Apple Watch Ultra 2: detailed test and opinion [REVIEW]

Last year, Apple surprised us with the Apple Watch Ultra, which took the traditional Apple Watch a step further with a larger screen and battery, plus features and functionality designed for most wearers. sporty and the most adventurous.

This year, the company launched the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is available for ???? €899 in a unique GPS + Cellular configuration and titanium construction.

After some time of using the watch continuously, throughout this review we are going to go over all the things you need to know about the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

???????? Index:

Design

Display

Material

watchOS 10

Applications

Health

Battery

Price

Conclusions

Design and construction

The design of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is unchanged from last year's model. Like last year's model, it has a square case with rounded corners and fairly curved side edges.

However, the new Apple Watch has some important differences from the Apple Watch Series 9. First, the case is made of titanium, which offers a better balance of weight, hardness and corrosion resistance than aluminum or stainless steel available on the Apple Watch Series 9.

While the Apple Watch Series 9 comes in 41mm and 45mm versions, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a larger 49mm case. However, the screen area is not much larger than the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9 (1185 vs. 1143mm², +3.7%), as the increase in screen size case was made in part to improve the robustness and resistance of the watch.

Apple Watch Series 9
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Dimensions (mm)

41mm: 41 × 35 × 10.7

45mm: 45 × 38 × 10.7

49mm: 49 × 44 × 44 × 14.4

Weight (gr.)
41mm:
Aluminum: 32.1
Stainless steel: 42.3
49mm: 61.4

45mm:
Aluminum: 39.0
Stainless steel: 51.5

Screen area (mm²)
41mm: 904
45mm: 1,143
49mm: 1185

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is significantly thicker than the Apple Watch Series 9, which, combined with its larger size and weight, doesn't make it the ideal device for those who prefer compact watches or who have a small wrist. On the other hand, if you like big watches, you will love the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Last year, I wasn't convinced the Apple Watch Ultra would be right for me, as I've never worn watches that big. However, once on my wrist, it wasn't too big or too heavy, so last year's model and its successor both took up residence on my wrist.

Fortunately, Apple Watch bands are compatible with each other, so if you've invested in a good collection of 42mm, 44mm, or 45mm Apple Watch bands, you'll still be able to use them.

The straps can be easily clipped onto the watch, allowing you to change straps on the fly whether you're going to the gym, going out at night, going to work, etc. However, be careful with straps that are not original, as they may not fit correctly and even damage the watch case.

Unlike the Apple Watch Series 9, the screen is completely flat and surrounded by a slightly raised edge that prevents it from being easily bumped.

On the right side, the digital crown and the side button protrude from the surface and are integrated into a protrusion that protects them from impacts. The digital crown has more pronounced grooves so it can be turned more comfortably with gloves, but most of the grooves remain covered (only a small part of the top is accessible), making it somewhat difficult to handle.

Digital crown and side button

On the left side we find the Action button, in a striking orange color. It is possible to customize the function performed by this button to start a workout, mark a waypoint in the Compass app, start the torch, start the stopwatch, etc.

In my case, I set the torch to turn on and off when I press this button, since I use this function often.

If you hold this button down, it activates an 86 dBA siren that can be heard up to 600 feet away. In my tests, I measured up to 90 dBA of power at a distance of 50 cm. This siren emits two different sounds: the first indicates an emergency situation, while the second reproduces the internationally recognized SOS sound.

Action button

Next to the Action button is the dual speaker. Apple Watch Ultra 2 features three microphones with beamforming technology and wind noise reduction, making it easier to talk outdoors.

At the bottom of the Apple Watch Ultra 2, a circular ring incorporates four LED arrays and four photodiodes to measure heart rate and blood oxygen saturation.

The back is ceramic and sapphire crystal.. These materials not only make it look attractive (even if you can't see it), but also improve cellular connectivity.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is MIL-STD 810H certified, which guarantees high endurance in harsh conditions. It has been tested for altitude, high and low temperatures, thermal shock, immersion, freezing, thawing, shock and vibration.

The watch is protected against dust to the IP6X standard, allowing worry-free use in places with small particles such as sand.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 can be worn at the highest altitude supported by an Apple product, from 500 meters below sea level to 9,000 meters above sea level. It can be used for recreational scuba diving to 40 meters and high speed water sports as shown below.

???? Carbon neutral product

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 combined with the new Loop Trail or Loop Alpine straps is one of Apple's first carbon neutral products. As part of Apple's 2030 plan, the Apple Watch's carbon footprint has decreased significantly.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 combined with the Loop Alpine or Loop Trail bracelet is made from 95% recycled titanium, compared to the non-recycled titanium of the first Apple Watch Ultra. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 packaging features a new logo indicating that it is a carbon neutral product.

Screen

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a Retina OLED LTPO display with a resolution of 410 × 502 pixels, which is more than enough for excellent clarity.

The watch offers an always-on display, so the selected dial always remains visible, even if complications are visible and updated in many cases.

Since it's not always easy to raise your wrist or touch the screen during an exercise, all screens in a workout are optimized for always-on display so you can easily see your progress. ‘one glance. It is even possible to view your swimming or diving measurements underwater.

Personally, I find the always-on display very useful for seeing certain watch data, like the time or upcoming meetings, while I'm doing something else, without having to touch the screen to activate it.

