Apple Watch Ultra 2 In-Depth Review - More ULTRA? Or More of the Same?

Apple Watch Ultra 2
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Time Stamps
00:00 - Intro / Overview
00:37 - Hardware / Ultra 1 vs Ultra 2
01:42 - What’s the same?
03:15 - Recycled Bands
04:31 - Display Brightness
06:30 - S9 Sip / Increased Performance
07:53 - On-Device Siri Processing / Siri + Health
09:04 - Find My Phone / Ultra Wide Band Chip
10:04 - Modular Watchface
11:17 - Double Tap Gesture / Compared to Assistive Touch
16:48 - Battery Life Testing
19:45 - Thoughts on Apples Carbon Neutral Efforts
21:00 - Final Thoughts / Who is this for?

[@roshsurana]

very underrated. Found your no BS content much more informative than many of the big youtubers who didn’t spend enough time even knowing the difference. You are the only one who did not, to the best of my knowledge, miss a single difference. Subscribed!

[@jordangrant1989]

Excited to upgrade from watch series 5 to ultra 2. Hopefully quite a jump in quality!

[@user-ns5jb1jo7c]

I saw a lot of Ultra 2 videos now and people tell me always the same stuff. Your videos is dope! You found really good settings that are new for me and also very useful. Thank you

[@REJ509]

There’s subtle improvements which I personally think is fine for a 2nd year model. I probably wouldn’t upgrade if I had an ultra one but the find my capability is a good upgrade for someone like me who is constantly looking for my AirTags. As a non ultra owner the choice to get the 2 over the one is pretty easy.

[@slapfan1]

I truly appreciate your review, thank you. Not upgrading my Ultra 1, still a solid watch.

[@Anakena3]

Thanks for the review coming from an Apple Watch six and planning on taking the two but also wondering if buying a 1 wouldn’t be a good way to save money and wait until ultra three comes out

[@Gabrielerf]

Excellent review as always, thanks Dave for your detailed analysis.

[@TheQuantifiedScientist]

Great overview and review Dave 😊! Surprising they did not print a "2" on the inside. Now you will need to charge it to check which one is which. Excited to get mine and get the testing going, though as you said I don't expect (huge) differences .

[@senwang1982]

looking forward to your scientific reviews on those hr gps sensors🎉❤😊

[@amshaq007CR7]

​@@senwang1982me too

[@andrewbae7656]

It makes me think they did not sell a lot of the ultra #1 and are re using the parts for the ultra 2 and just adding more software updates + new screen with higher nits

[@o751106]

A different color next year.

[@carlsupermankent]

Which face gallery are you using? I like the time in the middle but can’t seem to find it anywhere. It looks great on your watch.

[@MrMeowNow]

Thanks for awesome content! Looks like Ultra 2 is vey similar to 1st gen... Upgrading? I dont think its worth it...

[@calderonarunning]

You said it: it has been an useful and entertaining video. Congratulations for all of your work here.

[@Purp_Haze.]

I’m finally upgrading from my series 3 to an Ultra 2 😂😂😂

[@Wingrider07]

My Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in today. You confirmed my choice. Thanks.

[@JacobMillen-tk4jx]

Just ordered my ultra today. I’m so excited.

[@dianp4824]

I upgraded from series 4 to Ultra 2. I rly liked the design since the ultra release.

[@adambomb13]

After the first 4:40 mins, I totally enjoyed your video , thank you

[@olafkuhnke1202]

Apple Watch Ultra one or Series eight are coming pretty close to the double tap feature. There is not only the accessibility feature assistive touch but something called quick actions. Together with a changed configuration of the hand gestures this works really well. I can answer calls, knowledge incoming messages or notifications while having my little boy on my right arm.

[@alanhd4]

The S9 with the local Siri is the big thing for me. Plus I'll try adding a cellular plan. Also like you showing the accuracy of double-tap. Upgrading from a watch 7. I will likely downgrade the phone size and upgrade to 15 pro with 6.1 screen instead of 12 promax 6.7. I think it will be a big boost in convenience and productivity.

[@tr31uk]

Very enlightening video! I order one today and tomorrow Ill go to the store to take it. Also very impressive tattoo “I miss you” in greek. Excellent expression and very tender also

[@paulirish1165]

Thanks Dave. That’s disappointing the double tap is not yet available in the workout app. For running, it would so great to be able to pause with double tap.

