The Apple Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t seem like a big update, does it? You’re right, it’s not. But it’s what I expected — and that’s a good thing.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 announcement from Apple’s iPhone 15 event needs some thinking about before it makes sense. Why? At first, it looked like a product barely deserving of the name due to a disappointing list of upgrades, the addition of only a few new features, and the fact that it has exactly the same look as last year’s model.
This is all factually correct, but I’m about to explain why it was to be expected — and why it doesn’t matter at all.It’s not for Apple Watch Ultra owners
The biggest thing to consider here is that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 isn’t for people who already wear an Apple Watch Ultra. The only real reason to upgrade is the even brighter screen, but it’s not like the original Ultra’s screen is powered by a candle. Yes, the new S9 chipset is likely to be faster, and the Double Tap gesture is cool. But, really, anyone who owns the Apple Watch Ultra will have lived without these features for a year already — and such is the Ultra’s performance and ability that they can undoubtedly carry on for a few more years free of concern.
When looking at the updates and feeling just that little bit disappointed, I was reminded that I gave the Apple Watch Ultra a perfect 10/10 score when I reviewed it. Just a few weeks ago, I returned to the Apple Watch Series 8 to find it was even better than I remembered it being the last time I used it. It has been a couple of months since I personally wore the Apple Watch Ultra, but both Digital Trends’ Mobile Editor Joe Maring and staff writer Christine Romero-Chan have been converted to its joy recently, leaving me with no doubt that it has stayed a 10/10 product.
Apple pulled off something really special with the Apple Watch Ultra.