To save battery, the brightness of the always-on display is reduced slightly when not in use, although it remains highly visible. This allows, for example, to see the time if you are sitting on a terrace and to glance at the clock without moving your arm.

Screen on and permanent display

If you're worried about the screen being always on when you're at the cinema or theater, Cinema mode turns the screen off permanently when it's active, so you don't disturb anyone. Apple also offers a Sleep mode that turns off the screen when it's time to sleep.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 stands out for the brightness of its screen, which. reaches 3,000 nits, 50% more than the Apple Watch Series 9 with its 2,000 nits. Thanks to this brightness value we can see and use the watch perfectly in direct sunlight. The torch also benefits from this new display, since turning the digital crown temporarily doubles the brightness to better illuminate the path.

The screen dark mode is automatically activated when the lighting sensor detects low light. The screen brightness can be reduced to 1 nit so as not to disturb people nearby if, for example, you use the watch in bed.

As noted above, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is waterproof. Apple offers a mode that helps prevent accidental presses on the screen underwater. This mode can be activated manually, and is also activated automatically when you choose an aquatic activity.

The way to unlock this mode is quite curious, since you have to press and hold the digital crown so that the speaker beeps and expels any water that may have remained inside.

Hardware and performance

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features an S9 chip, which delivers system-wide improvements and all-new features such as a new double-tap gesture and on-device Siri integration, allowing you to record and view health data confidentially and securely.

The S9 chip has a 64-bit dual-core processor and features a 4-core neutral engine capable of processing machine learning tasks up to twice as fast as the original Apple Watch Ultra.

The processor comes with a wireless chip that supports Bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi on the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, as well as a second-generation ultra-wideband chip, which can help you find your iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro (older ones won't work) accurately telling you how far away it is and which direction it is facing.

So, to find your iPhone, in addition to making it ring, you can easily locate it by following the directions on the watch screen. Unfortunately, this only works with an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro, as that's the only iPhone with a second-generation ultra-wideband chip. It is also not possible to use precision search to locate an AirTag.

Precise search for a lost iPhone 15 Pro at home (address and distance)

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 moves very smoothly, whether interacting with the watchOS interface or using applications. This is something that not all smartwatches can boast of.

More and more apps work autonomously on the Apple Watch, connecting directly to the Internet instead of the iPhone app doing it for them. This means apps on the watch are faster to use.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a Taptic Motor that vibrates the watch to indicate notifications or during breathing exercises. These vibrations feel more like small pressures on the wrist than simple vibrations, and are very pleasant.

These vibrations serve in particular as an alarm, because it is possible to set the watch so that it wakes you up by tapping your wrist. This is useful if you don't want to wake your partner with an alarm ringing.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a built-in L1+L5 (dual-band) GPS chip, allowing you to go exercise without taking your iPhone with you. While other smartwatches integrate GPS, not all fitness bracelets have this connectivity, which is very useful for athletes.

The advantage of a dual-band chip is that it provides greater accuracy for tracking physical activity. calculating distances, pace and routes.

Although the L1 GPS of the Apple Watch Series 9 is sufficient in most cases, accuracy is reduced when tall buildings, trees or dense vegetation block satellite signals – an example would be running a marathon in the center of a city with skyscrapers. GPS with L1+L5 bands reduces the margin of error and provides more uniform coverage.

The watch incorporates a high-gravity accelerometer capable of detecting up to 256 g of force. This makes it the accelerometer with the greatest dynamic range on the smartwatch market.

The motion sensor also includes a high dynamic range gyroscope. The gyroscope can sample up to 800 Hz, allowing it to increase the fidelity of the data it collects to provide better context to the impact data generated by the accelerometer.

Together, the accelerometer and gyroscope can detect brief but extreme impacts and sudden changes in speed associated with severe collisions in car accidents. In addition to the accelerometer and gyroscope, the algorithm merges data from other sensors: GPS provides speed data and indicates rapid deceleration, the barometer indicates a rapid change in air pressure in the cabin when an airbag deploys, and the microphone can detect broken glass.

To develop the collision detection algorithm, Apple conducted crash tests with popular passenger car models, including sedans, minivans, SUVs, convertibles and pickup trucks. The tests were designed to simulate four main types of serious collisions in the real world: frontal, rear, side and rollover collisions.

If a serious traffic accident is detected, Apple Watch Ultra 2 will alert you and, if you do not react, will automatically call emergency services, tell them your location and notify their emergency contacts.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 can make international emergency calls. So when you're on the go, your watch can contact emergency services in over 150 countries, even if your phone isn't nearby or you don't have a cellular plan on your watch.

Apple builds a compass into the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and provides an app that shows which cardinal point you're facing, as well as altitude and inclination data. If you want, you can add a compass complication to your watch face so you can quickly see where you are facing at any time. This information may be useful to people who go hiking or sailing.

The Compass app lets you quickly and easily mark your current location with landmarks (for example, with the new Action button), to which you can give a custom name, color and choose an icon, such as a car , a tent or a trail.

Saved landmarks can also be added to the watch face as a complication, which will update in real time with the approximate direction and distance you are in. To help you stay on track and avoid getting lost, Backtrack uses GPS data to save your route, allowing you to retrace your steps. For example, if you're hiking, you can leave the parking lot and easily return to your car.