[@Trails.andponytails]

I’ve been interested in the double tap feature. My husband is a combat wounded amputee and he lost his right arm above the elbow. He’s always wanted a sports watch but he can’t use any of them. Doesn’t look like apple is there yet but they’re getting closer. He would need every app and every feature to be usable with voice control and/or double tapping etc. Mostly he would want strava for recording workouts, runs, bike rides etc.

[@Seahawks1976]

I have the fenix 7x and might get the ultra too because both are awesome. Rotate both over the next few years

[@seffingt0n]

Mine comes in tomorrow - can't wait!

[@Epearson02130]

Thank you for your in-depth video. I’m new to Apple Watches and purchased the Ultra 2. Though I have more learning to do with this watch, I am extremely happy with it. Also, love the 3.5 day battery life.

[@RobertBruno]

Great video. Agree on the battery life. I also think making it in a darker color should have been a no-brainer. They would have sold like hotcakes if they only made an additional color.

[@richardmathers7238]

Only trouble with darker colour stretches and marks show up.iv a fenix 7 and it looks terrible

[@knutekjc93]

When the Ultra dropped last year my first comment was that it’ll be a great 2nd or 3rd generation device. Seems to be trending towards 3rd. I switched to a Garmin about a year ago because the Apple Watch just wasn’t doing it for me anymore as I was ramping up distance and getting into training for an Ironman. If Apple could just optimize that battery life, get it to a week even, I feel like they’d move a lot more devices. They’d have me back as a customer for sure.

[@JordiRuns]

I have the series 1 and not thinking about upgrading. Garmin, Coros, and other companies don’t tend to announce major updates yearly , Apple is no different. The series 1 has everything I need and I’ll wait for series 3. (An upgrade every other year sounds more applicable)

[@msyzah6828]

Just bought the ultra 2

[@waynependrigh4669]

Great video. I have just purchased the Ultra 2 and have never had an Apple watch before. Since then I have watched lots of video's on the watch but yours was the best with honest real life comparison with questions and comparisons with the original ultra. I have never seen any of your content before but I'm sold and have subscribed. Thanks.

[@malicovjek]

My AWU 1 is coming tomorrow and that is my first ever Apple Watch. Did I make the right decision because I dont need that brightness boost or the double tap.

[@b.rocket]

Great video. I had a series 6 and man I am loving the battery life of the ultra 2.

[@sharmarohit2110]

Hi, thanks for the insightful video. Request if you could guide me whether to go for ultra 2 or wait for Watch X (rumored for a redesign)?

[@kevincampos6394]

first timeer to the apple watch, is that 36 hour with display always on? i have a galaxy watch 5pro and get 40 but have the AOD on off

[@brandtblues]

I had an Apple watch series 3 for about a month - hated it and gave it back. I decided to jump back into the Apple watch and bought an Ultra 2. I like it - its a novelty - but I love the health features, sleep (I have never sleep with a watch before but I like the results), fitness tracking, some of the communication stuff is great to not to be so reliant on my phone for quick messages etc. The battery life is quite adequate for me - With lots of stuff turned on I get almost 3 full days on a charge. I keep most notifications off and rely on haptics for the small number of notifications I wish to receive. Not sure if it's going to be my daily forever or if it turns into a speciality watch for purpose driven activities etc. Having had it for about a month it is still a novelty but a fun and quite useful one. Great video too. Thanks!

[@molarrr]

How has the trail loop held up for a year? Main the Velcro getting all pulled and messy after using it for so long

[@CoachAlexTan]

How long does Ultra 2’s battery last in real life testing? Based on your active life style, did you even get 36hrs or did it surpass expectations with more? I belong to a third category, people who have an older iwatch (series 5-7) who’s considering an Ultra 2. How’s does the weight and size impact working out and sleep? Thanks

[@JRMillion]

Is the antenna band the same fragile stainable scratchable material? Seems like yes... but was hoping not.

[@lastpassenger4160]

Recently i switch from 6 series to ultra 2 , good experience 👍

[@watchultra]

That’s some real cool outro music

[@ctellr38]

I have a SE 1 and looking to upgrade to this ultra 2, looking like it a good idea

[@nicolejagoe5431]

I currently have a six. I’m looking to get away from the glitchy Ness in the heart rate monitor. Good work out, sleep and health reporting. Plus reminders, and integration with apps. I’m going listen to review of 9

[@The.JZA.]

