Technologies
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Review: A Brighter Screen Makes My Favorite Watch Better
A searingly bright screen and faster responses are nice but not necessary upgrades.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, simply because it doesn’t have to. After wearing the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for a week on hikes, bike rides and some casual spelunking (seriously!), it has less of a wow factor compared with the first Ultra. And that’s only because it feels so familiar. It’s available now alongside the Apple Watch Series 9, which shares the same upgraded chip.
Like Apple’s first Ultra, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 costs $799 (£799, AU$1,399) and is sold as an outdoors watch with a rugged design and a range of sports features. The Ultra 2 still has a customizable action button, fall and car crash detection, ECG, temperature sensor, dual-frequency GPS, and built-in LTE. It shares the same heart rate sensor, which is incredibly accurate, and has the same collection of sports features to suit divers, runners and outdoor enthusiasts. It also looks identical to the first Ultra, even though the 49mm case is now made from 95% recycled titanium.
So what is different? The screen, chip and new Double Tap feature are the key highlights. For hikers and cyclists in particular, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a lot to offer, but that’s more a reflection on WatchOS 10 than the hardware itself. You’ll be able to get most of the same great experience on earlier, compatible Apple Watches too, including the original Ultra, which I named the most exciting watch in years when it came out in 2022.
That blisteringly bright Apple Watch Ultra 2 screen
It’s impossible to spot the difference between the original Ultra and the Ultra 2 — that is, until you see the screens. Apple has cranked the brightness to 3,000 nits on the Ultra 2, earning it the title of the brightest screen on any Apple product. The iPhone 15 Pro by comparison reaches a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, the same as the original Apple Watch Ultra.
I took the Ultra 2 on a hike in the Marin Headlands on a bright overcast day, then to Ocean Beach in San Francisco when the sun was in full force the following day. I didn’t have any issues seeing the screen in either situation, whether it was a quick time check, reading a message or glancing at my workout stats. To be fair, I had no issue with the screen brightness on the first Ultra when it comes to readability and outdoors use.
But it’s the flashlight that gets a bigger boost. I took the Apple Watch Ultra 2 into a cave and it lit up the rockface much better than the first Ultra when I compared the two.

You can even force the Ultra 2’s flashlight to hit maximum brightness by turning the digital crown, which is something you can’t do on the first Ultra. Side note: Don’t do what I did and crank the brightness on the flashlight in a dark room, screen aimed at your eyes. My retinas are still cursing me.
From a safety point of view, the brighter flashlight is great if you’re walking, running or riding at night. But you can’t see workout stats, messages or make a call without losing the light. Maybe in the future, the edge of the screen could stay at maximum brightness so you could still interact with the watch and not lose the light. I’m still not totally sure what the best use case is for this brighter new screen if it’s not for safety purposes, given the screen on the first Ultra was bright enough for just about any environment.
On the flip side, the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s screen also gets dimmer than the first watch, going down to just one nit when you have the watch in sleep mode. It can also get that dim if the screen isn’t active and you’re in a really dark room.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets Double Tap
The Ultra 2 shares the same S9 chip as the Series 9, which allows for on-device Siri, overall performance improvements and the double tap gesture.
Just as the name suggests, you double tap your thumb and index finger to act as a screen press when you can’t reach the watch with your other hand. There are over 65 different actions you can make in Apple’s own apps, like skipping a track in the Music app, taking a photo on the iPhone with the Camera remote app or starting a timer. Third-party apps can also work with Double Tap.

While I wasn’t able to use Double tap on my Ultra 2 review unit, I was able to try a preview of it on the Series 9, and the implementation will be the same. So far, the most helpful Double Tap action has been responding to a message when I can’t reach the screen, like when I’m walking my dog. I’ll feel the buzz of an incoming message, raise my wrist to read it, then double tap to reply and voice-to-text dictation automatically pops up.
Double Tap builds on the foundation set by AssistiveTouch, a feature designed to help people with physical impairments control the Apple Watch without touching the screen. Double Tap is a separate function exclusive to watches that have the S9 chip, and it’s on by default, while AssistiveTouch needs to be turned on from the Accessibility menu.
Double Tap has been accurate at registering my gestures, but I wish it did more for the workout app specifically. At the moment, double tapping doesn’t do anything. I’d love to see it sub in for the action button so if you can’t press it, you could just double tap instead to perform the same action, like marking a segment.

