Reviews You Can Rely On

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Review

If you want the best smart features in a watch that's adventure ready then look no further
gearlab tested logo
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Review (Without a map, turn-by-turn directions are displayed large enough to easily follow at a glance.)
Without a map, turn-by-turn directions are displayed large enough to easily follow at a glance.
Credit: Sentry Kelly
Price:  $799 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Apple
By Benjamin Hickok ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 5, 2024
90
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#1 of 10
  • Smart Function - 40% 9.5
  • Health - 30% 8.5
  • Battery Life - 20% 8.3
  • Display - 10% 9.6

Our Verdict

After extensive research, our test team carefully handpicked the most promising smartwatches for our hands-on assessment. After rigorously testing the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in four major test metrics that involved a number of side-by-side comparisons, measurements, and evaluations, it stood apart from every other model for its exceptionalism. It is the most premium smartwatch on the market, and only attainable for a rather premium price, but you will love a brilliant 1.91 inch display, a snappy processor, a huge battery capacity, crystal clear phone calls, and Apple's well regarded suite of highly refined apps, among many other features.
REASONS TO BUY
Large battery capacity
Great blend of smart/adventure features
Sapphire screen
Very bright
REASONS TO AVOID
Very expensive
Bulky
Overkill for most

Compare to Similar Products

 
apple watch ultra 2
Awards Top Pick Award
The Premium Apple Watch
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Apple Smartwatch
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Android Smartwatch
Best Buy Award
Best Buy in Smartwatches
Best Buy Award
Best Buy Under $100
Price $799 List
$779.99 at Amazon
$429 List
$329.00 at Amazon
$330 List
$189.99 at Amazon
$279 List
$307.00 at Amazon
$90 List
$69.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
90
85
83
82
50
Star Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Bottom Line The absolute best model on the market, but it you'll have to dig deep into your walletThe only thing this model is missing is support for Android phonesThis capable and beautiful model will please most, and is great for Android phone usersThe most affordable model in Apple's lineup, but compromises very littleIf you have reasonable expectations, you won't be disappointed by this affordable model
Rating Categories Apple Watch Ultra 2 Apple Watch Series 9 Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Apple Watch SE Amazfit BIP 5
Smart Function (40%)
9.5
9.4
8.8
9.3
4.6
Health (30%)
8.5
8.3
8.3
8.6
5.9
Battery Life (20%)
8.3
7.3
7.2
5.7
4.5
Display (10%)
9.6
7.9
8.8
7.7
4.8
Specs Apple Watch Ultra 2 Apple Watch Series 9 Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Apple Watch SE Amazfit BIP 5
Charge Time 135 min 61 min 83 min 125 min 110 min
Battery Life - Regular Use 100.0 hr 55.6 hr 62.5 hr 27.8 hr 33.3 hr
Battery Life - GPS 16.7 hr 11.1 hr 9.1 hr 12.5 hr 6.3 hr
Measured Weight 2.18 oz 1.36 oz 1.17 oz 1.18 oz 0.93 oz
Measured Dimensions 1.94" x 1.70" x 0.57" 1.78" x 1.50" x 0.52" 1.69" x 1.75" x 0.51" 1.75" x 1.50" x 0.52" 1.81" x 1.50" x 0.50"
Measured Display Hardness 9 7.5 8.5 7.5 6.5
Model Tested 49 mm 45 mm 46 mm 44 mm 46 mm
Sensors - Electrical heart sensor and ECG app
  • Third-generation optical heart sensor
  • High and low heart rate notifications
  • Irregular rhythm notifications
  • Sleep stages
  • Temperature sensing
  • Depth gauge ±1m accuracy and app
  • Water temperature sensor
  • Compass with Waypoints and Backtrack
  • Always-on altimeter
  • High-g accelerometer
  • High dynamic range gyroscope
  • Ambient light sensor
- Electrical heart sensor and ECG app
  • Third-generation optical heart sensor
  • High and low heart rate notifications
  • Irregular rhythm notifications
  • Sleep stages
  • Temperature sensing
  • Compass with waypoints and backtrack
  • Always-on altimeter
  • High-g accelerometer
  • Ambient light sensor
-Accelerometer
-Barometer
-Gyro Sensor
-Light Sensor
-Optical Heart Rate Sensor
- High and low heart rate notifications
  • Irregular rhythm notifications
- BioTracker™ PPG biometric sensor
  • 3-axis acceleration sensor
  • Satellite positioning systems
Battery Size 564 mAh 308 mAh 425 mAh 296 mAh 125 mAh
NFC Apple Pay Apple Pay Samsung Wallet None None
Splash, Dust, and Water - Water resistance 100m (swim proof)
  • Dust resistance IP6X
  • EN 13319 recreational scuba diving to 40m
  • Tested to MIL-STD 810H: altitude, high temperature, low temperature, temperature shock, immersion, freeze with thaw, ice and freezing rain, and shock and vibration
- Water resistance 50m (swim proof)
  • Dust resistance IP6X
- Water resistance 50m (swim proof)
  • Dust resistance (Not specified)
- Water resistance 50m (swim proof)
  • Dust resistance IP6X
- Water resistance 1.5m (splash/snow proof)
  • IP68
Safety Features - Emergency SOS
  • International emergency calling
  • Siren
  • Crash Detection
  • Fall Detection
- Emergency SOS
  • International emergency calling
  • Crash Detection
  • Fall Detection
Fall Detection - Emergency SOS None