If you forget to launch Return, it also has an automatic mode that activates when you start going away from the network, that is, when you leave a Wi-Fi environment and move away from places important things such as your house or car. It allows you to easily retrace your steps to a previous location or to the end of the mountain. Tapping Back in the Compass app will automatically launch or display your return route.

Another benefit of the compass is that the Maps app shows where you are looking, just like on the iPhone. This is a great help for finding your way in the street by looking at the watch without having to grab the iPhone. Many other smartwatches show the map on the screen, but not where you're looking.

Unfortunately, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 doesn't offer offline navigation features, which Google already offers in its Google Maps app on its own Wear OS operating system.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 can display the altitude at your location, which can be useful if you're walking, running, or cycling to see your current altitude as well as the elevation gain you're taking. you achieved during your workout. This is possible thanks to a real-time altimeter that displays the altitude difference at all times, indoors and outdoors.

Whether you're climbing a trail, descending a ski slope, or simply climbing the stairs, you can see the change in altitude in real time thanks to a complication on the watch face.

This feature allows you to detect small changes in altitude up to 30cm above and below ground level, which can be displayed in a complication on the watch face or as a workout statistic.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a built-in depth gauge that lets youApple Watch Ultra 2 has a built-in depth gauge that shows real-time water depth up to 40 meters and water temperature. The watch has a cEN13319, an internationally recognized standard for diving accessories.

In terms of connectivity, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 only exists in a GPS+Cellular version, unlike other Apple Watch models for which cellular connectivity is optional. Cellular connectivity uses an eSIM which allows the watch to be connected even when it is away from the iPhone. So you can go for a walk or play sports while still receiving notifications and even voice calls.

In Spain, this service is available from the operators Movistar, Vodafone, Pepephone, Yoigo and Orange, according to the Apple website.

In addition to cellular connectivity, Apple Watch Ultra 2 can access WiFi networks. The WiFi network connection settings are not configured on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but the watch copies all access data from the networks configured on the iPhone.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 can connect to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. As everyone knows, 2.4GHz networks offer greater range, but 5GHz networks offer much higher speeds because it's a less saturated band – not that the Apple Watch needs great speed.

One limitation of the Apple Watch Ultra 2's WiFi connectivity is that it does not support the security protocols used in many corporate wireless networks, which require a personal certificate, nor does it support WiFi networks. open spaces that require connection via a gateway, such as those found in many restaurants, chain restaurants or shopping centers.

Features of watchOS 10

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 runs watchOS 10, which requires pairing with an iPhone to work. If you are an Android user, then you will not be able to enjoy the watch. You'll also be out of luck if you only have an iPad but no iPhone, as the Watch app isn't available for iPadOS.

Apple offers the Family Settings option, which allows you to set up a new Apple Watch without the user needing an iPhone. This option is particularly useful for children or the elderly, who do not seem to be the target audience for this watch.

Like any smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 allows you to receive notifications, interact with apps and track your fitness and health.

Starting with notifications, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 lets you stay on top of notifications without taking your iPhone out of your pocket.

This is my most common use of the watch on a daily basis, as it allows me to track WhatsApp messages, emails, calls and other notifications that are important to me (you can filter which ones you want to receive at the screen) without having to take my iPhone out of my pocket every time I feel a vibration.

In many cases, the information shown on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 screen is enough to give you an idea of ​​what's on the screen and doesn't require you to pull out your iPhone to see more details.

Some notifications have buttons to interact with the application and media elements. For example, my Netatmo security camera's notifications show a screenshot every time it detects movement in the house or a familiar face. The Instagram application or some instant messaging applications also display images, although in the case of WhatsApp they are of very low resolution.

The screen can display a full QWERTY keyboard, so it is possible to send some messages from the watch screen. What works best, however, is voice dictation, whose accuracy has been improved by 25% by the new Neural Engine in the Apple Watch Ultra 2, according to Apple.

Notifications are stored in the watch's memory and can be accessed by swiping the screen up or down.

The S9 chip enables the new double-tap gesture, which lets you interact with the watch if your hands are busy and the watch screen is on (you may need to turn your wrist toward you for this happens).

By simply double-tapping the thumb and index finger of the hand you wear the watch on, it is possible to perform common actions such as controlling the home button, playing/pausing music, snoozing an alarm , answer or end a phone call, take a photo with the camera control, and even switch to the new altitude view in the Compass app to see the relative altitude of saved landmarks.

Double-tapping also opens smart groups on the watch face and scrolls through widgets when you make a second gesture.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers customizable watch faces that support complications to display additional information. Apple doesn't allow the use of third-party watch faces, so we're limited to those offered by the company. What is possible in many cases is to customize the design and complications of watch faces and share the result with someone else.

watchOS 10 introduces three watch faces:

• Palette, which displays the time in a variety of colors using overlapping layers
• Solar (analog), where light and shadows change throughout the day depending on the position of the sun.
• Snoopy, with characters from the famous comic strip and animations.

In addition, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 introduces the Modular Ultra watch face, which displays real-time data on the edge of the screen to make the most of its large surface area, such as the seconds of a stopwatch, the altitude and depth. It's also the most complex digital watch face Apple has ever designed.

Among the available complications, we find on the one hand complications specific to Apple, but we can also add complications from third-party applications that you have installed, such as AutoSleep, Parcel, Google Maps, Netatmo, SmartThings, Soundhoud, Stocard, Uber, Outlook, Nuki, etc.

