Technologies

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2: Don’t Get the Wrong One

After a month wearing both, this one is still on my wrist.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 have more in common than you might realize, even though they’re very different watches on the outside. While the $799 Ultra 2 is a tougher, bigger and pricier watch than the $399 Series 9, internally they’re almost the same. They share the same S9 chip that supports features like Double Tap, on-device Siri and speedy performance.

So how do you separate the two? Price is likely your first consideration. The $799 Ultra 2 only comes in one 49mm size with a titanium case and LTE connectivity is included.

But the $399 Series 9 is more complicated. First, you need to choose between a 41mm or 45mm size. Then, pick an aluminum or stainless steel case and whether or not you want the LTE version. Indeed, the 45mm Series 9 in stainless steel costs $749, which puts it squarely in the ballpark of the Ultra 2.

The price factor might not be as clear-cut as you first thought. To help you make the right decision, I wore both watches for a month. Here’s what I found.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Screen: Bigger, brighter than Series 9

The Apple Watch Ultra 2’s 49mm case is bigger than the 45mm Series 9, but the screen itself is also slightly larger. That means you can fit slightly more on the Ultra 2’s screen, helpful if you are using an app like Maps for example.

The easiest way to spot the size difference is to boost the text size to the maximum on both watches. Part of the text gets cut off on the Series 9 compared to the Ultra 2, like in the image below.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2 screen size

But the biggest difference in day-to-day wear is screen brightness. The Ultra 2’s screen gets brighter than the Series 9 at 3,000 nits vs. 2,000. I’ve had zero issues seeing the Series 9 indoors or outdoors, but having a little extra brightness on the Ultra 2 is nice for readability, especially for workouts in bright sunlight.

It also gives the flashlight a boost. You can turn the digital crown on the Ultra 2 to force the screen to its brightest setting when using the flashlight, which is helpful in dark situations. I went spelunking with the first Apple Watch Ultra, which shares the same screen brightness as the Series 9, and the Ultra 2. The additional brightness on the Ultra 2 really did make a difference when illuminating the rock face.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2 brightness

Apple Watch Series 9 might be better for smaller wrists

There’s no ignoring that the Ultra 2 is a large watch. Coupled with the chunkier digital crown and flat display, it stands out a lot more than the Series 9. My wrist measures 152mm and even though the Ultra 2 looks hefty, it’s surprisingly comfortable on a small wrist and I wear it all the time.

But there’s no ignoring the fact that the Ultra 2 might be too large if you have an even smaller wrist than mine. That means you might gravitate toward the Series 9 just to have the option of a smaller case size. I also found the Series 9 is more comfortable to sleep with if I do want to track my time in bed.

The Ultra 2 is, however, designed to be a tougher watch than the Series 9. Its titanium case is slightly raised to give more edge protection to the sapphire crystal display. The Series 9 display has two different coverings: Ion-X glass if you get the aluminum case, or sapphire crystal on the stainless steel case

Both are IP6X dust-resistant and water-resistant, but the Ultra 2 can go down to a depth of 100m compared to 50m. It also has an exclusive Depth app and support for the Oceanic Plus app that turns the watch into a dive computer.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Action button speaks my love language

The Ultra 2 has another significant design feature that sets it apart from the Series 9. Just like the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, you can press it to quickly launch your favorite workout, the flashlight, the stopwatch and other preset tasks.

My favorite way to use the Action button is to trigger a Shortcut, which is a quick way of accessing a favorite feature or tasks in an app. You can program a Shortcut yourself using the app of the same name on the iPhone.

One of my top Shortcuts is to navigate home from my current location, but you could also use it to control connected home appliances, or toggle on a focus mode. The possibilities are almost endless. I even made a Shortcut to Rickroll myself (yes, seriously). You can see that in action on the video on this page.

All is not lost on the Series 9 if you like Shortcuts. You can still set a complication on the watch face to launch a Shortcut, it just requires an extra tap on the screen to confirm you want to run it.

Both Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 have Double Tap and Siri

You can use the Double Tap gesture to control both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. It’s powered by the S9 chip and works exactly the same on both watches. When the screen is active, you can double tap your thumb and forefinger to complete a task, rather than touch the screen. For example, raise your wrist and double tap your thumb and forefinger to reply to a message with dictation, then double tap to send.

It’s helpful, accurate and works in many of Apple’s apps. You can answer a call, change tracks and start or stop timers. For third party apps, it will generally perform the default action when you double tap. I use it to quickly reply to Slack messages from colleagues when I’m unable to grab my phone or type a response out at my computer.

