Apple has today unveiled the new and improved Apple Watch Ultra 2, bringing an array of impressive features and achieving an important environmental milestone.
This latest iteration of the Apple Watch builds upon the success of its predecessor, the Ultra, and introduces several exciting upgrades, including the powerful S9 SiP chip, an innovative double tap gesture, and enhanced water adventure features.
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest Apple Watch Ultra 2:
The Powerhouse Behind Ultra 2: S9 SiP
At the heart of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 lies the S9 SiP, Apple’s most potent watch chip to date. This custom-designed silicon not only enhances overall system performance but also introduces groundbreaking features.
Users can now take advantage of a novel double tap gesture and on-device Siri, ensuring faster and more secure access to health data. The Ultra 2 also features a 4-core Neural Engine that performs machine learning tasks up to twice as fast as the original Apple Watch Ultra.
Mastering the Double Tap Gesture
With innovations like the Digital Crown and Taptic Engine, the Apple Watch offers a user-friendly experience. The new double tap gesture simplifies watch navigation, allowing users to control the device with one hand without needing to touch the display.
A quick double tap between the index finger and thumb enables various common actions, such as stopping a timer, playing music, answering calls, or accessing the Elevation view in the Compass app.
This gesture is powered by the faster Neural Engine, processing data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and optical heart sensor with precision. The double tap gesture will be available in a software update next month.
A Brighter and More Adaptive Display
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a revamped display architecture that elevates its maximum brightness to an impressive 3000 nits, making it 50 percent brighter than the first-generation Ultra.
This impressive brightness ensures readability even in harsh sunlight. In low-light conditions, the display can dim to just one nit, minimizing disruption to those nearby. Additionally, the flashlight feature temporarily doubles the brightness when rotating the Digital Crown.
Meet the Modular Ultra Watch Face
The Ultra 2 introduces a new watch face called “Modular Ultra.” This watch face capitalizes on the ample screen real estate by displaying real-time data, including seconds, altitude, or depth, along the outer edge. It offers a wealth of complications, making it ideal for sports, outdoor activities, and water-based adventures.
Tested for Extreme Conditions
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has been rigorously tested for use across a vast range of altitudes, spanning from 500 meters below sea level to 9,000 meters above sea level. This makes it a reliable companion for both the lowest valleys and the highest peaks.
Dive into Water Adventures
Designed for water enthusiasts, the Ultra 2 supports extreme water sports like kitesurfing, wakeboarding, recreational scuba diving down to 40 meters, and now freediving.
The updated Oceanic+ app from Huish Outdoors accompanies these aquatic adventures. The Depth app now saves dive session logs, offering a comprehensive overview of each dive in the Fitness app on iPhone.
During freediving, users receive critical data in an easily readable format, including depth, elapsed time, and target depth alerts. Heart rate zones help users manage their heart rate, while preset alarms guide them through training sessions.
On-Device Siri with Enhanced Health Integration
For the first time on Apple Watch, Siri requests are processed on the device itself. This means that for tasks that do not require internet access, such as starting a workout or setting a timer, Siri delivers quicker and more dependable responses.
Siri can also access data from the Health app, allowing users to inquire about their health and fitness progress or set waypoints using voice commands.
Precision Finding for iPhone
Apple Watch users have long appreciated the ability to find their iPhones with ease. Now, the Ultra 2, equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, offers Precision Finding for iPhone 15 models.
This feature provides precise distance and direction guidance, along with visual, haptic, and audio cues, making it simpler than ever to locate a misplaced iPhone.
A Carbon Neutral Option for a Sustainable Future
For the very first time, Apple offers customers the choice of a carbon-neutral Apple Watch, marking a significant step towards achieving the company’s ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by 2030.
Featuring watchOS 10
Running on watchOS 10, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 introduces several notable updates:
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Lineup and Bands
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in a 49mm size and can be paired with a new Trail Loop or Alpine Loop.
New band colors are available, including blue, indigo, olive for the Alpine Loop, and orange/beige, green/gray, blue/black for the Trail Loop. These bands are carbon neutral and contain over 30 percent recycled content.
Pricing and Availability
Customers in multiple countries, including Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, India, and Japan, can place orders for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 today, with in-store availability beginning on September 22nd.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $1,099 CAD in Canada, the same as last year.
