Technologies

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Hands-On: It’s All About That Bright Screen

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a new screen. And it’s really, really bright.

At a glance, the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 2 might pass for the first-generation Ultra if you see it on someone’s wrist. It’s the same 49mm size, and the case is also made from titanium. But its screen maxes out at an eye-watering 3,000 nits which makes it the brightest screen of any Apple Watch. Announced alongside the Apple Watch Series 9, the Ultra 2 is Apple’s second high-end outdoor watch and it arrives Sept. 22.

It’s an evolution of last year’s Apple Watch Ultra, which I called the most exciting watch in years. After some brief hands-on time with the Ultra 2 at Apple Park, I’m most impressed by the screen and new features like Double Tap that let you control the watch with a simple pinch gesture. There are a few more tools on the Ultra 2 for sports enthusiasts too, but doesn’t necessarily warrant upgrading from the first-generation Ultra.

The original Apple Watch Ultra, also $799, was Apple’s take on an adventure watch to compete with the likes of Garmin. It’s aimed at a wide range of sports enthusiasts, with special features for scuba divers and hikers, to name a couple. But the Ultra also appeals to anyone who wants an Apple Watch with the biggest screen and longest-lasting battery — that still holds true for the Ultra 2.

A brighter screen and new Modular Ultra watch face

The Ultra 2 pushes the maximum screen brightness to 3,000 nits, a significant increase from the original Ultra that featured a 2,000-nit display. This should make it even easier to see in bright, outdoor situations like in the snow or in sunlight. I found the easiest way to see the brightness boost was activating the flashlight from the Control Center to see the difference from the first-gen Ultra.

The Ultra 2 also has an exclusive new watch face called Modular Ultra, which uses the edge of the display to show more details like altitude, depth or seconds. I found slots for at least seven complications in my brief hands-on time with the Ultra 2 so you can really tune this watch face to your needs.

Night mode activates automatically when the light is low enough by using the ambient light sensor, which is a feature that also comes to the Wayfinder watch face on the first-gen Ultra if you are running WatchOS 10. Apple has added the second-generation ultrawideband chip that supports precision finding for the iPhone 15.

More from the Apple event

Double Tap and Siri improvements

Shared with the Series 9 is Double Tap, a pinch gesture that you can use to control the watch. For instance, you can tap your thumb and forefinger together to answer a call. It accomplishes this via the accelerometer, gyroscope and heart-rate sensor. Sound familiar? It builds on the work Apple has done with AssistiveTouch, which allows for greater accessibility through gestures, but it is separate.

Double Tap is active by default and how it works changes depending on context. I was able to raise my wrist to see the time, then double tap to bring up the smart stack, or widgets, found in WatchOS 10. Double tap again and I was scrolling through the widgets. Open the timer app and I could start or stop the countdown with a double tap. You’ll be able to answer calls with the same gesture.

This is one of the features supported by the new S9 chip, the same as the Series 9 uses. It also powers the on-device Siri, which promises more accurate dictation. You’ll also be able to ask Siri to give you an update on your health metrics, like asking how much sleep you got the previous night.

More Cycling tools and extended altitude range

Shipping with the new WatchOS 10 software, the Ultra 2 will also offer more tools for cyclists, including pairing with Bluetooth devices like power meter pedals. You’ll also be able to see your cycling metrics on the iPhone screen thanks to Live Activities. I’ve been testing out these features over the past couple months in the public beta of WatchOS 10 with the original Ultra and as a cyclist, find them really helpful.

The Ultra 2 also has a wider altitude range, from 500 meters underwater to 9,000 meters above ground. Updates to the Depth app now log your sessions so you can review them on the watch or iPhone, plus the Oceanic Plus app from Huish Outdoors now supports freediving.

Apple also upped the amount of recycled materials in the case, from all-virgin titanium on the first-generation Ultra to 95% recycled titanium on the Ultra 2. Battery life stays the same as the original Ultra, rated for 36 hours with regular use and up to 72 hours in low-power mode.

Apple now has three watches in its lineup:

The $249 (£219, AU$399) second-generation Apple Watch SE, released in 2022
The $399 (£399, AU$649) Apple Watch Series 9
The $799 (£799, AU$1,399) second-generation Apple Watch Ultra

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The Hottest Switch 2 Accessory Could Be… a Lap Desk

Commentary: How else will you use the Joy-Cons’ cool new mouse feature?

One of the most interesting rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2’s Joy-Cons was that you could use them like computer mice. Now that the feature has been confirmed in the April 2 Nintendo Direct, and we’ve seen it used for action and strategy games, it’s pretty clear: The most-needed accessory for the new Switch 2 is a lap desk.

Given its rich history of introducing wacky new ways to control games, Nintendo can perhaps be forgiven for introducing a novel control function in a console that is otherwise largely identical to its predecessor. But the Switch 2 is a couch console when docked and freely roaming otherwise — rarely near a flat surface to use the Joy-Cons’ mouse functionality.

As a lap desk owner, fan and evangelizer, lap desks are the obvious answer to the mouse problem: portable around the house, multipurpose for work or play and somewhat affordable. Or at least, there are reasonable options that aren’t any pricier than the $90 Nintendo is asking for Switch 2 Joy-Cons.

While yes, any flat surface will technically do, just look at the gameplay for Drag x Drive, where players are shown running their dual Joy-Cons up and back in rapid succession. That seems hard to do on a makeshift surface like a clipboard or container lid. And for strategy games like Civilization 7, imagine not having a wide surface to move around the map and click in and out of menus.

Nintendo’s Treehouse stream for the launch game Drag x Drive showed how to use both Joy-Cons in mouse mode to move around. The presenter — playing on a desk — noted that players could run the controllers flat on their legs as alternative surfaces.

As CNET’s Scott Stein noted in his hands-on with the Switch 2, using the Joy-Cons on his legs was «a little less tiring» than on a desk — but presumably this only works well for a game like Drag x Drive, which relies on forward-and-back motion rather than side-to-side (unless you get really good at wrapping around your legs).

It’s worth pointing out how few of the Switch 2’s launch games and those coming later have mouse functionality — right now, only Drag x Drive requires it, while Civ 7 and Metroid Prime 4 Beyond optionally use Joy-Cons in mouse mode. Mario Party Jamboree will have also added mouse functionality in its Switch 2 version. We’ll wait to see how many games truly take advantage of this control potential.

Admittedly, the $450 Switch 2 and $80 Mario Kart World prices are already ruffling feathers, so expecting gamers to pay more for furniture just to get basic functionality for certain games is a big ask. But for all those couch crusaders planning their most relaxing way to play, a lap desk is the best way to have your Switch 2 and mouse with it, too.