Palette, Snoopy, Solar (analog) and Modular Ultra dials

Apple offers a Night mode which tints the screen red when the digital crown is turned or when low light is detected for better visibility in the dark. It would be nice if this mode was available for all watch faces, as it is only available for the Modular Ultra and Guide watch faces.

Anyway, I turned off the auto-on option because when I wear long sleeves the Apple Watch Ultra 2's light sensor is covered and on several occasions I noticed that the screen was red when I looked at it despite being in a lit area.

Guidance dial (normal mode and night mode)

You can choose an Apple Watch Ultra 2 watch face that automatically appears when you activate a particular focus mode on your iPhone (for example, the Photos watch face in Free Time mode).

To access the applications installed on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, you must go to the home screen and touch the digital crown to see the icons of all the applications appear in the form of a hive or list. Scrolling and zooming is fairly smooth, but there's no ability to create folders, so finding an app you don't use often can be a bit tedious.

Double-pressing the Digital Crown brings up a view of all open apps stacked vertically, and you can move between them by sliding your finger or rotating the Digital Crown. Frequently used apps stand out from others, making it easier to return to.

Press the side button to access quick settings: Cellular Connectivity, WiFi, Find iPhone, Battery Remaining, Sound, Do Not Disturb Mode, Walkie Talkie, Theater Mode, Water Mode, Torch, Airplane Mode, AirPlay, and more. A double press of the side button activates Apple Pay to pay from the watch.

If we slide the screen from the bottom to the top and rotate the crown, we access a view with the date, time and Smart Group. This is a new set of widgets that display relevant information. It is possible to add, remove and rearrange these widgets as you wish.

It is also possible to access this view with the new double-tap gesture with your fingers. Each time you double-tap, you move to the next widget.

Most of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 settings are only accessible through the Watch app on the iPhone.

Only a few settings can be done from the watch itself, like enabling Airplane and Do Not Disturb modes, turning Bluetooth on/off, adjusting the brightness level and text size, etc.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 settings from iPhone

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a built-in speaker and microphone, allowing you to make and, more importantly, take calls hands-free. It wouldn't be the first time that, away from the iPhone, I answered a call on the watch and when I found the phone, continued the conversation on it.

With the new two-finger tapping gesture, it's possible to answer a call without having to use the other hand.

Another related feature is the walkie-talkie mode, which allows you to send short voice messages. As with a classic walkie-talkie, you hold the button down to speak and release it to listen to the person you are talking to.

The walkie-talkie function is not very discreet as incoming voice messages are automatically played on the watch, without the need to accept the communication beyond the first time for each contact. In this regard, I wish there was some sort of alert – audible or tactile – that warns you of the arrival of a message so that we can mute it if, for example, we are in the middle of ‘a meeting.

One of the applications that I find the most useful on the Apple Watch is Wallet, because it allows you to show your cinema ticket, train ticket, boarding pass or loyalty cards from the watch itself. -even, without having to take out your iPhone.

Apple Pay is built into Apple Watch Ultra, and just press the side button twice and your watch is ready to pay in an instant. Once you get used to paying with the Apple Watch, it's more convenient and faster than with the iPhone, because there is no need to use Touch ID or Face ID.

watchOS 10 also lets you share your contact information with other nearby devices with Namedrop, play Facetime video messages, and view medication reminders.

For the first time, requests made to Siri on Apple Watch Ultra 2 are handled on-device. Siri doesn't use WiFi or cellular connection when it comes to a request that doesn't require internet information, like starting a workout or setting a timer, allowing you to get faster responses.

Siri can be used to access data from the Health app when asked questions related to health and fitness. For example, you can ask how many hours you slept last night, check your progress in activity rings, start an outdoor run or cycle session, or make requests like setting points landmarks, by voice alone and even offline.

You can also use Siri on Apple Watch Ultra 2 to record data such as weight, body temperature, menstrual cycle or medications.

Applications

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with a number of pre-installed apps, including Activity, App Store, Audiobooks, Bag, Search, Calendar, Wallet and Apple Pay, Contacts, Cycle Control, Heart, Workout, Photos, Wash Hands, Mail, Cards, Messages, Mindfulness, Music, Blood Oxygen, Podcasts, Clock, Noise, Health, Sleep, Phone, Weather and Walkie Talkie.

The Maps application is one of the best adapted to the functionality of the Apple Watch. It guides you to your destination by displaying simple navigation instructions on the watch screen. And with the built-in compass, it shows where you're looking.

It is also possible to use the Google Maps application on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but it is quite limited in that only written instructions are displayed, with no possibility of seeing the map on the watch screen.

Carrying music, podcasts or audiobooks on your wrist is every athlete's dream because there is no longer a need to carry a bulky phone on your wrist. With Apple Watch Ultra 2, you can listen to music from Apple Music, audiobooks from Books, and podcasts from Podcasts.

With 64GB of built-in storage, you can store tons of songs, podcasts, and audiobooks on Apple Watch Ultra 2 to listen to from your wrist via Bluetooth headphones, such as AirPods or AirPods Pro. Siri is also very useful when you want to ask the watch to play particular content.

The Home app allows users with a HomeKit-enabled camera to see who's at the door on the watch screen, as well as manage smart home devices. And if you have speakers like HomePod or HomePod mini, you can tap Intercom to quickly send a message throughout your house or to a specific room.

