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The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is an excellent smartwatch with a premium feel to the hardware and software. However, a lack of distinctive upgrades from its predecessor and a poor battery life lets it down.
The Good
- Best smartwatch display on the market
- wearOS is super clean and smooth
- Looks stunning in black
The Bad
- Expensive
- Battery life is way too low
When the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was released in 2023, I claimed that I wouldn’t be reviewing it because it was just too similar to the Apple Watch Ultra to justify buying it. Well, 18 months later, I’m here to eat my words. Better late than never, eh?
I’ve kinda stuck to my guns, though – this isn’t my Apple Watch Ultra 2 – it has been kindly loaned by the awesome team at Back Market (who you really should go and check out for refurbished gear). But I have had it for long enough to form some very rounded opinions about Apple’s latest super watch.
As it turns out, it hasn’t really surprised me, and there is still one big problem with Apple’s £799/$799 wearable (even if it’s hard not to love).
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The basics
Here’s a table breaking down all the key specifications and features of the Apple Watch Ultra 2:
| Specification | Details |
| Material and Finish | Titanium case (Grade 5); available in Natural and Black finishes. |
| Dimensions | Height: 49 mm; Width: 44 mm; Depth: 14.4 mm. |
| Display | 410 x 502 pixels; 1,185 mm² display area. |
| Weight | Natural finish: 61.4 g; Black finish: 61.8 g. |
| Wrist Fit | Suitable for wrist sizes ranging from 130 mm to 210 mm. |
| Sensors | Electrical heart sensor; Temperature sensor; Depth gauge with ±1 m accuracy; Water temperature sensor; Compass; Always-on altimeter; High-g accelerometer; High dynamic range gyroscope; Ambient light sensor. |
| Buttons and Features | Action button; Digital Crown; Side button; Microphone; Speaker; Siren; Depth gauge/water temperature sensor. |
| Water Resistance | Rated up to 100 meters under ISO standard 22810; suitable for recreational scuba diving up to 40 meters with a compatible third-party app. |
| Dust Resistance | IP6X dust resistant. |
| Compatibility | Compatible with iPhone Xs or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), running iOS 18 or later. |
| In the Box | Apple Watch Ultra 2; Band; Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1 m). |
How I reviewed the Apple Watch Ultra 2
My review process for smartwatches is a lot simpler than it is for smartphones. I’m not the sort of person who can wear two watches without feeling utterly ridiculous, which means my review process is as realistic as it can be.
I wore the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for two weeks before committing to this review, and I’m still wearing it now. This is because I have a YouTube video version of this review in the works, which will see me take Apple’s wearable hiking.
Read our Best Smartwatches buying guide!
My use case for smartwatches is very simple and, I’d wager, similar to many regular buyers. I use it to track workouts (although I rarely look at the resulting data), keep an eye on notifications, occasionally pay for stuff, and for directions while walking. Therefore, my review and opinion of the Apple Watch Ultra is centered around these activities.
Why has it taken me so long?
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was announced eighteen months ago in September 2023. It received a refresh a year later with a new black version and, if memory serves me correctly, some new bands.
Given that the version I’m reviewing today is the black edition, my review isn’t technically as late as it would have been if I’d opted for the regular titanium finish. I know that’s pushing it slightly, but I really don’t care.
In fairness, I have covered the Apple Watch Ultra 2 already, namely in the form of a comparison with its predecessor – a YouTube video which still garners plenty of views and engagement today.
I never bought an Apple Watch Ultra 2 myself for one very simple reason: it wasn’t different enough. Sure, it had a newer chip (obviously), a brighter display (although, did we really need that?), offline Siri capabilities, a slightly extended low power mode, and double tap gestures.
None of that interested me, I’m afraid. And it still doesn’t.
In the months that followed the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s launch, I also dove deeply into competing smart watches from Garmin, Samsung, and many other Android-based brands. That took my attention away from Apple’s wearable for a considerable amount of time. I didn’t miss it during that period, which drove me further away from any lingering temptation to buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
It was only a matter of time before I succumbed to the black version, though, wasn’t it?
Thanks again, Back Market.
What I like about the Apple Watch Ultra 2
There’s a lot to like about the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Firstly, I still think it’s relatively well-priced. Before you choke on your lunch and head to the comments section, please remember that this is Apple; when the Ultra was first rumoured, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in assuming that we’d be looking at a price that sailed well beyond £1,000/$1,000 before any fancy bands were added to the basket.
At £799/$799, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is great value.
Oh, go on, head to the comments if you must.
You do get a lot for your money, though. The display is still the best I’ve experienced on a smart watch. It’s certainly one of the brightest, thanks to those 3,000 nits, and it feels super fluid. The latter observation has a lot to do with watchOS, which remains the best wearable operating system on the market, in my opinion.
The integration with the iPhone is, obviously, stellar and pretty much infallible. Notifications are presented perfectly, and the integration with Apple Maps for walking directions has always been a highlight for me.
It’s a looker, too. As much as I prefer traditionally-shaped circular watches, the Apple Watch Ultra still catches your eye – particularly when Knight Rider Mode is engaged (that’s my name for the deep red Night Mode that only appears on the Apple Watch Ultra).
Oh, and let’s talk about the black version, shall we? I genuinely don’t know how Apple does this, but it happens so regularly. The black Apple Watch Ultra is no different to the Natural version in terms of design – it’s literally just a different colour, yet it feels and looks like a totally different watch.