WatchOS 10 adds so much to Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 brings several important updates for hikers, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts thanks to WatchOS 10. Offline and topographic maps are now available in Apple Maps and the compass app supports cellular waypoints. This means it shows the last place you had a signal so you can make a call and check messages on your own carrier, or a spot where you can make an emergency call on any network.

Cyclists get two big updates with WatchOS 10: support for Bluetooth accessories like power meters and being able to see your metrics as a live activity on the iPhone. Both features work for indoor and outdoor cycling workouts.
From a safety perspective, I love seeing the live activity on screen, because you don’t want to lift off the handlebars all the time to see your stats on the watch. It shows you all the same detail as the Apple Watch but on a much larger surface area. If you pair the watch with a cycling accessory like power meter pedals you can also see more in-depth data like cadence, speed and power, including functional threshold power.
You’re also getting a few new Ultra-exclusive watch faces including Modular Ultra, which has a horizontal complication slot and the option to show the time nice and big. It’s coming to the original Ultra too. Night mode on this watch face and the Wayfinder face now activates automatically using the ambient light sensor, instead of turning the digital crown like before.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 is faster thanks to that S9 chip
Aside from Double Tap, the S9 chip also supports on-device Siri, which is helpful because it’s faster and works when the Ultra 2 or your iPhone doesn’t have a signal. You can do things like start timers, start a workout, or even add a waypoint in the Compass app with your voice.
Later in the year, you’ll be able to ask Siri for health data, such as how many hours you slept or log medications. I wish that feature was active at launch, because it’s probably one of the big reasons I’d choose to use Siri on the watch rather than pull out my phone.
To see if there was a tangible difference in performance between the first and second Ultras, I ran a couple of side-by-side tests. Opening apps was the same, but the Ultra 2 turned on 20 seconds faster than the first Ultra. Message dictation was faster on the Ultra 2, but the biggest perk is it’s more accurate, especially getting my Australian accent right.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 also has the same new ultra wideband chip found in the Apple Watch Series 9 that supports precision finding. You do need an iPhone 15 or 15 Pro to take advantage, otherwise you’ll just hear the familiar chime when you ping your phone from the watch.
I also appreciate that the Ultra 2 doubles the internal storage to 64GB of the original, a big deal for any media storage but especially for offline music. Unlike earlier Apple Watches, there is no limit to the amount of manual music downloads you can make on the watch.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 battery life is the same as before
There’s not much new when it comes to battery life as the Ultra 2 lasts the same amount of time as the first Ultra. It’s tricky to give a catch-all estimate of how long the battery will last since everyone uses their watch differently, but I get close to two full days of use out of the Ultra 2 on a single charge with notifications, a GPS workout and sleep tracking. Apple’s official rating is up to 36 hours with regular use, but it’s possible to get almost three days with light use and by not using LTE, playing music or tracking sleep.
For extended outdoor workouts with GPS, you can expect up to 12 hours, which is enough for a marathon or century ride. There’s also a low power mode that can now get up to 72 hours of runtime out of the Ultra 2 thanks to performance optimizations and the new chip. Compare that with the 60 hours Apple quoted for the first Ultra. I still have more battery testing to run with the Ultra 2, especially around LTE connectivity, so check back soon for more. You can also charge the Ultra 2 from the iPhone 15, thanks to USB-C.
While it’s a good thing that Apple managed to maintain the same battery life while adding resource-intensive tools like a brighter screen and S9 chip, I would have preferred to keep the same screen on the original Ultra and get more runtime as a result.

Who is the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for?
If you already own the first Apple Watch Ultra, this is a modest update and I’d recommend skipping the Ultra 2, especially since Apple’s always good at delivering feature updates to older watches through software. If you’re coming from an earlier Apple Watch Series, it’s more compelling because you get a completely new design, a huge screen and better battery life.