I agree about the battery life. That was the one thing I really wanted and I thought that the transition from 7nm to 5nm would give us a lot better efficiency and therefore, battery life, even if it was just 20-30% it's still an improvement and a step in the right direction. I did think though when they said it had a brighter screen and the same battery life I was like, well if I just turn down the screen brightness I should get longer battery life then because I already do the same thing on my Apple Watch Ultra, I just run it at 2/3 on the brightness scale. The battery life isn't bad by any means and it's not the end of the world to slap it on charge before I jump in the shower but it would be nice if I could go away on a hike for a couple of days, with GPS/heart rate tracking and not have to worry about bringing an Apple Watch charger. That is the bare minimum of what I would consider to be "good" battery life for a device of this type. Nevertheless, I love my Apple Watch Ultra and I'll keep using it for another 2-3 years before I consider a new one.

[@silv3rArrow]

This! Or just a weeked getaway. Going somewhere just with a backpack to a hostel for a couple of days. Bringing the charger is a buzzkill

[@robhughes8516]

@@silv3rArrowif your taking a backpack anyways, what’s the big deal with packing a charger or a power bank? It might be time to re-examine your life if carrying a little watch charger (especially if your already taking a backpack) is inconveniencing you.

[@hunnykomb7481]

This video activated my Siri HARD lolllll. Great vid though non the less!

[@The.JZA.]

Assistive Touch is way different. The feature that you wanted to test was called "Quick Actions" and its basically the same as the double tap just with a couple of things ommitted. E.g. you cant scroll the widgets but you can dismiss notification, stop a timer or alarm, answer/end a call. It's very similar to the "double tap" feature on series 9 and works pretty well.

[@47crazed]

im glad they doubled the storage. i can finally sync all my music.

[@mazith745]

I’ve watched a couple of reviews . This is the best one , I get my ultra 2 tomorrow and I’m coming from a series 3 so this should be good 😁!

[@FutureSystem738]

Yes, agree, MORE battery life is what I want!!

[@Dalmado]

I upgraded my series 7 stainless in graphite to the ultra 2. I’m loving it so far.

[@valdius85]

Double tap makes a lot of sense for me since I commonly have wet hands when doing house work.

[@MrAndrew941]

I want that topographic map in the UK.

[@danemoreno88]

My last Apple Watch was a series 6 so this will be a huge upgrade

[@Erin-Thor]

Have you done a comparison between the larger 9 and the ultra? I am not sure what the actual differences are.

[@nathengadney4778]

Already got mine on preorder I have a series 8 but I was sooo close to getting it last year but didn’t as I wanted time to see if I even liked Apple Watch’s as I used android before so I had to pre order

[@tsdub]

Can I ask how you got the compass on your main screen view ?? Did you have to download an app ?? Mine didn’t come with the abiiity to add that complications?

[@sammyfishermesser]

Great video keep it up keep ‘em comin 💯👍🏽

[@kour0sh]

great review! when you were testing the battery, did use cellular ? I'm getting the Ultra 2 ,but don't want to get cellular plan for it so just wondering if that changes the battery life.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Cellular was turned off for testing since it's an uncontrollable variable. I had both watches paired to separate phones via bluetooth and wifi was turned on.

[@mden2490]

Thanks for the video. When are you going to cover/ or re visit mapping, directions, while hiking etc? 3% difference is really not statistically significant with battery life. I suspect that it is due do the newer battery.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Once they roll out the mapping to cover my area. Currently it's still exclusive to California and I'm in Massachusetts.

[@stricken1666]

One thing I didn’t understand is that If the materials are recycled to then why didn’t the price go down?

[@victoryu7820]

Best initial AWU 2 review out there. Lots of detail and info not found in other reviews. Thanks!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@peta333]

Yes, that’s true

[@doch5061]

All I wanna know is can you mass delete texts from the watch

[@paulbennett1538]

I recently upgraded from a series 3 to the ultra 2 for many reasons and so far I really like it

[@1927deano]

I’m hopefully doing the same soon, any big noticeable changes? (Besides having to reset the apple watch to factory settings to install each update 😂😂)

[@harrybijl5619]

Great overview Dave. I use an Apple Watch 6 and think about upgrade to the Ultra 2. A friend of mine wants to buy the 6. I'm not a fanatic sportsman. I just like the Ultra 2. My iPhone is a 12 Pro max. I keep this one for now. The 15 major upgrade is the camera resolution. I keep it in mind though.

