Apple Watch Ultra 2 In-Depth Review: Worth the Upgrade?
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- čas přidán 1. 05. 2024
- Here's everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Ultra 2, how it's different, and whether it's worth the upgrade. Buy the Apple Watch Ultra 2 here (amzn.to/3ZutYzw), which helps support the channel!
0:00 Quick Intro
0:23 Band Options & Pricing
0:36 Ultra 1 vs Ultra 2 Display Brightness
1:50 Is the new S9 chipset faster?
2:15 Double Tap hands-on
3:42 UWB FindMy on watch
4:06 Offline Siri
4:44 Siri and Apple Health
5:06 Daily Activity Tracking
5:30 Sleep Tracking Tests
6:20 Workout Tracking
7:13 Topographic Maps
8:33 Cycling Companion App (for iPhone)
9:17 Cycling Power Meters
10:08 Battery Life Tested
11:30 The Emergency Siren
12:21 GPS Accuracy Testing
13:53 HR Accuracy Testing
14:30 Is It Worth Upgrading?
•New Apple Silicon S9 chipset, which Apple says has 5.6 billion transistors and is 60% more than before
•New GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which Apple states is 30% faster, allowing for faster rendering
•New 4-core neural engine, which Apple states is twice as fast in machine learning applications
•New far brighter 3,000 nit display (previously the Apple Watch Ultra was 2,000 nits, and the previous Series 8 is 1,000 nits)
•New display can also go down to just 1 nit, versus the previous 2 nits. Apple says that in turn drives a big savings in battery consumption due to the always-on side of things (of course, that battery savings is then spent on the faster processor bits)
•New UWB 2 (Ultrawideband) chip, which increases finding of things (like your phone), including exact distance and direction, but also increased Homepod integration
•New watch bands
•Updated case made from 95% recycled aluminum (versus 0% prior)
Next, we’ve got the software features that are new to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and require/leverage the new S9 chipset:
•New Double tap: This allows you to double-tap your index and thumb together, acting as a virtual button. You can answer a call, hang-up a call, snooze an alarm, take a picture from the camera, or any number of other custom actions (more on this down below)
•New Flashlight boost: This leverages the brighter display for a brighter virtual flashlight option
•Siri now newly processes requests entirely offline (without cellular/WiFi) for things it can do locally
•Siri can now log Apple Health metrics (purely via voice), including weight, period information, as well as respond to Health requests (e.g., asking for last night’s sleep stats) - available later this year in English and Mandarin.
Some links Amazon affiliate links, for which I may earn a commission.
#AppleWatchUltra2 #Ultra2 #AppleWatchUltra - Sport
The Ultra 2 is probably not worth the upgrade from an Ultra 1, but it's definitely a sweeter deal for people who were interested in the Ultra 1 and were holding out.
I bought used ultra 1 after ultra 2 release. I am super satisfied, in full sun light while surfing the screen was clearly visible.
Its a free upgrade with my UK service provider so I will upgrade from my ultra 1 and get a new watch band
I feel all the new features on the new ultra 2 would work with a software update on the ultra 1 like the clock screen update 🤣 that was in the latest update
Questionable if the Ultra is worth the price in the first place. Maybe for divers I would say.
Do you hear a wetsuit?!... If so you use it under or on top?.. Isn't to bulkit to wear it if wetsuit?@@przemysawmarciniec5180
This has to be the most complete Ultra review out there who actually does the sports as well as understanding the tech, which most couch tech’s reviewers fall short.
Absolute star for doing this in-depth! Thanks for the effort, commitment and going to depth! Excited to be using an ultra for the first time tomorrow! :)
Thank you for exercising like a madman to actually show us the accuracy of so many of these features as they're being added to Apple Watch! Big up!
Thanks!
exercising is the reward ;)
@@Dcrainmaker 14:05 whats the software you used to get the line chart for HR? I am a crossfitter and I would like to see the entire time line of my HR during WODS. Thank YOU!
Love how thorough & informative you are with what you presented. You got a new sub! I desperately want the AW Ultra 2, but I’m super disappointed they don’t offer it in black/space grey. If they did I would have pre-ordered. Fingers crossed they add some colour options ASAP.
I ordered it it arrives tomorrow, but I increasingly think that an aftermarket version 1 would be enough- thanks for the great work as usual!
