Smartwatches · 2023 · Apple
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is Apple’s rugged sports and diving watch released in September 2023. It offers a 49 mm Grade 5 titanium case, an always-on OLED display with flat sapphire glass reaching 3,000 nits, the S9 SiP, 64 GB of storage, dual-frequency (L1+L5) GPS, recreational dive certification to 40 m, a depth gauge and water temperature sensor, and up to 36 hours of battery in normal use or 72 hours in Low Power Mode. In an ultra-running test multi-band GNSS produced tracks in line with Garmin watches, while battery life fell short of dedicated running watches. Owners praise battery life and the large display most.
Apple Watch Ultra 2, 49 mm titanium case, GPS + Cellular; natural (2023) and black titanium added in 2024. Band options (Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, Ocean Band, Titanium Milanese Loop) vary by size. The Apple Watch Ultra (2022) and Ultra 3 (2025) are separate models.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Case | 49 mm, Grade 5 titanium; natural or black; 49 × 44 × 12 mm |
| Display | Always-On Retina LTPO2 OLED; 410 × 502 pixels, 326 ppi; 1,185 mm² display area |
| Glass | Flat sapphire crystal front |
| Chip and storage | S9 SiP (64-bit dual-core processor, 4-core Neural Engine); 64 GB |
| Location | L1 + L5 dual-frequency GPS; GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou |
| Sensors | Electrical heart sensor; third-generation optical heart sensor; temperature sensor; depth gauge; water temperature sensor; compass; always-on altimeter |
| Diving and durability | 100 m water resistance under ISO 22810:2010 (WR100); recreational scuba diving to 40 m under EN13319; IP6X under IEC 60529; MIL-STD 810H testing |
| Cellular and wireless | 4G LTE and UMTS; Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n); Bluetooth 5.3; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip |
| Battery and charging | Up to 36 hours in normal use and 72 hours in Low Power Mode; fast charge to 80% in about 1 hour; built-in lithium-ion |
| Controls and safety | Customisable Action button; Digital Crown with haptic feedback; siren; Emergency SOS, fall and crash detection |
| Compatibility | iPhone Xs or later, or iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 18 or later |
| Operating conditions | On wrist –20 to 55 °C; diving 0–40 °C; altitude –500 to 9,000 m |
Apple presents the Ultra 2 as a watch built for exploration, adventure and endurance sports, with a titanium case, a display reaching 3,000 nits, dual-frequency GPS, dive certification and the S9 SiP. Apple Support
The Wareable writer ran 100 miles in three days around Lake Garda (about 50 km and 6–7 hours of GPS per day). Multi-band GNSS gave distance and pace in line with the Garmin Forerunner 945 and Enduro 2 in every power mode, and in one case the track stayed on the path better than the Forerunner 965. A 7.5-hour run in the 12-hour mode used 37% of the battery. Average heart rate was within two beats of a chest strap, while maximum heart rate read 7–12 beats high. GPX import/export and turn-by-turn navigation needed third-party apps, and topographic maps covered only US trails at the time.
Wareable: Apple Watch Ultra 2 ultra running testBest Buy’s 2024 black titanium page has 37 reviews; 19 of the 20 visible ones are incentivised. Battery life is praised most often: one owner reports about three days, monchito a few days and David more than 24 hours. Joon says the large screen and long battery help on hikes, and yingsangsfoot likes the bright always-on display and GPS accuracy but says battery could be longer. JUNO finds it slightly heavier than a previous watch. No visible review reports a fault.
Best Buy: Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular, 49mm black titanium) customer reviewsAO.com in the UK has 20 reviews; of the 8 on the first page, one is about an iPhone and was left out. Dan says the battery lasted a seven-hour swim-bike-run session and the large screen is easy to read at night and underwater; Robert says the battery lasts about three days; Saska Payne finds the watch sturdy and a good fit for a large wrist. No visible review mentions scratches or connectivity problems.
AO.com: Apple Watch Ultra 2 customer reviews