the time. It features tick marks on the edges of the display that you can customize to show depth, elevation, or the seconds counting up to a minute. It's well-organized and looks nice on the Ultra 2's large display.

The Ultra 2 is an excellent fitness tracker, offering accurate workout pulse readings compared with a chest strap and a dedicated optical armband heart rate monitor. For a 30-minute beach run, the Ultra 2 said I had an average heart rate of 166bpm and a maximum heart rate of 180bpm, while a Polar OH1 tracking my pulse from the opposite arm offered nearly identical measurements, at 168bpm average and 180bpm max. 

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Moreover, while many wrist-based optical heart rate trackers exhibit a slight lag when detecting rapid pulse change during workouts, Apple Watches tend to be spot-on. Following a 20-second maximum-intensity sprint on the Carol 2.0 exercise bike, during which my heart rate shot up to 160-plus bpm, the Ultra 2 detected my elevated pulse as quickly as a chest strap.

Verdict: The Best Apple Watch for the Outdoors 

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is an excellent rugged smartwatch with a bright display, a fast processor, and tons of features for your trips off the beaten path. However, if you own the original Apple Watch Ultra, I wouldn't upgrade to the second-generation model right now because you'll lose blood oxygen tracking, which is also unavailable on the Series 10. If you're deciding between the Ultra 2 and a regular Apple Watch, it mostly comes down to how much outdoor activity you plan to do and whether those features are worth double the price. For most people, the Apple Watch Series 10 offers more than enough, which is why it earns our Editors' Choice award. But for its target market of hard-core adventurers who prioritize durability and battery life, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a compelling alternative.