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


apple watch ultra 2 - apple pulled out the stops for you to pull out the cash for this...
Apple pulled out the stops for you to pull out the cash for this Ultra-premium option.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Smart Function


The primary value of a smartwatch lies in its array of intelligent features that enhance our lives, and increase productivity by offering a convenient substitute for devices such as laptops or phones. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers an impressive suite of intuitive smart apps and functions, can make and take phone calls with a high fidelity, and a host of other functions to make your life easier.


Our test team scored each model based on the presence and quality of proprietary Apple apps, third-party apps, our user experiences with making phone calls, texting, and the GPS mapping experience and display. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 performed well, as did other Apple watches, largely thanks to user-friendly Apple apps and the extensive selection of third-party applications.

apple watch ultra 2 - the ultra 2 is a clear leader in performance and quality.
The Ultra 2 is a clear leader in performance and quality.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

If you are familiar with, or already on an Apple Series watch, you won't notice much in the way of new features or functions. However, at 49 millimeters, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is ever-so-slightly bigger than watches like the Series 9, which is available in 41mm or 45mm sizes. The increase in screen size makes a significant difference in the usability of maps and also makes the full-sized but very tiny keyboard surprisingly useful.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 uses a dual-frequency GPS, which means it uses both the L1 and L5 frequency bands. L1 band is commonly used in devices with great precision and accuracy, but the L5 band handles obstruction better with better signal processing that removes erroneous data, like multiple confusing signals bouncing off of tall buildings or data convoluted by dense vegetation.

apple watch ultra 2 - native gps on many apple watches is good, but the large bright...
Native GPS on many Apple watches is good, but the large bright display makes this model the best.
Credit: Sentry Kelly

In addition to dual-frequency GPS, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a cellular-capable model, so you don't need to have it tethered to an iPhone to enjoy the convenience of phone calls, but the overall experience is better when it is used alongside an iPhone. This model is snappy, running the Watch OS on the Apple S9 64‑bit dual‑core processor, and supports both the double tap gesture and an on‑device processing version of Siri.

The phone call quality is of the highest fidelity, and a step above all other brands of phone call-capable watches we've tested, with crystal clear sound and a sensitive microphone that mitigates background noise. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is also user-friendly and straightforward to handle when making and accepting calls. The addition of speech-to-text functionality and a larger display with a full keyboard significantly reduces the need for your phone, and a scribble feature that is unique to Apple, is surprisingly effective, albeit just a tad bit slow. Both the keyboard and the scribble feature give you a more discrete option for sending messages when in a crowded space where you may not want to make a call or use speech-to-text.

As you would expect from a premium smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 supports NFC for features like Apple Pay.

apple watch ultra 2 - smart features include emergency services like emergency calls and...
Smart features include emergency services like emergency calls and crash detection.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Health


Almost every smartwatch offers some level of health monitoring or fitness tracking, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is no different. Considering the widespread use of smartwatches for health monitoring and fitness tracking, our health test metric accounts for thirty percent of the overall score of each model, and the Ultra 2 did not disappoint.