[@squidlyminimalisim]

I got a 12 pro max aswell only issues i have with it are the camera and its overly large size but besides that its pretty good

[@AS-ch4ty]

How do you turn off the dim at night? I want it to stay bright

[@MrNotNic3]

I have a Series 6 and just bought a used AWU1.

[@1927deano]

I’m going to go from a series 3 to an ultra 2, gonna be a massive jump by the looks of it!

[@Halo9K]

I upgraded to 10.1 and have enabled DT. I’ve got to admit I’m a bit underwhelmed. Aside from activating the Smart Stack, it doesn’t seem to do much else. Maybe down the road they can actually make it useful without another watch upgrade…

[@Alex-cp8du]

for a wearable that I have to look at every day - I went ahead and spent the extra money on the ULTRA 2. I'm upgrading from a gen3 apple watch.

[@iphone3gs96]

Going from a series 6 to the ultra 2, it’ll probably also mostly replace my aqualung i330r for diving

[@shawndonnelly2707]

I’m a new apple phone user and new to which watch to get. I have Diabetes which is new as well wearing a sensor for that. Older eyes as I’m in my 50s what do you think would be best for me?

[@ak4939]

I agree totally with the undercurrent running through your review, which is that the 3000 nits brightness upgrade was something nobody asked for, since 2000 nits in the U1 was more than sufficient. But extended battery life, that would get at least 4+ days or preferably a WEEK of normal usage with “always on” and regular exercise activities, would have been a HUGE plus. Apple missed that mark by a mile !

[@jeweetzelf0126]

Thank you very much for this review. I liked it a lot!

[@Oleg__]

I like watch faces with numbers instead of hands so much better. Anyway I will upgrade from the Series 5 Nike to the Ultra 2 with Orange Ocean Band.

[@beachs7210]

I laughed out loud when you said “that’s not my lisp kicking in”😂, too funny.

[@faithevans3513]

I need this apple fan

[@darrylwoodbury]

If you have an Apple Watch Ultra, you shouldn't upgrade in my opinion. Since I don't have an Apple Watch Ultra, I did upgrade from a Series 6 Apple Watch and it should be here on Friday. My order status went from processing to preparing to ship and I'm getting excited! Also, this was a great in depth review of the watch!

[@CSXEK]

I upgraded from the series 6 to the ultra 2 and I love the Apple Watch Ultra 2 I like the bigger display and also have the new iPhone 15 as well

[@techadvisor33]

Wow! perfect review! Thanks

[@LearnEnglishWithMatta]

Excited to try and use this device as a phone replacement. 💪🏽🤠🇺🇸

[@mlegrand]

Amazing review. 👌

[@david_hsu]

Not AssistiveTouch, but Quick Action. You can turn on Quick Action and keep AssistiveTouch off. Quick Action is basically the same as the new Double Tap except for showing the widget part.

[@RobertoCassetta]

I used my AWU 1 for a couple of months and sold it because I missed my fenix 7X. But now my fenix looks beat up. I tried to upgrade to the Epix Pro but it is not as rugged and there is a lag to display the time, therefore I am back to AWU2 just because of the smart watch and good looks. For my triathlon training it cannot compare to the Fenix.

[@coreyburns2074]

I just picked up a ultra 2 a couple days ago I came from a series 7 it’s 80% of the same user experience however it’s got those extra features that come in handy like the siren the action button and solid build the battery is fantastic I’m sure after a few days it’s gonna get a bit better I also like the double tap feature overall this watch is a beast

[@fnazarios]

Can you share your setting on both Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 for the battery test?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

In the "sleep test" I had both set with brightness low, always on turned off, bluetooth and wifi on, cellular off (didn't want that variable involved), both had "modular" watchfaces with the same complications, both running Watch OS10, both paired to separate phones (iphone 15 / iphone 14 Pro). During the run I left the same settings but changed the brightness to Max. Flashlight, same settings but with flashlight brightness maxed out on both (including the temporary boost on the U2)

[@reavern]