The Ultra 2 feels like it’s forging its own path compared with other sports and endurance watches because you can wear it everywhere, for almost any activity. Most importantly, it’s a true smartwatch: there are no compromises on app support, cellular connectivity or that seamless second screen experience that you often miss out on with competing sports watches.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still missing a way to interpret all your health and fitness data with recovery metrics. I hope that’s in the works and maybe something that could be added in a software update.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Apple Watch Ultra vs. Series 9
Apple Watch Ultra 2 | Apple Watch Ultra | Apple Watch Series 9 | |
---|---|---|---|
Shape | Square | Square | Square |
Watch size | 49mm | 49mm | 41mm, 45mm |
Materials, finishes | Titanium | Titanium | Aluminum, stainless steel |
Display size, resolution | 1.91-inch, 502 x 410-pixel OLED | 1.91-inch, 502 x 410-pixel OLED | 41mm: 1.61-inch, 430 x 352-pixel OLED; 45mm: 1.77-inch, 484 x 396-pixel OLED |
Dimensions | 44mm x 49mm x 14.4mm | 49 x 44 x 14.4mm | 41mm: 35 x 41 x 10.7 mm; 45mm: 38 x 45 x 10.7 mm |
Weight | 61.4g | 61.3g | 31.9g-51.5g, depending on size, spec and material |
Colors | Natural titanium | Natural titanium | Aluminum: midnight, starlight, silver, pink, Product Red; stainless steel: graphite, silver, gold; Hermes stainless steel: silver, space black |
Always On | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Interchangable bands | Yes | Yes | Yes |
GPS | Yes (L1 and L5) | Yes | Yes (L1) |
Automatic workout detection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Compass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Altimeter | Yes (operating range: -500m to 9,000m) | Yes | Yes |
Water resistance | 10ATM (100 meters) and recreational scuba diving up to 40 meters | Yes, up to 100m | 5ATM (50 meters) |
Calls | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Microphone | Yes (3-mic array) | Yes | Yes |
Speaker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Voice assistant | Yes (Siri, on-device) | Yes (Siri) | Yes (Siri, on-device) |
Mobile Payments | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Apple Pay) | Yes (Apple Pay) |
Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Period tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sensors | SPo2 (blood oxygen), ECG, optical heart, ambient light, high dynamic range gyroscope, high-g accelerometer, water temperature, depth gauge + app | SPo2 (blood oxygen), ECG, optical heart, ambient light, high dynamic range gyroscope, high-g accelerometer, water temperature, depth gauge + app | SPo2 (blood oxygen), ECG, optical heart, ambient light, high dynamic range gyroscope, high-g accelerometer |
Emergency features | International emergency calling, Emergency SOS, crash detection | International emergency calling, Emergency SOS, crash detection | International emergency calling, Emergency SOS, crash detection |
Compatibility | iOS 17 | iOS 16 | iOS 17 |
Software | WatchOS 10 | WatchOS 9 | WatchOS 10 |
Processor | Apple S9 | S8 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor | Apple S9 |
Connectivity | LTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3 | LTE and UMTS, Wi-FI | LTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Memory and storage | 64GB | 64GB | 64GB |
Power | USB-C magnetic fast charging | USB-C magnetic fast charging | USB-C magnetic fast charging |
Battery life | Up to 36 hours; up to 72 hours (low power mode) | 36-hour battery life, 18 hours on LTE | Up to 18 hours; up to 36 hours (low power mode) |
Battery capacity | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable |
Price (USD) | $799 | $799 | 41mm: from $399; 45mm: from $429 |
Price (GBP) | £799 | £849 | 41mm: from £399; 45mm: from £429 |
Price (AUD) | AU$1,399 | AU$1,299 | 41mm: from AU$649; 45mm: from AU$699 |
Technologies
Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch 1: Every Detail Compared
The Nintendo Switch 2’s official specs aren’t too different, but the new console has a lot of upgrades on the original Switch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 may look like its predecessor, but there’s been a lot of changes to its features and under the hood. The new console has «10x the graphics performance» compared to the original Switch, says Nvidia, which built the custom processor powering the Switch 2.
The Switch 2, with a release date on June 5, is priced at $450 alone or $500 in a bundle with Mario Kart World, the headliner of the console’s launch games. Here’s all the info on how to preorder the Switch 2.
Note that we’re mostly comparing the Switch 2 to the original Switch 1 released in March 2017, because looping in the Switch Lite and Switch OLED gets complicated.
Design
Broadly, the Switch 2 is a larger version of its predecessor, with everything looking slightly inflated: bigger footprint, bigger screen, bigger Joy-Cons.
Original Switch: The original Switch, with Joy-Cons slotted into the side rails, is a little over 9.4 inches wide, 4 inches tall, a little over half an inch thick and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Joy-Cons slide into place from the top of the device’s sides, while a thin wedge of plastic pops out of the back of the console to serve as a kickstand.
The Switch also came with a dock, which the console could slot into to for recharging and outputting to a TV or large display via HDMI port.
Switch 2: The new Switch 2 is bigger in every way, but it has the same overall shape and layout as the original. The new Joy-Cons will indeed be held in place on the console magnetically, and connect to the console via pins. The new console also sports a wide U-shaped kickstand that spans almost its entire rear width, which can be moved around to prop up the Switch 2 at a variety of angles. Nintendo says the console has more powerful speakers, which we’re looking forward to testing.