In addition to the pre-installed apps, you can add new apps through your iPhone or even from the watch itself using the App Store without using your iPhone. Around 20,000 apps are available for watchOS.

In my daily life, I have found few third-party apps that I prefer to use on the watch rather than the iPhone, but some of them can be useful. For example, the Calculator app is useful for quick operation. Likewise, I find the Nuki app useful for opening my home's smart lock.

I miss some apps like WhatsApp being able to start conversations or read messages from muted groups that don't send notifications.

Physical activity and health

The Activity app displays three rings with your movement, exercise, and standing stats. The Movement ring shows the number of calories you've burned, the Exercise ring shows the number of minutes you were moderately active, and the Standing ring shows the number of times you stood for at least one minute at different times.

It's easy to share your activity with other Apple Watch users and compare your activity level with others to get more motivated. You can also challenge your friends in a week-long competition to see who can close the most movement rings.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 sends motivational messages at certain times of the day to encourage you to exercise and close certain rings.

The Workout application allows you to track your sports sessions. It allows you to set specific goals such as time, distance or calories, then track your progress and view a summary of the results achieved.

To start a workout, simply open the app and choose the type of workout you want to do. As you use the app and select workouts, the order of the workouts adapts to your preferences.

Among the workouts that we can select are, for example, walking, dancing, running, cycling, treadmill, treadmill running, exercise bike, elliptical, functional strength training, abdominal exercises, recovery rowing, stepper, high-intensity interval training, hiking, pool swimming, open water swimming and yoga, pilates and tai -chi.

If you enjoy cycling, Apple Watch Ultra 2 automatically connects to Bluetooth accessories to provide power data, speed sensors, and new cadence sensors to improve your performance. With a connected power meter, Apple Watch Ultra 2 can calculate your functional power threshold and create a new training experience: Power Zones.

With Live Activity, cycling workouts are now streamed to your paired iPhone, where you can see the same views and workout experiences reinterpreted on a larger screen.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers automatic workout detection, allowing it to identify if you're exercising, even if you forgot to start it manually. This doesn't work with every workout, but if you start running, walking, swimming, using the elliptical or rowing machine, you'll get an alert after a few minutes telling you that a workout The workout has been detected and prompting you to save it.

The user can choose to run against their best or last time on their usual routes and receive alerts as they train to let them know if they are running slower or faster or if he deviated from the route. In addition, a new running experience allows the user to choose the distance they want to run and the time in which they want to finish the race, and calculates the pace at which they must run to achieve their goal. While training, you can follow pace alerts and metrics as they appear.

As noted above, one of the features of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the presence of a dual frequency GPS chip, which allows you to go walking, running or cycling without carrying your iPhone on your back, knowing that your detailed itinerary will be recorded. At the end of the workout, you get all the expected information: distance covered, heart rate, average pace, etc. In addition, the integrated altimeter allows you to record the altitude difference of your routes.

You can view detailed statistical information for each workout in the Activity app on your iPhone. For exercises such as walking and running, the route traveled is recorded on a map whose different colors reflect the intensity of the exercise at each location.

During your workout, Apple Watch Ultra 2 displays various metrics such as elapsed time, current pace, heart rate, distance, average pace, active calories, and total calories burned. Heart rate zones, which can be created manually or calculated automatically based on user-selected health data, allow you to control workout intensity.

From the iPhone Watch app, we can select which metrics to display for each workout and even rearrange them as we wish. The ability to scroll through them and display each measurement in a different color makes it easier to see these stats while exercising.

The Workout app comes with Custom Workouts, which allow you to create a structured session that includes work and rest intervals. Additionally, new alerts can be added for pace, power, heart rate and cadence to let the user know how the workout is going at all times.

In training views, new running technique metrics can be added, such as stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation. These metrics appear in the Fitness app summary and Health app, where you can see trends over time and learn from them.

If you are into diving, you can download the Oceanic+ app, which acts like a dive computer on your wrist, although it is a paid app. Oceanic+ allows you to access the different screens by simply turning the digital crown. The app uses color coding on the watch's large screen to make all the information easier to interpret.

Oceanic+ incorporates all the safety warnings you expect from a dive computer, such as decompression limits, excessive ascent speeds or safety stops. The app uses the Bühlmann decompression algorithm to constantly calculate and monitor dive parameters and show you the data you need.

Oceanic app

Apple offers Fitness+ (€9.99/month or €79.99/year, with 3 months free with the purchase of this watch), a subscription fitness service that offers Apple Watch users different types of training, from HIIT (high intensity interval training) to strength training, pilates, yoga and walking.

Fitness+ workouts display on-screen instructions and trainer feedback to help users get the most out of their workouts with data such as: intensity for interval training, cycling, rowing and the treadmill; beats per minute (SPM) for rowing; revolutions per minute (RPM) for cycling; and incline for walking and running on the treadmill.

People with a Fitness+ subscription but without an Apple TV can send workouts and meditations with stats to compatible TVs and third-party devices via AirPlay to workout anytime, anywhere.

Apple Fitness+ recommends workouts and meditation sessions based on your activity with the Workout and Mindfulness apps on Apple Watch, as well as compatible Health apps. It also suggests new trainers, workouts and exercises to give you extra motivation.

