Apple Watch Ultra 2 Features

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Review 2025

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 returns for 2025 packing the same big personality and price tag. Starting at $799, it comes in black titanium for the first time, and now includes matching bands like a titanium Milanese Loop, perfect for high-speed water sports and even scuba diving. With a dazzling 3,000-nit display, it’s 50% brighter than the first Ultra, staying glare-free in direct sunlight. Battery life nearly hits 55 hours, which is close to a full day longer than the Series 10.

WatchOS 11 brings upgrades for all recent models, including a Tides app, better training stats, sleep apnea alerts, and more. The Series 10 remains the best value for most people at half the cost, but if you head outdoors often, the Ultra 2 stands out.

Tough Design with Subtle Changes

The Ultra 2 sticks to its $799 price, making it much pricier than the Series 10 or Watch SE. Most users won’t need all the Ultra 2’s features, but it’s a great pick for adventure lovers, water sport athletes, and hikers. The Watch SE is still a smart budget pick or for families.

There’s just one size—49mm. Now you can pick between natural or black titanium. The new black finish adds style, even though it looks more like a deep gray under light than pure black.

Design details match the first model: same big case, same three-button setup, and a display area that’s still huge, though the Series 10 now slightly edges it out for screen real estate.

The Ultra 2 may feel large on smaller wrists. The thicker digital crown can sometimes irritate skin if you prefer smaller watches.

What sets the Ultra 2 apart is its tough build, a customizable Action Button, tactile buttons meant for gloved hands, extra-bright screen, three-mic array and dual speakers, a loud emergency siren, and a depth gauge good down to 40 meters. The Series 10 comes with a depth gauge too, but it tops out at just 6 meters.

WatchOS 11 brings new watch faces, Tides and Translate apps, updated training feedback, and sleep apnea notifications that are FDA-cleared. You’ll need an iPhone XS or newer running iOS 18 or higher for these watches. No Apple Watch works with Android devices.

If you’re on Android, the Galaxy Watch Ultra, at $649.99, runs Wear OS but won’t pair with iPhones.

The Ultra 2’s case uses 95% recycled titanium, reducing its environmental impact over the last version. Pick the right band, like the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, or Titanium Milanese, and you get a carbon-neutral combo marked by a green leaf logo on the box. The Ocean Band is still around, though not carbon-neutral.

Stock bands include the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, or Ocean Band, with the Titanium Milanese Loop available for an extra $100 ($200 if bought separately). Bands come in new colors and match either case finish. There’s even a luxury Hermès En Mer band. All Ultra 2s work with earlier Ultra straps and most large Apple Watch bands.

During testing, the black titanium Ultra 2 paired with a dark green Alpine Loop, which is a carbon-neutral match. Extra bands sent included a black Trail Loop and an Ice Blue Ocean Band, both with matching hardware. Previous test units included a natural finish and different color bands.

Of the standard bands, the Trail Loop stands out for daily wear. Its lightweight nylon and Velcro-like closure make it comfortable, but pet hair can be tough to remove. If you own a fuzzy dog or cat, consider band color carefully. The Alpine Loop, built with strong yarn and a titanium clasp, works best for hiking. The Ocean Band handles demanding water sports thanks to durable elastomer.

Cellular service comes built in, so you can leave your iPhone behind and still call, stream, or text (with a separate cell plan, usually $10 monthly). Bluetooth, dual-frequency GPS, and Wi-Fi round out wireless features.

The Ultra 2 uses Apple’s S9 chip, the same as the Series 9. The Series 10 updates to the S10 chip, but performance is nearly identical.

A recent patent court ruling affects all Ultra 2 models in the US: there is no blood oxygen (SpO2) sensor support, just like the Series 9 and Series 10. The app might still appear but won’t work. If blood oxygen tracking matters to you, keep your current watch.

Out of the Apple Watch lineup, the Ultra 2 stays the most water-ready, meeting both WR100 and EN13319 standards. That means you can dive to 130 feet without worry. Wakeboarding, jet skiing, and kitesurfing are easy for this watch. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is rated for similar depths but isn’t built for high-pressure water sports.

The Series 10 and Watch SE are safe at depths up to 164 feet but shouldn’t go scuba diving or face heavy water impact.

The Ultra 2 also ups its dust and drop resistance by adding an MIL-STD 810H certification, meaning it’s tested for tough conditions like extreme temperatures, altitude, and vibration. It can handle altitude of up to 9,000 meters, much higher than other models (way higher than cabin pressures during flight).

