Whenever Apple releases an update to a product, the question of whether it’s a worthwhile purchase crosses the mind of almost every Apple fan. As the owner of a first generation Apple Watch Ultra, the release of the updated model is a little tempting. Which makes me question who the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is for and whether it’s worth buying.
Apple threw a lot into the Apple Watch Ultra 1. It defined the look with the orange highlights on the Action button as well as the size, raised bezel, use of titanium and extended battery life. So, it makes sense that the second generation Apple Watch Ultra builds on that rather than revolutionises it.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is an incremental upgrade
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 boosts Apple’s ruggedised smartwatch with several new features:
- The S9 chip which is faster than the previous generation but adds the ability to use hand gestures so you can control some actions on the Apple Watch without touching the display.
- A much brighter display means you’ll be able to see the screen more clearly in bright light. The boost is significant. Apple Watch Ultra has a 2000 nit display. Its successor gets 3000 nits.
- Battery life is boosted with up to 72 hours on standby mode. However, Apple has canned how this is measured so the jury is out on what this means in real world use.
With version 1 of the Ultra, Apple defined battery life as:
Multi-day adventure battery life is based on the following use while in Low Power Mode and with workout settings enabled for fewer GPS and heart rate readings: 15 hours of hiking workout, over 600 time checks, 35 minutes of app use, 3 minutes of talk, and 15 hours of sleep tracking, over the course of 60 hours.
But the updated watch now uses the following description:
Battery life in Low Power Mode is based on the following use: 360 time checks, 360 notifications, 180 minutes of app use, and two 60-minute workouts with music playback from Apple Watch via Bluetooth, over the course of 72 hours.
Should you upgrade to the Apple Watch Ultra 2
If you’re moving from an Apple Watch Series 7 or earlier and need a ruggedised watch, a larger display and significantly better battery life then the Apple Watch Ultra 2 makes a strong case to upgrade. But you’ll be paying a premium.
For people in that position, I’d suggest the Apple Watch Series 9 is more likely to be the right option.
If you have an Apple Watch Ultra 1, this update is not very significant. Sure, you get a faster processor but the first Apple Watch Ultra is no slouch. I’ve been running watchOS 10 on mine through the beta versions and it has not lagged or underperformed. And while a brighter display might be handy, it’s only going to be useful in the most extreme conditions.
The new gestures, which can be invoked by moving your fingers in particular ways, is interesting. Clearly, the Vision Pro is informing a new design and interface language that Apple is adopting across many products. But if you’ve never had them you won’t miss them. Again, a neat feature but they aren’t a showstopper in my view.
Apple’s battery life changes are harder to assess.
If you have an Apple Watch Ultra 1, I suggest skipping this year’s update.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.