Hi DC, thank you as always for a very well made informative video. I have been a long term garmin user and currently use the 965 for tracking all my activities such as - strength training, yoga, running, cycling. Along with my recovery metrics such as sleep, body battery, HRV, training readiness. These recovery metrics i beleive are very important. From my understanding the Apple watch doesnt have these metrics, even though its heart rate tracking is superior to that of Garmin. Would you say having the Garmin with slightly less accurate heart rate tracking but better metrics is a good trade off ? is it possible to get recovery metrics on the apple watches? thank you.
We got the same watch with minor changes that no one asked for. The lack of significant improvement in battery life is a huge gift from Apple to Garmin, which has gained an extra year to introduce esim cards and further improvements to epix and fenix
If I was an active sportperson I would probably have picked the Garmin, but for me and 95% of the population, the Ultra is the better buy.
THX for an EXCELLENT REVIEW 💪
I've been using the cycling workout app on my Ultra 1 since last year. I love the HRM and GPS accuracy, but the auto-pause feature was never great (~5 sec delay). Auto-pause is worse now with Watch OS 10. I'm getting delays of 10 seconds on average. Then it restarts with any slight movement. Not good. Apple needs to add a user selected speed (like 5 kph) to initiate auto-pause.
You are the best! Great job. As always, thx for providing useful reviews, Data and opinions. 👍
If you have neither would the 2 be the way you go or catch the 1 on sake or just go with a Garmin? I want to get one for overall fitness tracking and some outdoor activities.
Thanks man, nice to see a review that doesn't feel like an Apple ad 👏
Thanks - much appreciated!!
Thx for the in-depth review.. Now I dont regret the impulse buy ( Ultra 1) vs waiting the two months for the newer version lol. Doubt I'll ever find a need to use the double-tap feature..
Upgrading from a series 4 to Ultra 2 (arriving tomorrow). Thanks for the video. Wonder was radar support mentioned at the Wanderlust event?
Oooh, that's a good question. But I think the radars rely on the ANT+ radar implementation.
Man I don't know how people get theirs so fast. I ordered mine today upgrading from Series 6. It won't ship until tomorrow-oct 6th.
Very helpful video, thank you!
Is that more vibrant colour and background theme you have in the movement rings app a new feature or also available for the Ultra 1?
Open Water Swim tracking of Ultra 1 was not reliable, sometimes it gave great data, sometimes had bad gps points and recorded extra distances. I wrote about this numerous times to Apple and also posted on Reddit, Macrumors etc. I bought a new Ultra 1 to compare and try it and had the same issue. Did you have that issue with Ultra 1? Does it seem to be fixed with Ultra 2?
Be interesting to find out if wearing gloves interferes with double-tap. Very useful for my work and cold environments. The latest IOS has solved some problems I have had on my series 7.
I am thinking of going Ultra and then using my 7 for sleeping until the battery is done.
It should work as it’s detecting the slight movements through the accelerometer as the fingers tap. You can test the feature in the accessibility settings on your series 7
I have a series 6 watch. I just ordered the Ultra 2, mainly for the battery life.
Good video! i already bought two devices from your reviews!
Fantastic as always 🏴
I assume yes, but is the super fragile antenna band still identical?
The double tap is legit amazing
My Series 3 broke a few month ago, I’ve been using an old Garmin Vivo Active since then as an replacement, this will a nice update.
Excellent review
Great review. Thank you.
Nice video. Almost started regretting I bought series 9 instead of UW2, although don’t need them in my cycling training.
I would like to ask you if you use Glonass gps or gallileo to to your Garmin.
Great video, thank you! I have a question related to Strava and automatic import from Health app. Everything went well after the first workout and I can see the activity on Strava. There is just one thing and that is the device shown in Strava. It says "Apple Health" instead of Apple Watch Ultra. Is there a way how to fix that? Thank you in advance!
Amazing ! Just what I was looking for - let’s go!
Thanks!!!
Which app for the maps? so I can see where I was running.
I wanted to ask what your thoughts are about upgrading to a Garmin 965 from a series 6 or get the AWU? Garmin says that their watches are compatible with IOS.
very thorough.., well done
I currently have series 6, and have been thinking to get ultra 2. Also I have 12 pro, and I wanna upgrade to 15 pro max. I'm not sure which one to get first, I cant afford upgrading both at once.
How are the swimming capabilities for pool and open water? Im a triathlete so swimming functionality and structured workouts have me on the edge between this and say the garmin fenix
DC Rainmaker: the only person with watch tan lines on both wrists ;-) Great stuff as always, thank you!
:)
I went from a series 3 to the ultra 2. I know it’s a major jump but I absolutely love this watch
I’m about to do the same thing myself, can’t wait to get mine!