It works the same on both watches, because they run the same chip. On-device Siri is also the same, so the watches don’t have to ping the cloud when you ask Siri to do something that doesn’t require the internet. That includes tasks like starting a workout or setting a timer. They also both have 64GB of internal storage, great if you like to put music or have lots of apps on your watch.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 has some special tricks

While you’ll get the same great WatchOS 10 experience and a wide selection of apps on both watches, the Ultra 2 has additional features that swing the pendulum in its favor.

First, watch faces. You might not think this is enough to make you choose the Ultra 2 over the Series 9 but the exclusive faces are nice: Modular Ultra and Wayfinder. They fit a lot of detail on the screen and have room for seven or eight complications, respectively. And they have a dark mode that turns either watch face red when the light sensor detects it’s dark outside.

The Ultra 2 also has a three-mic array to help cut out more wind noise when on calls, plus dual speakers which get louder than the Series 9. I took both watches outside and recorded the call audio so you can hear the difference on the video on this page.

Then there’s the matter of connectivity. The Ultra 2 has LTE as standard, whereas you need to buy the specific LTE (or cellular) version of the Series 9 if you want to use your watch without your phone nearby. Once you add a data plan from your existing wireless provider, you can leave the iPhone behind and still connect to your favorite apps, send messages or make calls from your wrist.

Both have the second-gen ultrawideband chip which means you can find your phone from the watch with precision finding, as long as you have an iPhone 15. If you have an older iPhone, ping your phone from your watch to make it ring.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 have very similar health tracking

Both share a temperature sensor, blood oxygen sensor, ECG or electrocardiogram app, as well as the option for high and low heart rate and irregular heart rhythm alerts. The heart rate sensor is also the same on both watches and accurate when compared to a chest strap.

Fitness tracking is identical and you keep track of your progress using the Apple Watch Activity app. You can also connect Bluetooth accessories like power meter pedals to both watches, create multisport workouts, and keep an eye on your heart rate zones.

A compass app, back track and waypoint functionality is standard on both watches, as well as car-crash detection, fall detection and emergency SOS.

The differences come down to the Ultra 2’s 86dB siren for safety and GPS. The Ultra 2 uses dual-band GPS, both L1 and L5 bands, while the Series 9 uses L1. That means the Ultra 2 is more accurate at tracking distance and route information in built-up areas specifically. But for regular outdoor use for runs in the park or tracking a bike ride on the trails, the Series 9 still does a great job.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the best battery life, period

The Ultra 2 knocks the Series 9 out of the park on battery life. It doesn’t matter how you use the watch, whether you’re running a marathon or just using it as a watch to tell the time and get notifications, it runs rings around the Series 9.

Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Ultra 2 battery life

Apple officially rates the Series 9 at 18 hours and the Ultra 2 at 36 hours or runtime. But this is conservative, because I’ve been able to stretch both a lot longer. With what I’d call regular use (phone notifications, the always-on display, a GPS workout and sleep tracking) you can get a day and a half from the Series 9 before charging. With the same use, I can get closer to three full days from the Ultra 2.

Both have a low power mode to extend the battery even further, but of course your mileage will vary depending on how you use the watch. Resource-intensive tasks like using LTE and listening to music over Bluetooth will deplete your battery sooner. We have more on specific battery life usage in our Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 reviews.

Both also support fast wireless charging, as long as you have an 18-watt or higher adapter. The Series 9 charges faster than the Ultra 2 from flat to full because it has a smaller capacity battery.

What’s the difference between Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2?

With a similar overall feature set, including Double Tap and on-device Siri, the main differences between the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 comes down to size, price and battery life. The Series 9 is less expensive, has a slimmer design and two size options compared to the Ultra 2. But you will need to charge it more often.

Both Apple Watches are a great pick if you want a versatile smartwatch that works with the iPhone. After wearing both for a month, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is my favorite for two main reasons, if price wasn’t my primary consideration. Its long battery life means I no longer have battery anxiety about needing to charge it every day. And the Action button is so helpful and customizable, it makes using the watch much more enjoyable and convenient.

Technologies

The Fastest Way to Open Any App Is Hiding on the Back of Your iPhone

Your iPhone’s Back Tap feature can be customized to open any app.

Tapping the screen on an iPhone opens an app. What does tapping on the back of your phone do? A number of things, it turns out. It’s a super useful hack that you’ve likely been missing out on. In fact, it’s the fastest way to launch the camera or open specific apps without hunting through folders. In 2026, it’s the ultimate hack for making your hardware work harder for you without touching the display.

The feature is part of the Back Tap tool in your iPhone’s accessibility settings. Once enabled, it can trigger almost anything your phone can do, from turning on the flashlight to opening Shazam before a song ends. You can even set it to open the Control Center, take a screenshot or run a custom Shortcut with two or three quick taps. It’s fast, discreet and surprisingly powerful once you set it up.

