Apple Watch Ultra

Apple revealed the Apple Watch Ultra during its Far Out September event in 2022. It acts as a product class above the Apple Watch Series 8, with features and design aspects that set it apart.

It was built with harsh environments and extreme activities in mind. Diving into the ocean, climbing the face of a freezing mountain, or hiking through a desert were all shown as expected niche use cases for the rugged watch.

While some rumors speculated Apple would position this device as a pro watch for anyone, it is clear that this watch was developed with a heavily defined audience. While anyone can buy the Apple Watch Ultra and take advantage of the features, most people will never stress-test its limits.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors

Leaks and rumors tend to gravitate towards iPhone, so not much is shared about Apple Watch, and of what is shared is rarely accurate. Apple didn't update the Apple Watch Ultra in 2024 beyond adding a black color option for the second-generation model.

The Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumor cycles have already begun for the 2025 devices, but not much is known. The slightly larger display and thinner design introduced with Apple Watch Series 10 could influence the 2025 models.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Apple revealed the Apple Watch Ultra 2 during its Wonderlust event on September 12, 2023. It has an identical design to the first generation but is made with less virgin titanium for environmental reasons.

The second-generation model has the S9 SiP, meaning it gets a faster processor and more internal storage. Users also gain access to a new pinching gesture for controlling the device with only one hand.

See how it compares to the original: Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Apple Watch Ultra. It was revealed alongside the Apple Watch Series 9, which received similar updates.

A new black color was introduced in September 2024 with no other changes.

Apple Watch Ultra Features

Apple differentiated its extreme Apple Watch with a large titanium case, several new sensors, and a large 49mm display. While it is more expensive and targets a specific audience, it is still a fully functional Apple Watch with all the same health sensors as Apple Watch Series 8.

Design

The Apple Watch Ultra has a titanium enclosure available in only one color — a natural silver tone. The Action Button is international orange, and the Digital Crown has an orange ring.

A raised surface protects the display, with the raised material acting as an antenna band. The 49mm display is protected by sapphire glass that is resistant to impacts and scratches.

The Digital Crown is bigger with large grooves, and the Side Button sticks out from the case. This ensures easy-to-use controls even when wearing gloves.

The watch can withstand a wide range of temperatures from -20 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius. It also has a deeper dive certification of 100 meters.

It meets the MIL-STD 810H certification standard. Apple tested it against subsections for altitude, high temperature, low temperature, temperature shock, immersion, freeze/thaw, shock, and vibration.

Display

The 49mm watch has a 410p by 502p display covered with sapphire glass for protection. It can get up to 2000 nits of brightness to ensure content is visible in direct sunlight or deep underwater.

Apple introduced the Wayfinder watch face, which can be customized depending on the activity being performed. Turn the Digital Crown to activate night mode when using the Wayfinder watch face.

Night mode turns the elements on the watch face to a bright red color and removes anything that would emit harsh blue light. Red keeps the user's night vision from being impaired, so their eyes don't have to adjust when looking at the Apple Watch or away.

It still has an always-on display that keeps content visible even when the Apple Watch isn't being interacted with. A wrist raise or a tap will wake the display and make it ready for interaction.

Action Button

The Action Button is a user-defined function button across watchOS. For example, press the Action Button to mark a lap or set complete during a workout.

This button can be customized based on the app or the activity being performed. Apps will be able to provide different actions for users to choose from.

Press and hold the action button to activate an 86-decibel siren. It has a unique sound pattern that makes it audible up to 600 feet away.

Customers have praised this button as an essential Apple Watch interaction that should be introduced across the lineup. The bright orange color has also inspired additional third-party accessories for the rugged device.

Rumors have also suggested this button's functionality could come to iPhone 15 Pro in place of a mute switch. It would be a button users could program to perform different actions like Shortcuts.

Sensors

In addition to all of the sensors already in regular Apple Watches, the Apple Watch Ultra gets a handful of exclusive sensors to aid users in complex environments. It also has dual speakers, an 86-decibel siren, and a three-microphone array.

GPS

Apple included a dual-frequency GPS solution that takes advantage of L1 and L5 frequency bands. The basic L1 frequency can easily lose signal in more challenging locations like in a city.

The L5 frequency, however, is a new band used to overcome L1's limitations. Apple built an advanced algorithm to make the dual-frequency GPS bands work together to better locate the user.

Water depth and temperature

When submerged past a certain depth, the Apple Watch will automatically display the water depth, temperature, and length of submersion. It is certified to EN13319, an internationally recognized standard for dive computers and gauges.

An app from Huish called Oceanic+ transforms the Apple Watch Ultra into a diving computer. It shows needed information like depth levels, tells users when to take safety stops, and much more.

The Oceanic+ app for pairing with diving equipment launched in November 2022.

Health

All the health sensors in Apple Watch Series 8 are available in Apple Watch Ultra. It can be used for sleep tracking, workout measurement, and notify users of abnormal heart rates.

The heart rate sensor, blood oxygen sensor, ECG app, and temperature sensor are all used the same way. Apple reiterates that Apple Watch is not an alternative to medical equipment or visiting a doctor. However, it can be used to catch symptoms early.

The temperature sensor was introduced in the 2022 Apple Watch lineup. It is primarily used at night to track the user's body temperature and help determine when a person may have ovulated.