Thanks to SharePlay, you can even train in a group with up to 32 people. You can see who's closing an activity ring, and during high-intensity workouts, treadmill, bike, and rowing, you'll get a notification if someone takes the lead on the calorie bar .

On the health front, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 lets you track your heart rate throughout the day, which you can then check in the Health app on your iPhone. It can alert you when your heart rate exceeds a certain threshold (120 beats per minute by default) when you are at rest, as well as if your heart rate is too low.

The watch emits alerts if it identifies atrial fibrillation when five irregular heartbeats repeat. Atrial fibrillation is a condition characterized by uncoordinated ear beating, producing a fast, irregular heartbeat.

With watchOS 10, users diagnosed with atrial fibrillation can enable the Atrial Fibrillation History feature and access important information, including the estimated percentage of how often your heart shows signs of atrial fibrillation, providing more information detailed information on your state of health.

In addition, you will receive weekly notifications to know the frequency of these episodes and you will see a detailed history in the Health app with lifestyle risk factors that can influence atrial fibrillation, such as sleep quality, alcohol consumption and physical exercise.

A detailed history of atrial fibrillation and lifestyle risk factors can be downloaded in PDF format and easily shared with your doctor.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 allows you to record an electrocardiogram (ECG) from the watch itself. To use this feature, you have to touch the digital crown with your finger to close the buckle with your body, so it's not something you can do unsupervised. The ECG is saved in the Health app and can be exported to PDF if you want to share it with your doctor.

Recording the ECG at any time can be very useful for people who occasionally feel an abnormality, but when they go to the doctor they feel that everything is fine.

New to the Apple Watch Series 6 is the ability to measure blood oxygen levels. The blood oxygen sensor consists of four LED arrays and four photodiodes integrated into the rear glass.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 can measure your oxygen saturation on demand and automatically throughout the day. The measurement process takes 15 seconds and requires you to be still. So ideally, the watch should take measurements unattended while you sleep.

Another feature of watchOS is the Cycle Tracking app which allows women to track their menstrual cycle.

The watch incorporates a new temperature sensor, specially designed to monitor women's health. It actually has two sensors, one in contact with the skin and the other under the screen to compensate for the ambient temperature.

During the night, the watch takes your wrist temperature every 5 seconds, and each sensor can detect variations of just 0.1°C. Nighttime wrist temperature is a good indicator of overall body temperature because during sleep, blood vessels dilate, increasing blood flow to the extremities.

Monitoring of the menstrual cycle is improved by this new sensor, because it allows retrospective information on the date of ovulation to be obtained. This information can be useful for family planning, as well as for tracking ovulation deviations, which can be indicative of other problems.

This sensor is not used to alert you of the presence of fever, although it is possible to view temperature variations in the Health app. Some users have detected a noticeable increase in temperature with fever, but it should be noted that variations of +/- 1°C are normal.

Apple also offers an app called Noise that focuses on hearing health. This app alerts you if the ambient noise level is too high so you can move away or wear earplugs. If it detects that the decibels have reached a worrying level, it alerts you by tapping your wrist. This often happens when you're at a concert or in a pub with loud music.

You can set the option to reduce the headphone volume if you reach the weekly limit recommended by the World Health Organization.

Apple offers a Mindfulness app, which incorporates both breathing and thinking sessions. In the Mindfulness app, you can choose images that will help you express specific emotions and your mood for the day.

Breathe guides you with small taps on your wrist when you need to inhale and exhale. At the end of the breathing session, you get a measurement of your heart rate.

You don't need to wait for the watch to ask you to stop and breathe, but you can start one of these 1-5 minute sessions whenever you want. You can do them at any time, at your workplace, in the car or on the couch at home.

Reflecting allows you to take time to practice mindfulness and improve your overall well-being by thinking about a topic. For example, you might suggest something like “Think back to a recent time when you felt calm and try to bring that feeling into the present” or “Think about something you're grateful for and why it's so important for you “.

Additionally, with the Fitness+ subscription, Apple offers guided meditations, which are sessions dedicated to a theme – such as inner peace, gratitude or kindness – accompanied by an introduction to help you focus your thoughts.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 can track your sleep. The Sleep app helps you create a bedtime routine by setting the time you want to go to bed and wake up, and tracks your sleep time.

Sleep tracking incorporates sleep stages to provide even more data. Apple Watch Ultra 2 uses signals from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor to detect light, REM, or deep sleep.

Sleep stage data is visible in the Sleep app on Apple Watch Ultra 2. More detailed information, such as time spent sleeping and other metrics like heart rate and respiratory rate, is available in the comparison tables of the Health app on the iPhone.

In the evening, when bedtime approaches, your iPhone displays a message reminding you that it's time to sleep and offers shortcuts for common activities like setting the alarm. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 and iPhone screen dim to prevent distractions.

If you go to bed with less than 30% battery, a message reminds you to recharge it before going to bed. And if you leave the watch charging, you'll receive a notification on your iPhone when the battery is 100% charged, so you don't have to constantly look at your watch.

Using motion sensors and a microphone, Apple Watch Ultra 2 knows when you're washing your hands and sets a 20-second timer, the length of time recommended by health organizations to kill germs that can cause illness. You can also add a reminder so that Apple Watch Ultra 2 shows a notification if you haven't washed your hands within minutes of getting home.