The feature is called Back Tap and, like the Action Button on newer iPhones, it gives you one more way to use your device without touching the screen. You can activate it by tapping anywhere on the back of your phone, including on the camera module. The best part is that it works even if you have a fairly thick case on your iPhone.

Back Tap is available on iPhones as old as the iPhone 8, as long as they’re running iOS 14 or later. We’ll show you how to enable it and how to use it with your Shortcuts app for nearly endless possibilities.

Read more: All the Ways the iPhone 16’s Camera Control Button Will Change Your iPhone Photography

What is the iPhone Back Tap feature?

Back Tap is an iPhone feature introduced in iOS 14. It lets you perform shortcuts on your iPhone by double- or triple-tapping on the back of the device.

You can customize Back Tap on your iPhone to easily perform common actions like pulling up the Control Center or Notification Center, especially useful if you have a larger phone and can’t swipe down from the top of the screen without some complex finger gymnastics. You can even have two separate functions enabled at the same time: Back Tap can distinguish between a Double Tap and a Triple Tap.

Depending on the number of times you touch the back of your iPhone, you can set Double Tap to open your Notification Center and Triple Tap to take a screenshot. Or, you can make Double Tap open the Control Center and Triple Tap launch the Magnifier app. Experiment with Back Tap to find the right combinations of taps and functions that best fit your needs.

And you aren’t limited to just the Back Tap options that are available by default. Thanks to the Shortcuts app, you can set up Back Tap to perform specific functions or launch any app. For example, you can create a simple shortcut that opens Shazam or starts a voice recording, then activate it with a quick Double Tap or Triple Tap. You can also use Back Tap to trigger a more elaborate shortcut, such as automatically sending photos and videos to specific photo albums.

How do I set up Back Tap on my iPhone?

To enable Back Tap, go to your Settings app. Then go to Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap. There, you’ll find a list of options for configuring Double Tap and Triple Tap.

Here is the full list of functions that you can map to a Double Tap or Triple Tap:

None
Accessibility Shortcut

System

App Switcher
Camera
Control Center
Flashlight
Home
Lock Rotation
Lock Screen
Mute
Notification Center
Reachability
Screenshot
Shake
Spotlight
Volume Down
Volume Up

Accessibility

AssistiveTouch
Background Sounds
Classic Invert
Color Filters
Control Nearby Devices
Dim Flashing Lights
Live Captions
Live Speech
Magnifier
Smart Invert
Speak Screen
VoiceOver
Zoom
Zoom Controller

Scroll Gestures

Scroll Down
Scroll Up

At the bottom of the menu, you’ll also see a list of Shortcuts. These options will vary depending on what’s available in your Shortcuts app.

The one potential downside to Back Tap is that you don’t get any tactile feedback when you use it, so you might accidentally trigger it at the wrong time and not realize it until later. For instance, you might double-tap without meaning to and set off your flashlight by accident. In that case, you might want to remap your Double Tap to a less conspicuous function. Or, you can leave Double Tap off and only use Triple Tap, which you probably won’t trigger as often.

How do I use Back Tap to take a quick photo?

One way to set up Back Tap is to map Double Tap to the Camera and Triple Tap to Volume Up or Volume Down. Because you can press either of the volume buttons to instantly take a picture, you can get the same effect if your volume buttons are mapped to Back Tap. With this combination, you can capture a photo with five quick taps on the back of your iPhone (though you’ll have to pause briefly between performing the Double Tap and Triple Tap, so that your phone can distinguish between the two actions).

This Back Tap combination even works if your phone is locked. Again, spend some time trying out different combinations of taps and features to find which ones are most useful for you.

Technologies

Social Media and AI Want Your Attention at All Times. This New Documentary Says That’s Bad

Your Attention Please, a documentary premiering this week at SXSW in Austin, Texas, explores how we live in the attention economy.

«Do you remember the world before cellphones?»

The question comes early in Your Attention Please, a documentary premiering this week at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. And it hit me harder than I expected. As a 27-year-old tech reporter, I realized I don’t have too many clear memories of life before smartphones. My adolescence unfolded alongside the rise of smartphones, social media, push notifications and the routine of endless scrolling. Like many people my age, I’ve spent most of my life inside the attention economy — without ever really stepping outside it.

That’s the uneasy territory the documentary explores.

CNET was given exclusive early access to the film’s trailer, embedded below.

Exploring how tech shapes our behavior

Director Sara Robin said she originally set out to make something smaller: a documentary about people trying to reclaim their attention by breaking unhealthy phone habits. In an interview with CNET, Robin described the idea as a personal story about focus and self-control in an age of constant distraction.