Recently took a light step into the world of Garmin with the budget Forerunner 55 and it does MOST THINGS and does them well. Cannot see the value in the AWU when the Fenix 7 is half the price here in Australia. Screen on my Forerunner 55 the main thing that makes it feel budget - otherwise just a fraction of the price and very comfortable.
Would consider the S9 Apple Watch but the battery life... I just can't charge each day
cycling power also came to the ultra 1 though right?
Is it possible to upload a trail course and then follow it with map and indications? Like Garmin fenix and forerunner 9xx...
super nice video, thanks!
I’m interested in the ultra 2 I use a garmin. How is the ultra for runners?
I already have a garmin enduro 2 but now I want to get the ultra and wear it on my other wrist at the same time so I can get the best of both worlds 🤭
Excellent review, as usual. I am interested in the Bike Computer feature. Is that exclusive on the Ultra 2? Or is a iWatch OS 10 feature that will be in the Ultra 1? Thanks, JP
Watch os 10 feature
I really hate the increasing number of features being marketed but not yet available year over year.
It would be a little ridiculous to have a huge feature dump only once per year, with nothing in between.
@@mattmcmullen8244why?
So might be a long shot but do you think that Apple would make a wear profile that accommodates people who wear a watch with the face of it on the inside of their wrist? I’ve tried wearing every type of watch “normally” from my Suunto to my various Apple Watches including the Ultras and it just doesn’t feel right.
@DC Rainmaker - Love your content and all the time and effort you put into testing and staring the best persecutive on the review and amazing data to back it. Thank you! I do have a question to you and the community here, I was using Garmin Coach to teach me to run and be able to do a 10k ... busy summer with work and injury put me back to the beginning with months off, I am not a runner but was enjoying it. I am now looking to start a path to 10k on my apple watch ultra 2 instead, can you recommend a good learn to run app/coach for Apple Watch tracking?
In a previous video you mentioned that with indoor cycling, distance was not shown as a metric even when paired speed and cadence sensors. Is this still the case or has it been added in?
Great video - any ideas when structured workouts will start being pushed down to the Apple Watch from Training Peaks. I don't think this is available yet.
Can you at least use Siri offline to control audio? Play/pause/next? Limited use case, but would hope Siri can at least do that.
Body temperature also helps to verify whether or not a patient is asleep as well as which sleep stage they may be in
Great video. I would really love to see an athlete like yourself do a video on how they would use this watch as a fitness watch for different sports like running, hiking, biking, swimming, alpine touring, etc. Like, which apps are almost a requirement and how do you use them? How would you aggregate all the activities, etc. Any plans to create something like that?
with cell data ,can you use the watch to run amazon music to the apple AirPods Pros without lugging your phone around the gym?
What kind of future things will the S9 chipset be capable of?
I take it the Ultra 2 still doesn't natively broadcast Heart Rate to Garmin Edge computers then?
My son is a contractor and loves his. Wears it all day and used to use the protective screen with it. After the 3rd one broke, he didn't replace it. I'm a larger guy and I'm curious if they're as tough as they seem. I do tech appliance repair work sometimes and my hand gets into tight places with a lot of metal edges. I worry about breaking the face. Would love to hear from active people how their watches are holding up?
So, is the maps/ navigation better on the Suunto and Garmin?
Why did they take the lock option out of activities, even worse they just left a blank gap ffs
Got a Series 4, battery is not great now and have been thinking of upgrading and just taken the plunge with a Ultra 2. Apart from walking the dog, not a major outdoors (or fitness in general type), but the battery, sapphire screen (lots of micro scratches on my current one) and larger screen has won it for me. Should feel like a very nice upgrade :)
Update, had the Ultra 2 for a couple of weeks now and it’s a huge upgrade. Love it :)
I’m about to do this upgrade too!
Enjoy :)@@xKILLAxCAMx
@@xKILLAxCAMxwas it worth it?
Do you plan to do an updated video comparing the Apple Ultra 2 to the Garmin Epix standard and pro additions?
1) I have a feeling the ultra 2 batter will last longer than ultra 1 just due to watchos 10 and we have yet to realize it.
2) On device siri is enough for me. I often want to speak into my phone like to start a workout and current siri is too high latency.
the refreshrate of display is ltpo 1-60 or 1-120 hz ?
If the next version is going to be better with the navigation/maps does that mean the ultra and ultra 2 will get the update?
