Apple unveils the upgraded Apple Watch Ultra 2

By Maggie On Sep 13, 2023

Apple has announced its latest flagship smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The design of the Ultra 2 looks quite similar to the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra, which means the most significant upgrade is inside.

The Ultra 2, like the new Series 9, will be powered by Apple’s new S9 SiP, which has a quad-core neural engine as well as a second-generation ultra-wideband localization chip. This will enable new advanced features, including on-device Siri processing (which can be used to access data from the Health app) and more accurate location tracking. The neural engine makes dictation “up to 25 percent” more accurate.

On the outside, the watch features an improved display from the previous Ultra model, rated at 3,000 nits, which is 50 percent brighter than the first Ultra and which Apple says is the brightest display the Apple Watch has ever had.

Apple claims that users will get 72 hours of charge when the device is in low-power mode. It can be used for recreational diving down to a depth of 40 meters, as well as freediving – and the Depth app now saves a log of each session.

While the Ultra’s hardware has been upgraded, some of the biggest changes Apple Watch users will see this year come with watchOS 10, which brings widgets, redesigned app icons, and new mapping and cycling features to the watch interface. Another watch face, called Modular Ultra, will use the outer edge of the display “to display real-time data, including seconds, altitude or depth.” And a new double-tap gesture will make it easier for users to start and end phone calls.

The Ultra 2 can be pre-ordered today for $799 and will ship on September 22nd. Apple unveiled the new watch at Apple Park in Cupertino as part of its “Wonderlust” launch event. Updates were also announced for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the cheaper SE.