Our test team thoroughly evaluated the Apple Watch Ultra 2 by running on paths with known distances and utilizing specialized equipment for dedicated heart monitoring and GPS tracking to verify the accuracy of health sensors. We also interrogated the data reported in the smartwatch's health monitoring and fitness tracking applications for accuracy, and considered the robustness of those applications.

Health monitoring is easy with this very capable model.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 provided a high level of GPS accuracy in our walking tests conducted on premeasured paths, which is unsurprising with its dual-band GPS support. However, as our testing did not face signal obstructions from large buildings, we didn't observe a greater level of accuracy than Apple watches using single-band GPS. Those in cities with more obstructions, may see greater performance than watches without dual band technology.

In a similar fashion to other Apple models, we found the step counter to be less accurate than other brands of watches, about a 97 percent accuracy, which is not so stark that it would negatively affect most fitness-tracking endeavors. The only real weak points in the Apple Watch Ultra 2's health monitoring abilities was its treadmill walking inaccuracy, and more importantly a lack of activity-specific metrics and features within Apple's proprietary apps, of which there are more than eighty. Users looking for more specific activity monitoring data will need to explore third-party apps to achieve a greater level of detail.

In a similar fashion to filling a void in data with third-party metrics, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is equipped with Gymkit, which allows you to connect to Gymkit-compatible exercise equipment, including some treadmills. The connection can be used to download workout data, but the caveat stands that a lot of gym equipment does not have Gymkit, and manufacturers encourage users to download apps that are proprietary to their exercise equipment. A good example is Peleton's One-Tap Tracking function within their software.

apple watch ultra 2 - this model offers a great balance of smart, adventure, and fitness...
This model offers a great balance of smart, adventure, and fitness features.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Battery Life


Our team tested the battery life of each model under conditions designed to simulate more typical uses and weighted the results to twenty percent of each smartwatch's final score. Impressive runtimes and a massive capacity earned the Apple Watch Ultra 2 an impressive score, only scoring second to a model that has limited smart features and a focus on fitness tracking.


Apple claims that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 battery can last up to 36 hours under regular usage and 72 hours in low power mode, where the always-on display is disabled and background sensor readings are limited to conserve battery. However, we conducted our own tests to assess battery life under typical usage scenarios, both with and without the GPS activated. Our testing yielded a battery life of 16.7 hours with the GPS on and an impressive 100.0 hours without. The impressive battery life is made possible by the massive 564 mAh battery, that is nearly double the size of the typical smartwatch battery. While it may take the longest of all the models we tested to achieve a full charge, it can reach a half charge in about 50 minutes.

apple watch ultra 2 - we tested every spec and every claim, including battery life under...
We tested every spec and every claim, including battery life under various conditions and recharging rates.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Display


Smartwatch displays are increasingly impressive and consistently high-quality among the top models. The smaller disparity in modern displays led our test team to weight the display test metric at ten percent of each watch's final score. Given Apple's track record of exceptional device displays, it's no surprise that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 boasts the most bright and most impressive display at 1.91 inches.


The Apple Watch Ultra 2 display is an impressive forty-nine millimeters and every bit of it is brilliant. It is easily, and very noticeably, the brightest and most vibrant display we've seen. It is also protected by sapphire crystal glass, which is crystallized aluminum oxide and not glass, and provides a previously unseen hardness and scratch resistance, scoring a nine on our in-house Mohs hardness testing. It is harder than Gorilla Glass, and significantly harder than the Ion-X glass used in other Apple models. The display is large, brilliant, and scratch resistant but also sharp at a 326 pixel per inch resolution.

The sapphire crystal display is incredibly scratch resistant.
Credit: Sentry Kelly

Should you buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2?


The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a premium watch at a premium price. If your budget allows you to purchase this model, you won't regret it as it is currently the absolute best offering on the market today. That said, we can understand the aversion to paying so much for a smartwatch when a handful of other great options exist and are even better choices for fitness tracking, Android users, and more budget-sensitive shoppers.

What other Smartwatches should you consider?


The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a top pick for a premium watch, but other exceptional watches like the Apple Watch Series 9 are much more affordable with very little that they give up for the price reduction. Android users seeking a top-tier smartwatch will find the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is a premium option and a great fit. Its performance closely matches that of the Apple Watch Series 9, resulting in a nearly identical score. Furthermore, users pairing the watch to a Samsung Galaxy phone can leverage Samsung-exclusive features alongside the standard Android interoperability.

Benjamin Hickok