I cracked the display of my AW5 a few months ago and it wasn’t covered by AppleCare anymore, so I decided to replace it with the Ultra 2. I’m not the most outdoors-y guy but after the Pandemic lockdown in 2020 I started going on walks and I bought the Apple Watch to track my progress and listen to music without bringing my phone. I lost over 50 pounds by walking up to 2 hours a day. Since then I slacked off and have gained some of that weight back, and I’m hoping I can recreate my success by “investing” in a new Apple Watch to incentivize exercising again - it’s just how my mind works. I can’t wait for my Ultra 2 to arrive! The only thing that bothers me is that I have a half dozen 44 & 45mm AW bands that aren’t compatible with the 49mm AWU2. I considered buying the AWS9 to use my watch bands, but I wanted the more robust Ultra. My AW5’s display cracked along the edge falling onto a granite tile floor. The touch display still works so it’s only cosmetic damage, but I want the AWU’s flush display that is more protected by the case.

[@MrCem1016]

I’m still very happy w/my top of line Series 9. Don’t really use it for any of the apps but is nice to take a call or reply to a text when I don’t have my iPhone XR w/me…lol

[@saidthebluesky]

thank you for this video. love it:)

[@sportsncars98]

It's great to see the glow in your eyes when you talk about the pre-release software version. Great success for you and your channel to be getting these from apple! Keep it up, stay safe :)

[@superproducercbiz]

Is the upgraded brightness apparent outside of the flashlight? Like if it’s just on standby mode when it’s dim?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Only in the extremes. In a dark room you'll notice the 1 nit of brightness, in direct sunlight you'll notice the 3000 nits.

[@dr.chungusphd108]

Ordering mine feb 1st

[@mallamco12]

perfect review, love your work

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks!

[@thefrontbackside]

Thank you for the video. I have a question I hope you or someone can shed some light on. I have the Ultra watch and I often go out without my phone. When I am out and about the watch loses connection to cellular often (in areas with good cell connection) and I have to go into setting, mobile services to get it to re connect. When I have looked online I have found others that have reported this is issue. Has anyone else had this issue with the Ultra when using it as stand alone and does anyone know if the new Ultra has this issue or does it connect straight away out and about and keeps its cell connection? Any advice would be appreciated

[@georgecoffin4453]

Your closing remarks are spot on, and have been true of Apple for a long time. Think back to the iPhones getting thinner and thinner every year, when in reality I've not once heard someone complain that their phone was too thick. The Ultra is a very similar story. The design has really grown on me, and the fact that it could replace my phone if I wanted to be less distracted is awesome, but for the size of the thing it should be getting 5 days of battery. To echo your point, I remember when I bought my series 6, one of the supposed selling points was the "always on display". Well guess what the very first thing I did was when I turned on the watch, disabled the always on display for better battery life!

[@chrismanley70]

Thanks for the informative review! I will hold off until next release and suppose to be big with 10 year anniversary. I was really hoping for the titanium black as one upgrade like they do for the iPhones, little bit disappointed and pretty sure it’s a common gripe. They need a new Apple project manger or whoever is responsible for releasing these Ultra watches 😄

[@c.daubz.5386]

I have liked durability of my ultra but it does feel slow

[@roman2374]

They’re not additional colours to choose from, they’re just new colours as the previous colours are no longer available for purchase

[@ak4939]

“…..is not a huge leap in innovation”……the understatement of the year !

[@j_ray9507]

Hi Dave! Great video, thanks for all the helpful information! I was just wondering, are you able to connect a chest HR monitor to the Apple Watch? I tested the Ultra 1 in the past and it kept dropping my HR while out running. Not sure if you have experienced this as well. Thanks!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yup you can use an external sensor for HR. I haven't had issues with the sensors I've tested like the Polar H9 and COROS HRM. What brand is your sensor?

[@j_ray9507]

@@ChaseTheSummitI don’t have a sensor yet but if I were to buy the ultra I would also need to get a sensor due to the dropped HR during runs. Thanks!

[@BIGMIKE3737]

So I have the ultra 2 but my iPhone is 14 pro max so finding my phone in feet won’t work right?

[@whitenbald]

19:03 "So I basically sat there rolling the Digital Crown... for science" 😂

[@ChaseTheSummit]

This is my life.

[@22jeepmojave75]

Have you tested in dark environments? I can’t operate in dark due to auto dim. Also ultra one or two are same process and can’t find ultra 1. Little cheaper in ultra 1 if you can find one!