I’m going to be honest with you: When the first Apple Watch Ultra came out last year, I quickly decided it wasn’t for me.
I’ve had an Apple Watch strapped to my wrist for the better part of the last decade, but the more rugged Ultra—designed with endurance athletes, off-the-grid hikers, and scuba divers in mind—didn’t feel like a device that would fit my city-mouse, gym-rat lifestyle.
But, when I got the chance to test out the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799), I’ll be the first to admit that my first reaction to the wearable tech was wrong. The watch is bigger, faster, and built to withstand the elements—features I’ve found super useful in my day-to-day.
Do I think an everyday athlete like me (and maybe you!) needs to splurge on the Ultra 2? Well, that depends. Read on to see which features I loved to help you decide.
The Ultra 2 has Apple’s brightest display yet.
The device’s advanced display architecture can brighten up to 3,000 nits—which makes it the brightest screen Apple has ever designed. To put that into perspective, 3,000 nits is 50 percent brighter than the first generation Apple Watch Ultra and 50 percent brighter than the recently-launched Series 9.
This makes your watch readable in very harsh sunlight, so you’ll never be squinting to see your stats on a hike or outdoor run.
Case in point: I put it to the test at a Women’s Health photo shoot in the California desert, and it allowed me to keep up with emails and texts while staying in the zone on our sunny set. Then, when the sun went down, the Ultra 2’s new automatic Night Mode kicked in!
If you spend a lot of time outside, this is a game-changer. And if you don’t, you’ll be inspired to get outdoors: With the latest watchOS 10 update, your Apple Watch can track how much time you’re spending in sunlight every day. I dare you to check those stats and not head out for a hot girl walk.
Extreme sports enthusiasts will geek out over the newest metrics.
I didn’t get a chance to climb any mountains or go scuba diving during my watch-testing week, but Apple certainly made sure it was ready for anything.
The company says the Ultra 2 was tested across the widest range of altitudes of any of their products—all the way down to 500 meters below sea level and up to 9,000 meters up in the sky—so you can use it while exploring all over. (The OG Ultra was only tested between sea level and 3,000 meters high.)
Divers will especially dig the new features on this water resistant wonder, which includes up to 40 meters for recreational scuba diving. The Depth app can also now save a log from each session, including a GPS entry point, so you can look back on your dives either on Apple Watch Ultra 2 or iPhone.
A new Modular Ultra watch face provides so much data.
One of the most noticeable differences between the Apple Watch Ultra and a standard Apple Watch is the case size: The Ultra 2 is the largest at 49mm, while the Series 9 comes in 45mm and 41mm options, and the new SE is available in an even smaller 44mm or 40mm.
In doing so, the Ultra 2's modular watch face can creates room for even more complications—the little icons and widgets. It also uses the outer edge of the display to show real-time data like seconds, altitude, or depth.
While the Ultra 2 may seem monster-sized compared to other models, it doesn’t feel heavier on the wrist—and the trade-off is having more info at a glance than ever before.
As someone who wears a watch like this because I’m a total data nerd (and use that data to keep tabs on my wellness habits), this both made my life easier almost immediately and genuinely brought me joy.
These features will be available across Apple’s entire slate of new watches:
They are Apple’s most powerful wearables yet.
The all-new S9 SiP watch chip enables the double tap gesture, which allows you to control the primary button on your Apple Watch by tapping your pointer finger and thumb together twice. (It will be available in a software update later this month.)
Double tap has a ton of applications for daily life—think answering a call or snoozing an alarm without having to touch your watch face. I got to test this more extensively on the Series 9, and I am totally convinced it will change your day-to-day life. You can read my thoughts on that here.
Paired with a 4-core Neural Engine, Siri requests are now processed even faster—all the magic is happening on your watch instead of being sent to the cloud and back. You can also use Siri to log and review health data, like your period or medications, privately and securely.
These are Apple’s first carbon-neutral products.
Apple drastically reduced the carbon footprint of the Ultra 2, Series 9, and SE this time around as part of Apple 2030, the company’s commitment to making every product carbon neutral by the end of the decade. When paired with an Alpine Loop or Trail Loop, you’ll be wearing 95 percent recycled titanium.
The new Nike Sport Band, my personal fave, also has sustainability in mind, with a one-of-a-kind speckled pattern made from flakes of recycled bands. (All of the new Nike bands are available September 22.)
The watchOS 10 update is the real star of the show.
All Apple Watch users with a Series 4 or later will be able to benefit from this latest update. The new (and, if I must say, epic) features allow you to:
- Add more self-care into your day. With the State of Mind feature in the Mindfulness app, you can log your daily mood and feelings and what may be contributing to it by reacting to a series of dynamic shapes.
- Level up your cycling sessions. A cycling workout on your watch will now show up as a Live Event on your iPhone. Mount your phone to your bike to view your heart rate, elevation, and speed on-the-go. You can also connect your Apple Watch to Bluetooth cycling accessories, like power meters, speed sensors, or cadence sensors.
- Explore safer. The Compass app will auto-generate new cellular connectivity waypoints, so you can find the fastest route to check a text or make an emergency SOS call—ASAP.
- Make reading maps easier. Elevation view lets you view waypoints in 3D, and Apple Maps’ topographic map shows contour lines, elevation, and points of interest. Use it to search for nearby trails and choose one that fits your fitness level.
So, do you need the Apple Watch Ultra 2?
If you’re an adventurer who hikes, climbs, or dives, the extra depth and altitude data—paired with 36-hour battery life and super-bright screen—make the Ultra 2 a game-changer for the activities you love. However, if you’ve already got the original Ultra, you can probably skip this version.
But for a regular city kid like me…it depends. Most exciting new elements (double tap, anyone?) are available on all three new products, so the less expensive Series 9 ($399) or SE ($299) get the job done. That said, if you’re rocking a wearable because you’re a total data nerd, the Ultra 2 is undoubtedly the best of the best. And now that the double tap gesture is available, the device's efficiency will skyrocket.
So...it depends on your lifestyle and your “why." But for those planning on upgrading your Apple Watch this year anyway, I say, take the plunge! Its rugged durability makes it a worthwhile investment, especially now that it bears the new carbon-neutral seal. You just may feel inspired to put all this data to the test yourself.
Amanda Lucci is the director of special projects at Women’s Health and a NASM-certified personal trainer. She has more than 12 years of experience writing, editing, and managing social media strategy for national and international publications.
