The Apple Watch Ultra, introduced by Apple last year, marked the advent of a distinct category of lifestyle products. This innovative offering effectively merges the functionalities of durable outdoor smartwatches with the style and versatility of fashionable wearables.
In September 2023, Apple unveiled the highly anticipated New Apple Watch Ultra 2, showcasing a range of notable enhancements compared to its predecessor. While these enhancements may not possess a flashy or novel appeal, their significance in transforming consumers’ lives cannot be understated.
In this blog, we will compare the New Apple Watch Ultra 2 with last year’s Apple Watch Ultra. Along with this, we will come across distinctive features, colors, and innovations of this most rugged and capable Apple Watch.
What are the exclusive features of the newly launched New Apple Watch Ultra 2?
The Ultra 2 builds upon its predecessor, last year’s Apple Watch Ultra, which was hailed as one of the most thrilling timepieces in recent years. Upon a brief hands-on experience with the Ultra 2 at Apple Park, one can’t help but be captivated by its impressive screen and the introduction of innovative features like “Double Tap,” enabling users to control the watch with a straightforward pinch gesture. While the Ultra 2 boasts additional tools catering to sports enthusiasts, it may not necessarily justify an upgrade for those who already own the first-generation Ultra.
Following are some exclusive features of the second generation of the Apple Watch Ultra.
– The latest iteration of the New Apple Watch Ultra 2, brings forth an innovative addition in the form of the “Modular Ultra” watch face.
– Watch face design includes information distributed along edges and smaller complications in corners.
– Large complication is placed in the center of the display.
– New topographic features added to the Apple Maps app
– Information includes predefined trails, elevation data, contour lines, and hillside details.
– Interface provides insights into cellular connectivity.
– SOS points along routes enhance safety.
Let’s understand the top features in detail
- Powerful New S9 SiP
The New Apple Watch Ultra 2 is equipped with an S9 chip that has been enhanced to take advantage of the capabilities of the A15 Bionic processor found in the iPhone 13. When compared to the previous Apple S8 chip, this enhanced GPU offers a staggering 30% performance boost. Notably, data for Siri is handled locally, without the need to sync with an iPhone, thanks to a newly integrated four-core neural processing unit (NPU). Apple also states that the new dictation feature is 25% more accurate than its predecessor.
The new processor also features a sophisticated touch gesture system, expanding the possibilities even further. You may easily start or stop a call, set a timer, control media playback, snooze alarms, and take pictures or videos by tapping your thumb and index finger together. In order to avoid inadvertent activations, our gesture recognition technology takes into account information from the gyroscope, accelerometer, and heart rate sensor.
The New Apple Watch Ultra 2 features Apple’s innovative U2 processor for ultra-wideband (UWB) communications, expanding its already impressive functionality even further. This cutting-edge tech improves accuracy by a factor of three in locating AirTags, AirPods, and your iPhone over the older U1 chip.
- Double Tap Gesture
Double Tap, a pinch motion that improves control of the watch’s features, is a new innovation introduced with the New Apple Watch Ultra 2. To quickly accept a call, for instance, just tap your thumb and fingers together. With the help of the watch’s accelerometer, gyroscope, and heart-rate sensor, this is possible. Double Tap is a separate feature that represents an advancement of Apple’s AssistiveTouch, a tool designed to increase accessibility through intuitive motions.
By default, Double Tap is enabled, and its features change depending on the situation. For instance, with WatchOS 10, a simple wrist raise will show you the time, and a double touch will take you to the smart stack or widgets. After that, you may easily access each of these widgets with a double tap. A double tap on the timer app’s interface will start or stop the timer. It’s possible to answer calls with the same natural motion.
- Brighter Display
With a phenomenal peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits, the display on the New Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a significant upgrade over the previous model. This upgrade allows the watch to be used with ease even in the brightest of settings. There are no noticeable changes to its outward design compared to the first Apple Watch Ultra.
The “Trail Loop,” “Alpine Loop,” and “Ocean” bands for the Watch Ultra 2 continue Apple’s commitment to environmental friendliness began with the Apple Watch Series 9. The case of watch is also made from 99% recycled aluminum, which is consistent with Apple’s commitment to environmental responsibility and makes the watch eligible for carbon neutrality certification.
- Modular Ultra Watch Face
The Ultra 2 has a unique new watch face, the “Modular Ultra.” This modern watch face makes use of all of the available screen real estate, allowing for the display of information such as altitude, depth, and accurate depiction of the passing of seconds. From my little time with the Ultra 2, I was pleased to learn that the watch face can be customized with at least seven different complexities to meet the needs of individual wearers.
The Ultra 2 also has a built-in night mode that switches on automatically when the lighting conditions are dim enough. The original Ultra with WatchOS 10 and the Wayfinder watch face will have this capability as well, made possible by the device’s ambient light sensor. The second-generation ultrawideband chip is also a notable improvement since it allows the iPhone 15 to locate objects with greater accuracy.
New Apple Watch Ultra 2 Vs Apple Watch Ultra: Which is the better deal?
The Apple Watch Ultra and the New Apple Watch Ultra 2 are both excellent choices for a smartwatch, but choosing between them can be difficult. With the release of the Ultra 2, stores may reduce the price of the original Ultra to make room for the newer model.
Let us understand the key differences with the help of the following table.
| Feature | Apple Watch Ultra | New Apple Watch Ultra 2 |
| Design | Very similar to the original Apple Watch Ultra, with minor design changes. Smart black color option added. | Maintains the same 49mm size as the original with more recycled materials and a mix of titanium, ceramic, and sapphire glass. |
| Durability | Waterproof up to 100m and IP6X dust resistance rating. | Waterproof up to 100m and IP6X dust resistance rating. |
| Display | Always-on Retina LTPO OLED display with 502×410 resolution and 3,000 nits of brightness. | Similar to the original but with a higher peak brightness of 3,000 nits (compared to 2,000 nits). |
| Sensors | New S9 SoC based on the A15 chip found in the iPhone 13 and 14, along with a new U2 ultra-wideband chip. New optical heart-rate sensor and minor internal upgrades. | Similar to the Apple Watch Series 9, the Ultra 2 features the new S9 SoC based on the A15 chip and the U2 ultra-wideband chip. Upgraded heart-rate sensor and other minor internal tweaks. |
| Battery Life | Capable of up to 36 hours per charge or up to 72 hours in low-power mode. | Similar battery life to the original Apple Watch Ultra, with 36 hours per charge and up to 72 hours in low-power mode. |
| Purpose | Designed for outdoor sports enthusiasts and rugged activities monitoring. | Continues to cater to users with active outdoor lifestyles but maintains premium pricing and battery life challenges. |
While using either Apple Watch model is a pleasure, the Ultra 2 stands out for its forward-thinking features, including the new S9 chip, the double-tap gesture for more convenience, and the increased brightness. Since the prices are so close, getting the New Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the better option, unless you get a really good deal on the original.
Also Read: iPhone 15 Pro Max: What To Expect In Terms Of Design, Performance And Camera
Conclusion
The New Apple Watch Ultra 2 is scheduled to be released on the market on September 22, coinciding with the release of the Watch Series 9, and will come with a price tag of $799, which includes the cost of cellular connectivity. Preorders for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are already being accepted for those customers who simply cannot wait to get their hands on the device. For more such informative technology-related blogs, visit our website TheWebHunting.