It looks so good, in fact, I’m tempted to buy one of my own. Which is silly. Because as I’ve noted previously, I have zero need for what is essentially an identical smart watch to the one I already have.
Stop it, please, Tim!
The big problem
Thankfully, there’s one factor that will prevent me from needlessly spending any more money on Apple Watches of the Ultra variety.
Battery life.
I can’t get past this, I’m afraid, and I remain completely flummoxed by it.
As noted earlier, I’m lucky enough to get hands-on with a vast range of smart watches and all of them, apart from the Samsung Galaxy Ultra, last far longer than the Apple Watch Ultra in terms of battery life.
In Garmin’s case, this is to be expected, and it isn’t the fairest of comparisons; Garmin watches are built to be incredibly economical with battery life, and it’s why they’re the watches of choice for most serious athletes and adventurers.
But elsewhere, there are some seriously impressive smart watches exhibiting some seriously impressive battery life. Huawei, OnePlus, Oppo, and Xiaomi are just a few of the Chinese brands who appear to have mastered the combination of smartwatch feature sets and almost Garmin-levels of battery life. Five days of stamina isn’t uncommon for those devices.
All our Garmin smartwatch reviews:
– Garmin MARQ Commander review
– Garmin Fenix 7 Pro review
– Garmin Epix Pro review
What I don’t understand at all is why Apple can’t match them. Or beat them. The watches from the aforementioned brands aren’t in any way hampered or inferior compared to Apple’s wearable. By all accounts, they do the same stuff and feel just as fluid to use.
What gives?
I’ve heard theories that Apple could indeed extend the battery life of the Apple Watch considerably but has chosen not to in a bid to promote regular charging. Whether this is to help maintain battery health or simply ensure people don’t forget to charge their watches is open to debate, but it still doesn’t make any sense.
The counterargument to this is that, if you’ve only ever had an Apple Watch, you’re completely used to charging it almost every night or giving it a quick juice-up while you hit the shower; you know no different (which I guess is Apple’s point). But for someone who has experienced what is possible with a smart watch battery in 2025, it’s a hard pill to swallow.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 makes matters worse because it is pitched as an adventurer watch. In my experience thus far, it only offers marginally better battery life than my original Apple Watch Ultra, whose battery has undoubtedly degraded somewhat since September 2022. That is to say I can get a maximum of two and a half days out of it. Three, if I barely use it.
Insane battery life: OnePlus Watch 3 review
Answers on a postcard with this one, please.
Audience Questions
A few weeks back, I asked my YouTube and Instagram audiences to send in questions about the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Here’s the pick of the bunch, and my answers.
Q: Is it worth the upgrade from the standard Apple Watch?
A: Only if you feel you need a smidgen more battery life and what is a more rugged-looking watch. It’s important to note that the standard Apple Watch tends to suit more scenarios beyond working out, looks-wise, though.
Q: What you want to see in the next Ultra watch?
A: More battery life.
Q: …why have it in the first place…? Having something strapped to my arm was annoying. What WOULD make it interesting were something that makes my phone superfluous.
A: It sounds like you may want to give smart watches a miss. We’re a long way from these devices replacing phones – if that will ever be a thing.
Q: How many times can you hit it with a hammer before it breaks?
A: Nice try. But this one isn’t mine. Joking apart, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 does feel very robust and I’ve had no issues with my first generation.
Q: Is it too big to wear with long-sleeved shirts?
A: Not for me, no. Your mileage might vary.
Q: Why has battery life on Apple Watch not really increased since version 1?
A: As noted earlier, there are theories that it could have increased, but Apple has chosen not to, to promote regular charging. Other than that – I have absolutely no idea.
Q: Battery life on cellular, working out with music and tracking without a phone?
A: I’m yet to test this on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but on my first generation Apple Watch Ultra, battery life took a significant hit when my iPhone wasn’t with me.
Q: Doesn’t skin irritation occur when wearing the watch for a long time?
A: I have never experienced this with any Apple Watch and band combination.
Q: Is it all just hype?
A: No – this is a brilliant smart watch.
Q: Can you raise your hand with Big Ben on your wrist?
A: Touché.
Q: Which complications and why?
A: I have battery life, Winnipeg time, date, temperature, sunrise, and chance of precipitation. Hopefully all should be fairly self-explanatory (Winnipeg is a work thing).
Q: Do you use any third-party apps?
A: Nope. I’ve never been much of an Apple Watch app user.
Q: Who is the Ultra for?
A: People for whom the regular Apple Watch isn’t enough. Or those who just want the best that Apple has to offer. Arguably, it’s for semi-serious fitness people, too.
Conclusion
Apple knows how to get you. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black is one of the best examples of that. Even though I’ve been an Apple Watch Ultra user since the original launch, the sight of it in a different colour made me want it all over again.
Nuts, right? That’s why we Apple fans are ridiculed so often. But I don’t care.
Apple won’t like me saying this, but I’ve said it so many times I might as well ram it home once more. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 isn’t for serious athletes or uber adventurers – those people will always opt for Garmin because of the battery life and features available.
That doesn’t make the Apple Watch Ultra 2 a failure or a bad product. Quite the opposite; it’s the guy who turns up to the golf course with all of the latest clobber and clubs but who can only hit the ball straight one out of every ten swings. He’s lovable, though, and he’s the one you’d rather hang around with at the end of the day for a few pints.
The next one just needs better battery life please, Tim.