On Apple Watch and iPhone, the new Medications experience lets you create a medication list, set schedules and reminders, and view medication information in the Health app to help you prepare and manage the medications, vitamins and supplements they take.

On Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Medications app lets you manage your medications, vitamins and supplements anytime, anywhere, conveniently and discreetly. You can create custom schedules for each medication, whether multiple times a day, once a week, or as needed, and schedule reminders.

Battery

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a lithium-ion battery that Apple says provides an average battery life of 36 hours, double that of the Apple Watch Series 9. If you only use cellular connectivity (instead of Bluetooth), autonomy is reduced to 18 hours.

???????? 36-hour battery life was measured under the following conditions: 180 time checks, 180 notifications, 90 minutes of app use, and a 60-minute workout with Apple Watch music playing via Bluetooth. This includes a total of 8 hours connected to 4G LTE and 28 hours connected to an iPhone via Bluetooth.

In my experience, Apple's official measurement for battery life is conservative, as I usually get 2-3 full days of battery life, although a lot depends on how you use the watch – I don't do much sport.

In my case, I wear the Apple Watch Ultra 2 all the time, even when I sleep, to monitor my sleep. I take it off and charge it in the morning while getting ready.

Apple offers a low power mode that extends battery life up to 72 hours while retaining features like activity tracking and fall detection, but disabling others like the always-on display.

???????? This 72-hour battery life was measured under the following conditions: 360 time checks, 360 notifications, 180 minutes of app use, and two 60-minute workouts with music playing on Apple Watch via Bluetooth. 4G LTE connection on demand and 60 hours of connection to an iPhone via Bluetooth included.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 doesn't offer the week-long or multi-week battery life of some activity trackers, but it offers many more features and a large screen.

Apple includes a magnetic charger that incorporates a USB-C connector. If you had a watch before the Apple Watch Series 7, you can still use the new watch with the old charger, although you won't benefit from the faster charging speed of newer chargers. Likewise, the new charger can also be used on older Apple Watch models.

The full charging process takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes, although 80% of the battery is reached in around an hour.

I would like the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to support Qi-standard wireless charging, because I have wireless chargers everywhere at home, at the office and even in my car.

Since I couldn't find a comfortable way to place the Apple Watch on my bedside table while it was connected to the charging stand, I ended up purchasing a charging stand that allows me to place the Apple Watch over it and be sure it will contact and recharge. Some time ago, I replaced it with this other charging base inspired by the first Macs (???? €13.92).

The elago W3 charging dock to support any Apple Watch while charging.

Price

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is Apple's most advanced watch and therefore also the one with the highest price. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available for ???? €899 in a simple GPS + Cellular configuration and titanium construction. It should be noted that the price has been reduced by €100 compared to the Apple Watch Ultra.

A more affordable alternative is the Apple Watch Series 9, which features the same S9 chip but has some limitations compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

It's not as robust (titanium case, flat screen, customizable button, 100 meter water resistance, etc.), doesn't offer as large or bright a screen, doesn't have dual GPS , does not have a depth gauge or water temperature sensor and, above all, has a shorter battery life.

Apple Watch Series 9

The first generation Apple Watch Ultra (??? €759) remains a completely valid option, because its differences compared to the new model are not major: less bright screen, S8 chip instead of S9, no double-tap gesture, no second-generation ultra-wideband chip, 32 GB instead of 64 GB and no local Siri command processing capability.

Finally, Apple is currently involved in a legal dispute with the company Masimo over alleged patent misuse, which has resulted in the temporary halt of sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States, although they subsequently resumed. For now, this issue does not affect sales outside the United States, and new Apple Watch models can be purchased normally.

Conclusions

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a 49mm square titanium case with rounded corners and a distinctive customizable orange action button on the left side. On the right side we find the side button and the digital crown, which are better protected than on the “non-Ultra” models and have a larger size to be used with gloves.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is larger, thicker and heavier than the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9, so it's aimed at people with large wrists who like bulky watches. The watch is IP6X dust resistant and waterproof up to 100 meters.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2's screen is completely flat, unlike other Apple Watch models, and its surface area is slightly larger than that of the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9. One of the improvements this display brings is a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits (50% more than the Apple Watch Series 9), making it suitable for outdoor use without issue.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a dual speaker, making it more convenient to take calls or interact with Siri, as well as three microphones for conversations in windy environments. It also has a built-in siren capable of emitting a sound of 86 dBA, which Apple says can be heard up to 600 feet away.

If you're into scuba diving, you'll be happy to know that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 includes a depth gauge and water temperature sensor. The Oceanic+ app, downloadable from the App Store, acts as a dive computer on your wrist, displaying useful information such as decompression limits, excessive ascent speeds and safety stops.

Apple offers a number of pre-designed watch faces, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in particular includes a unique watch face called Modultar Ultra that displays real-time data on the edge of the screen to make the most of its large surface area , such as seconds on a stopwatch, altitude and depth. And it’s Apple’s digital watch face that offers the most complications – up to nine at a time.

Of course, you can still use all the new watch faces that watchOS 10 brings – such as Palette, Solar (Analogue), and Snoopy – as well as other traditional watch faces such as Portraits. For now, Apple isn't allowing other designers to create their own watch faces, which could open the door to some interesting new designs.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the following features new S9 processor, which offers more power than its predecessor and allows local processing of Siri requests that do not require Internet connectivity, resulting in faster response times. Additionally, voice dictation accuracy has been improved by 25%, which is noticeable.