As Robin interviewed researchers, technologists and families affected by social media and cyberbullying, the film’s scope widened. What started as a question about individual habits quickly became a larger investigation into how modern technology systems are designed to shape human behavior. The story stretches from the rise of social media to the emerging influence of AI.

Along the way, Robin and her collaborators kept hearing the same observation from different corners of the digital world: Social media didn’t just change how people communicate; it quietly rewired what we value. Experiences that were once private or emotional — friendship, affection, belonging — began to acquire numerical equivalents. Followers, likes, comments, views and shares began to be how we saw our own self-worth. In the architecture of social platforms, those numbers function as a kind of social currency.

Trisha Prabhu, a digital-safety advocate and inventor of the anti-cyberbullying technology ReThink, argues that social platforms did more than create new online spaces. She says they fundamentally reshaped how social validation works. The metrics that define popularity often reward attention-seeking behavior and amplify conflict, while genuine connection is now harder to quantify and, therefore, easier to overlook.

Prabhu warns that the same dynamics already driving problems like cyberbullying could accelerate as automated systems become more capable. AI tools can generate abusive messages at scale, produce convincing impersonations or create deepfakes that spread rapidly online. In some cases, the technology may even blur the line between human interaction and machine-generated communication, which could deepen loneliness or encourage harmful behavior.

«There’s AI exacerbating existing harms [like automating cyberbullying], but then I also think that there’s AI creating completely new harms,» Prabhu told CNET. «There are reports of AI tools encouraging users, including minor users, to commit self-harm… Even for the everyday user who’s not experiencing the extreme outcome, I think we have to ask ourselves how much of our time and connection we want spent with an AI tool as opposed to a fellow human being.»

Bringing attention to attention

What struck Robin during filming the documentary was how universal these anxieties felt. Across conversations with families, educators and advocates around the world, the themes were remarkably consistent: overstimulated attention, declining focus in classrooms, rising anxiety among young people and a persistent sense of dread that comes from always being plugged in.

Those shared concerns have helped spark a coordinated moment around the film’s release.

On March 11, more than 25 organizations focused on digital well-being will simultaneously release the trailer for Your Attention Please as part of an initiative called Stand for Their Attention. What began as a small collaboration among five groups quickly grew as word spread through advocacy networks. The coalition now includes organizations such as Common Sense Media, Protect Young Eyes, Mothers Against Media Addiction, the Center for Humane Technology, Smartphone Free Childhood and Scrolling to Death.

The idea behind the synchronized launch is simple: Use the attention surrounding the documentary to highlight the growing movement that’s already working to reshape digital culture.

Many people feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, Robin says, but behind the scenes, a widening ecosystem of advocates is experimenting with ways to build healthier digital environments, from redesigning products to changing norms around screen use.

The campaign also arrives at a moment of growing scrutiny around the attention economy. Lawmakers in the US and abroad are increasingly debating how social platforms affect youth mental health and childhood development. Boycotts around AI use are taking off. Researchers are studying how these algorithms and chatbots influence behavior. Individuals are trying to figure out how much technology belongs in everyday life.

What can we do about it?

Despite the weight of those conversations, Robin says the goal of the film isn’t to leave audiences feeling powerless. In fact, the rapid rise of public awareness around AI has made her more optimistic than she was during the early days of social media. The systems shaping digital life, she argues, are built by people, which means they can also be rebuilt.

«We have more power than we think,» Robin said. «And there are a lot of different ways to get involved in this, from changing individual habits to changing the culture in your own family and in your community, designing technology differently, getting engaged in these conversations, all the way to pushing for legislative change.»

The film intentionally avoids presenting a single solution.

Instead, Your Attention Please asks a broader question: What happens when attention, one of the most human parts of our lives, becomes one of the most valuable commodities in the global economy? And perhaps more importantly, what kind of digital world do we want to build next?

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 12, #535

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for March 12, No. 535.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one, with some very unusual categories. The blue one is pretty fun, actually. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: City of Brotherly Love.

Green group hint: NBA star.

Blue group hint: Grr! Meow! Roar!

Purple group hint: Think alphabet.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Philadelphia teams.

Green group: Associated with Larry Bird.

Blue group: Sports figures with animal names.

Purple group: Sports figures whose first names sound like two letters.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is Philadelphia teams. The four answers are 76ers, Flyers, Penn and Temple.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Larry Bird. The four answers are Celtics, French Lick, Pacers and Sycamores.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is sports figures with animal names. The four answers are Bear Bryant, Cat Osterman, Catfish Hunter and Tiger Woods.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is sports figures whose first names sound like two letters. The four answers are Casey Stengel (KC), CeeDee Lamb (CD), Katie Ledecky (KT) and Vijay Singh (VJ).