Screen Gets Brighter—But Battery Still Lasts

The most noticeable update is the screen. It reaches an eye-popping 3,000 nits, making it Apple’s brightest yet. The Series 10 stays at 2,000 nits, keeping pace with many smartwatches, but the Ultra 2 outshines them all. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra matches this brightness.

Outdoors you’ll never struggle to read notifications, the compass, or fine details. Activate the flashlight, and the screen can double brightness by twisting the crown.

Despite the brighter screen, battery life matches the first Ultra model. Expect about 55 hours per charge with always-on display at its peak. During my tests, it sailed through a two-night road trip, handling sleep tracking and more. That’s longer than the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which lasted 46 hours under similar use.

Officially, Apple claims 36 hours in normal mode or up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. With full-on GPS, it runs 12 hours, but that jumps to 17 when power-saving features are on. For endurance events, enable Low Power Mode and reduce GPS checks for 35 hours of battery life.

Series 10 stays close at 36 hours with always-on enabled, while Google’s Pixel Watch 3 and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 lag behind at 34 and 22 hours.

Apple Watches make automatic brightness adjustments using an ambient light sensor, so max brightness only kicks in under intense light. Indoors, the display runs dimmer to save power.

At night, the Ultra 2 dims down to a single nit for a softer glow during sleep tracking.

Galaxy Watch models allow more detailed screen control, but Apple sticks to simple, automatic adjustments, keeping battery life high.

Ultra 2 leads Apple’s line for battery, but can’t touch adventure watches like Coros, Garmin, or Polar. These can last up to a month, even with heavy GPS use. For example, Coros Vertix 2S runs over a month, while Garmin Fenix 7 and Polar Grit X Pro offer weeks, even with constant tracking.

Features Tailored for Adventure

I tested the Ultra 2’s depth gauge in the Gulf of Mexico. The Depth app launches as soon as you’re a few feet under, tracking your dive time, max depth, temperature, and more. You can review sessions on the watch for a week, or visit the Fitness app later for location and weather data.

For freediving, the Oceanic+ app (a $4.99 monthly subscription) brings custom depth, dive times, surface intervals, and even dims the display below the waves so you don’t spook marine life.

The Ultra 2’s screen is clear underwater while wearing goggles, though touch input won’t work. Buttons and the crown remain fully usable for control.

Back on land, topographic maps are ready for select US parks like Yosemite and Grand Canyon inside the Maps app. Just use the crown to zoom and see contour lines and elevations. Coverage keeps expanding and includes more popular parks each year.

With watchOS 11, you can now download curated and custom hiking routes for offline hike planning. While competitors like Coros and Garmin offer more detailed topographic maps, casual hikers will love the Ultra 2’s simple integration, with third-party apps filling in where needed.

The Compass app is a standout—save your location for emergencies, track the last known cell signal area, and set waypoints for important spots. It even tracks elevation at different points, keeping you informed about your route.

Full-Featured Health and Lifestyle Watch

Ultra 2 keeps all the health, safety, and fitness tools that give Apple Watch its edge. Reliable connectivity and a deep library of third-party apps boost its appeal. From AllTrails to Strava, Peloton, and Spotify, most major watch apps are here.

Performance is speedy for daily tasks, calls, and texting, supported by a four-core Neural Engine in the S9 chip for on-device Siri and a quick double-tap gesture. Voice dictation is strong for messages and searches, though it stumbles on the rare tricky name.

Watch faces are flexible, with Ultra-exclusive options like Modular Ultra and Wayfinder. Modular Ultra is fully customizable, with up to seven complications and special tick marks. It even detects low light and triggers red-on-black Night Mode for easier nighttime reading.

Fitness tracking is outstanding. Heart rate readings match chest straps and dedicated sensor bands, so you get reliable stats whether you’re jogging, swimming, or doing an interval session. Heart rate tracking responds quickly during high-intensity bursts, matching performance from the best sensors.

Final Thoughts: The Outdoor Standout

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a rugged, bright, and fast smartwatch, ready for rough adventures and daily life. If you already own the first Ultra and need blood oxygen monitoring, skip this upgrade. Deciding between Ultra 2 and a regular Apple Watch comes down to how often you’re outdoors and if those extra features make the higher price worth it. For most, Series 10 does more than enough. But for outdoor enthusiasts and explorers, the Ultra 2 is a top pick and worth the investment.