The Switch 2’s dock is largely similar in function though it has rounded edges and an internal fan to cool down the console during long game sessions. More importantly, it can output games in 4K to TVs, but only for select games.
Joy-Cons
The Joy-Cons were a marvel when they arrived on the first Switch, and while they’re functionally similar in its successor, there have been upgrades in the Switch 2’s controllers.
Original Switch: The Switch Joy-Cons are simple but powerful controllers that slid on and off the console via plastic rails, connecting and recharging via pins on the side. Detach and they become their own micro-controllers, with little shoulder buttons to boot.
Switch 2: The new console’s Joy-Cons are larger to fit the Switch 2, and lock into the side of the console via powerful magnets — there are small inward-facing buttons to the side of ZR and ZL to detach the controllers from the console. The larger-size Joy-Cons have longer L and R outside shoulder buttons, as well as much wider SL and SR internal shoulder buttons, which are accessible when detached from the console.
And yes, you can use the Switch 2 Joy-Cons as mice by placing their inner edges flat on a surface. During the Nintendo Direct, we saw it being used to control active action games like the wheelchair basketball-simulating DragXDrive and strategy games like Civilization VII.
Display size
Original Switch: The original Switch has a 6.2-inch LCD screen with 1,280×720-pixel resolution, which was reasonably impressive at launch in 2017 but has been outclassed by newer handhelds with sharper displays. The Switch OLED upgraded this with a larger 7-inch display showing deeper blacks and colors, but no upgrade in resolution. The Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD screen.
Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2’s larger size means a larger display. The new console has a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen that can get up to 120Hz refresh rate in handheld mode, or up to 4K when docked and outputting to a TV.
Why no OLED display? Possibly to save on costs… or possibly to give Nintendo room to release a Switch 2 OLED version down the line.
CPU/GPU
Original Switch: The original Switch runs on an Nvidia custom Tegra X1 processor split into four ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores, and according to Hackaday, there are four extra A53 cores that aren’t used.
Switch 2: Once again, Nintendo hasn’t released any official info on the Switch 2’s specs, even after the Nintendo Direct reveal stream — and they most the company reveals is that it has a «custom processor made by Nvidia» on the Switch 2’s official specs page. Nvidia confirmed it also has a custom GPU, claiming that the new console has «10x the graphics performance» of the Switch 1, and the custom processor’s AI-powered features include Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), face tracking and background removal for video chat and real-time ray tracing.
We do still have more supposed details from previous leaks. Months ago on X (formerly Twitter), leaker Zuby_Tech posted that the Switch 2’s CPU will be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. They also suggested that the GPU will be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with years of similar rumors reported on by Eurogamer and others about the custom chip, which derives from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and mobile devices.
RAM and storage
Original Switch. The Switch has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD cards in the slot beneath the kickstand.
Switch 2: Even after the reveal stream, Nintendo didn’t release official specs for RAM. Leaker Zuby_Tech posted on X back in September suggesting the Switch 2 will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. That leak also suggested the new console will have two internal fans, up from the single one in the original Switch.
Nintendo did confirm that the new console will have 256GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded with special microSD Express cards — sorry, your old Switch-compatible microSD cards won’t work on the Switch 2.
Battery life
Original Switch: The original Switch packs a 4,310-mAh battery, which gives between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life depending on screen brightness and other factors.
Switch 2: Though Nintendo didn’t release details on the Switch 2’s capacity in the reveal stream, the company does list specs on its website, showing it packs a 5,220mAh battery. While that’s notably larger than the one in its predecessor, Nintendo estimates this will only get players between an estimated 2 and 6.5 hours, depending on games played.
Ports
Original Switch: The first Switch sports a single USB-C port out the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. On the top is a slot at the top for Switch game cartridges as well as the microSD slot beneath the kickstand on the rear of the console.
Switch 2: The Switch 2 retains the original’s USB-C port on the bottom and 3.5mm jack on the top while adding another USB-C port topside, and now we know what it’s for: to connect with accessories like the Nintendo Switch Camera, a webcam-like camera on a stand to let you do Nintendo’s version of FaceTiming while you play games with your friends.
Nintendo hasn’t clarified the console’s connectivity options, and rumors are scarce on the subject.
As for cartridges, Switch 2 will play some original Switch games in physical versions. The cartridge slot is to the right of the headphone jack in the above image, which is where the slot is on the original Switch. You can tell game cartridges from the two console generations apart by color: ones for the new Switch 2 are red, while older Switch 1 games are black.
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