Apple Watch Ultra 2: price, release date, design and features
With Apple's Big Annual Event just over the horizon, rumours are circulating about the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 like there is no tomorrow. As expected, the information online is confusing; hence we decided to create this hub to help make sense of everything we know about Apple's latest rugged wearable.
Similarly to the upcoming Apple Watch Series 9, there is no official information available about the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is why the good folks of the internet are trying to fill the gap with speculations about the new apex wearable. We hoped the WatchOS 10 reveal in July would shed some light on the subject, but apart from some exciting hiking and cycling feature announcements, the information vacuum about the second iteration of the Apple Watch Ultra persists.
Apple's rugged wearable is often touted as the best Apple Watch and the best smartwatch overall, and thanks to its large screen and long(ish) battery life, we tend to agree. The only major downside is the price; however, if you haven't quite got the budget to splash tons of cash on the Apple Watch Ultra, there is always the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Apple Watch SE 2 to keep you going.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 price and availability
The original Apple Watch Ultra is sold for £849 / $799 / AU$ 1,299, making it the most expensive Apple wearable to date. Having only been one iteration so far, making predictions about the price of the upcoming Apple Watch 2 is not easy.
That said, we wouldn't be surprised if the Apple Watch Ultra 2 would stay at the exact same price level as its predecessor. Apple sell their wares at a premium, but they don't always bump up the price when a new version is out. Otherwise, the mainline Apple Watch would be astronomically expensive at this point.
A good example is the Apple AirPods Pro. Despite the obvious improvements, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 headphones sell for the same price as their predecessor. Check out T3's best cheap Apple Watch deals for the latest prices on this and all other Apple wearables.
When is the Apple Watch Ultra 2 out?
We expect the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to launch at Apple's annual event, which will most likely happen in September 2023. This is where Apple usually announce the latest generation of their products. For a long time, we didn't expect the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 to come out until at least the year after next, but the latest rumours suggest Apple might release the watch this year.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: design
One thing is for sure: if the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is released in 2023, it won't feature a MicroLED screen. Some speculations suggested a 2024 release of this model, but it's more likely we won't see this prettier, more energy-efficient model until 2025.
It's very likely that a new black colourway will be announced, though. Some leakers suggest Apple had been testing a darker titanium finish for the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra but had decided not to release it. They might decide to go ahead with the Black Titanium model in 2023.
A more exciting performance development could be the introduction of the new S9 chip. According to a tipster, the updated processor should offer a "sizable performance bump." That, coupled with the dramatic changes to watchOS 10, means that the 2023 Apple Watches might feel quite the leap forward compared to the wearables announced last year.
3D-printed parts might also be coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. One report suggests that Apple is "actively adopting 3D printing technology" and that "some of the titanium mechanical parts of the 2H23 new Apple Watch Ultra will be made by 3D printing."
Apple Watch Ultra 2: features
It's hard to separate new Apple Watch releases from the latest iteration of WatchOS, which is the case with Apple Watch Ultra 2 and WatchOS 10. You can read more about what new features are coming in our WatchOS 10 roundup, but as a quick summary, the new operating system will put a lot more emphasis on the watch faces and the Digital Crown.
The Apple Watch Ultra is somewhat different from other Apple Watches as it has an extra button and more screen real estate and has features other Apple Watches don't (e.g. Apple Precision Start). Therefore, we may see new and exclusive features rolled out to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 once announced.
The slight issue with talking about new WatchOS features is that they will also be rolled out to older Apple Watches and, therefore, not exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We haven't got any information on any Ultra 2 exclusive features yet, but once these surface, we'll list them here.