It incorporates a second-generation ultrawideband chip that allows precision searching on your iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro (direction and distance).

The S9 chip also enables the new double-tap gesture, which lets you interact with the watch when your hands are busy. You can answer calls, pause a song, set a timer, and more by double-tapping the thumb and index finger of the hand you're wearing the watch on, as long as the watch screen is on. active.

The watch offers automatic workout detection, as well as a wide range of workouts to choose from, including multisport which allows you to automatically switch from a swimming sequence to a cycling or running sequence.

New features include more advanced cycling tracking, with the ability to connect Bluetooth cycling accessories and display new views and experiences, as well as transmit cycling metrics to your iPhone for easy viewing during the ride.

Apple offers the Fitness+ subscription service (€9.99/month or €79.99/year, with 3 months free), which offers guided workouts and lets you view your stats in real time on the screen of your device.

On the health side, Apple includes fall detection, ambient noise level monitoring, heart rate monitoring, the ability to record ECG, identification of signs of atrial fibrillation, oxygen saturation measurement blood and measurement of sleep time. In this regard, there are no new features compared to its predecessor.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 uses a specially designed wrist temperature sensor to monitor the menstrual cycle and provide retrospective ovulation estimates. It also has a high-frequency accelerometer and gyroscope to detect traffic accidents and automatically alert emergency services.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 features L1+L5 (dual-band) GPS, so you can exercise without carrying your iPhone on your back, and the watch tracks your distance, pace, and route. The advantage of a dual-band chip is that it provides greater precision for sports activities. calculating distances, pace and routes. Unfortunately, Apple does not offer offline map navigation.

If you enjoy hiking, the Compass app lets you create waypoints, see the direction to the waypoints you created, and retrace your steps using the Backtrack feature. Cellular connectivity points are automatically generated along your route.

If you're the type to exercise with your iPhone, you'll be happy to hear about the arrival of the Apple Watch Ultra 2. with cellular connectivitywhich allows you to stay connected, and therefore receive notifications and calls, even if you leave your iPhone at home.

If you like to listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks while you work out, Apple Watch Ultra 2 lets you keep all that content synced and downloaded to your watch via the Apple Music, Podcasts, and Apple Books apps with to its 64 GB of storage (double the previous model).

One of the main strengths of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is its battery life, which lasts 36 hours on a single charge and up to 72 hours if you activate power saving mode (compared to 60 hours on the Apple Watch Ultra 2). Apple Watch Ultra). That's double what the Apple Watch Series 9 offers, so it's a very welcome improvement. Based on my experience and typical usage, the battery life is around 2-3 full days.

Apple Watch charging speeds increased a few generations ago, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 takes about an hour and a half to fully charge. I would like to see wireless charging supported by the Qi standard or at least by the MagSafe standard.

In conclusion, I consider the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (€899) to be a smartwatch recommended for two types of people. Those who, without being sporty, would buy the Apple Watch Series 9 in stainless steel, only have to spend a little more for a larger and brighter screen, greater autonomy and a very useful additional customizable button.

On the other hand, sports and adventure enthusiasts will find the more robust housing, the L1+L5 GPS accuracy and the depth and water temperature sensors very interesting.

However, if you're on a budget, the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra (???? €759) is still available from many retailers for a slightly more affordable price and doesn't have many of the same flaws as the new model.

The best and the worst

The best :

• Robust titanium construction with a large screen and customizable side button.
• OLED screen with excellent clarity, high brightness (3000 nits), vivid colors and always-on display.
• Powerful speaker and microphones optimized to cancel wind noise. 85 dBA distress siren that can be heard 180 meters away.
• Smoother interface and faster launch of apps thanks to the S9 chip. Faster Siri processing because no internet connection is required for local actions.
• Extensive health functions: heart rate monitoring, detection of excessive ambient sounds, female cycle control through temperature monitoring, activity trends, fall detection, blood oxygen saturation measurement and sleep monitoring.
• Car accident detection and automatic emergency notification.
• Detection of water depth and temperature. Oceanic+ application for diving enthusiasts.
• A large number of training courses available and automatic detection of some of them.
• Dual-frequency GPS (L1+L5) with high precision in difficult situations (high buildings, deciduous trees, etc.).
• Huge selection of watch faces and pre-installed apps, with the ability to download many third-party apps.
• Ability to download music, podcasts and audiobooks to the watch for offline listening (64 GB).
• Cellular connectivity so you can do sports (or whatever you want) without carrying your iPhone on your back.
• Second-generation ultra-wideband connectivity makes it easier to find your iPhone if you can't remember where you left it.
• Two-finger tap gesture to access functions when your hands are full.
• Battery life twice that of the Apple Watch Series 9.
• Processing Siri commands on the device, improving the speed of responses.
• Apple Pay payment from the watch itself and Wallet app for tickets, tickets, loyalty cards, etc.
• Waterproof up to 100 meters and dustproof IP6X.

Worse :

• May be too large for some users, especially those with small wrists.
• The battery life is not as high as other fitness watches or bracelets (even though they generally have fewer features).
• High price compared to the aluminum Apple Watch Series 9.