The external temperature sensor is also used when diving.

Battery

Apple Watch Ultra has a 36-hour battery life during regular use. When performing workouts, however, the battery life usually takes a hit.

Apple added a low-power workout mode that still tracks specific metrics and provides GPS while minimizing battery usage. This feature is key for triathlon runners who spend hours in workout mode.

With low-power mode enabled, users can expect up to 60 hours of battery life. It also supports fast charging with the updated Apple Watch charger.

Watch bands

The Alpine Loop was developed with explorers in mind. It has a titanium g-hook that securely fastens through reinforced top loops. The top loops and band are woven together without stitching.

The Ocean Band is made from a high-performance elastomer, purpose-built for deep sea diving. A titanium buckle secures the band through integrated loops to keep the Apple Watch secure even in high-speed conditions.

Endurance athletes can use the Trail Loop that was built with maximum comfort in mind. It is Apple's thinnest band made from an elastic textile. A small loop can be used for quick adjustments.

What's new in watchOS

There are updates to the Apple Watch operating system every year. Some updates focus on small tweaks, while others redesign entire segments of the device's control scheme.

watchOS 11

Announced at WWDC 2024, watchOS 11 is set to be released in the fall of the same year. While it didn't get much screen time during the keynote, Apple did mention several features that users can look forward to when it officially releases.

Health and fitness features

Like most major watchOS updates, Apple has introduced plenty of new health and fitness-related features with watchOS 11. 

New pregnancy-tracking features have been added to the Cycle tracker of Apple Health. It now shows the gestational age and tracks the pregnancy across health charts. It provides recommendations and notifications for health during pregnancy, such as reviewing the high heart rate threshold and receiving alerts for increased fall risk in the third trimester.

Vitals is a new feature that uses data collected while a wearer sleeps to establish a typical range for health metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and sleep duration.

If any of these metrics are outside the typical range, the Apple Watch will send a notification with contextual information about possible factors, such as medications, elevation, alcohol, or illness. This can help users understand that paying closer attention to their bodies is a good idea.

The new Training Load feature helps users understand how workouts impact their bodies over time. It compares the intensity and duration of workouts over the last seven days to the previous 28 days, classifying the current training load to help users gauge the strain on their body and make informed decisions about their exercise regimen.

Similar to Training Load, a new effort rating has been added to the Workout app. The metric will gauge a user's exercise intensity, pace, elevation, heart rate, and personal data factor into each rating.

Users can now pause their Activity Rings for a day, week, month, or more and maintain their award streak. 

User interface and user experience upgrades 

New interactive widgets are displayed based on time, location, and more. New widgets include severe weather alerts, Training Load, Photos, Distance, and Shazam.

The Smart Stack feature has also been upgraded to automatically display relevant Widgets based on time, location, and other factors. Live activities are also included in the Smart Stack, providing important information such as the arrival time of an Uber or the likelihood of rain.

A redesigned Photos face uses machine learning to search a user's photo library, select the best images, and create watch faces featuring their favorite people, pets, and places.

Other watchOS 11 features

The Apple Watch Maps app will feature topographic maps with detailed trail networks and hikes, including all 63 U.S. national parks. Users can save maps to their Apple Watch to access them offline with turn-by-turn voice guidance.

The Translate app supports 20 languages, allowing users to see translations by typing or dictating a phrase. Users can also play the translation aloud and slow it down if needed. Languages can easily be downloaded to the Apple Watch, too.

watchOS 10

Apple introduced a complete redesign for watchOS 10 during WWDC 2023. That includes a number of features that benefit Apple Watch Ultra.

Many first-party apps were redesigned with larger displays in mind. Apps like Fitness and Messages show more information on the densely-packed display.

Smart Stack brings widgets to the Apple Watch while using any watch face. The user simply needs to scroll up on the Digital Crown to view them.

The Side Button now summons Control Center from anywhere in watchOS. These control changes make navigating even more simple.

Apple Watch Ultra will benefit from the new view 3D view in the Compass app. Plus, topographic maps and trail information will give users more information about their hikes.

Apple Watch Ultra review

The Apple Watch Ultra packs in a bunch of features tailored for athletes and extreme conditions, but it still has room to grow. It has a rugged design with a large 49mm display.

This large size may be too big for petite wrists, but it looks better in person than expected. The added Action Button is also easy to press accidentally since muscle memory expects no button to be there.

The display can reach 2,000 nits of brightness, the case is made from titanium, and the screen is protected by sapphire. It can survive a 100M dive or temperatures from -20 C to 55 C.

We found that the Apple Watch Ultra is a good entry-level dive watch for recreational use, but it will need enhancements in future versions for more serious activities.

This rugged watch draws obvious comparisons to competitors like Garmin. While it has a 36-hour battery life, it still isn't close to the week-long battery found in some Garmin watches.

There's a lot to love about Apple's newest Apple Watch model. It has some high ambitions to meet users' aspirations, and in many ways, it delivers.

Read the full Apple Watch Ultra Review from AppleInsider and see why we gave it a 4.5 out of 5.

Apple Watch Ultra price

Customers can order the Apple Watch Ultra for $799 retail, although discounts are readily in effect at several Apple resellers. It was released on September 23, 2022.