Outside of the fitness functions, the feature most important to me is the vibrating alarm. I’ve gotten used to auditory alarms and will sleep through them. I realized that vibrating alarms have existed for the deaf community. I could never go back now.
I have an series 4 and is looking for an upgrade… might jump on it
Great Segment.
I remain curious as to what Apple will do with the Apple Watch’s low power GPS mode. If they truly do have a large chunk of the US trails mapped out, I can see them having one of the best “ultratrack” equivalent GPS modes on the market because it will leverage Apple Maps data for distance accuracy. I hope you can test this feature when we finally have a complete US map!
I think there's a difference between having topo maps, versus having trails, versus having precise trails. Topo maps are more about the terrain. And while Apple Maps has tons of data for trails, I'm not sure if it's quite accurate enough to correct GPS based on it.
How about heart rate measurement speed, any improvement over the original Ultra ?
I saw another video. It was the same the guy said
They should just add some LEDs on the case for a better actual flashlight instead of relying on the screen brightness, its geared tword “outdoors” but everyone could use a flashlight on their wrist
Unless my ultra 1 breaks or I lose it, definitely no reason to update to the ultra 2.
Did you happen to check the accuracy for of finding watch via findmy? Is it more precise than the non dual frequency GPS Apple watches? AKA leveraging the dual frequency chips?
I am curious what software you use to compare the fit files.
This was such a comprehensive review. Thanks brother 💪🏽🤠🇺🇸
I really wish I could have my heart rate zones on the same page as my pace like Garmin watches support..
The bike computer thingy is really cool. Does anyone know if it will work on an iPhone 12 Pro with the Ultra 2?
coming from the 7 worth it ?
Best watch ever.Nothing compares this beauty.
Can you use the double tap hand gesture to accept 3rd party MFA push notifications like Duo (push)? I would buy this in a heartbeat if I didn't have to wait for the notification and tap my watch screen to accept the Duo MFA Prompt. I log into many MFA servers daily and would love to hand double tap my MFA.
Yup! It'll default to the primary action from an app notification.
You can already have the "double tap" by going into your watch settings, and under "Accessibility", you'll see "Quick Actions" and "Assistive Touch", enable both of those and you'll have Double Tap. Apple, for some reason, is taking an existing feature and marketing it as a "new" feature for Ultra 2 watches. It's functionally identical.
Edit: Looks like Ray breaks down the differences later in the video. Still, that functionality of the new chip isn't exactly something new.
Jumped from my Apple Watch Ultra to Garmin Epix Pro
Zero regrets.
We still have not seen the full on commitment to make the watch independent from the phone. With all connections and downloads on the watch without the need for the phone.
There are plenty of people who want to leave the phone behind them and fully move to wrist displays and controls but we're not there yet.
Phones will be used as the computer where we use them for more advanced editing and watching and editing videos etc
I’m ex military and do a lot of hiking in areas were cellular is limited. Between the tactix 7, and ultra 2 which have u found to have better sat ability’s? Also do you like the maps in the apple or Garmin better? Have u found any other watches that you could recommend that can hang with these two? Like fenix 7 or epix pro gen 2?
I as well want to know this info. Apple Maps is definitely more user friendly but my tactix delta has gotten me out of some ish. Definitely want to know how good gps is on this. Hope someone responds.
@@lima4282 ok so I’ve recently bought the new Epix gen 2 51mm sapphire. Mainly for the battery life Amolte high resolution screen. Now I’ve found the new mapping system paired with the Garmin explore mapping app to be by fare the best most accurate and easiest duo to use! The ability to follow trails and make your own trails is superior to the tactics and fenix. Not to mention better than suunto and kills the apple programs.
@@lima4282 trying this Epix out for 3 weeks and will decide if I’m keeping it or sending it back. But I love the fact I can sync it too my Garmin 67i!
I’m coming from the series 6 is the ultra 2 worth it for me?
I chose a Fenix 5x because of your review - and I shied away from apple because of the battery life - I'm not world class anything - just like to track steps, rides, and I don't run so... Now it feels like it might be a good time to move to Ultra 2
Guessing the new S9 chip should allow updates a bit longer into the future than watches with the S8 chip - I like the 64 GB storage upgrade since I want to load all my music and podcasts onto the U2 - in the gym I don’t carry my iPhone with me. Glad I upgraded to the U2 from my series 7 - trade in and 3% cash back, and no sales tax made this workable for me.
I ignored the other reviews of this watch and came to you because I knew he would review it brutally
Thanks to this review, I just bought the Ultra 2 and retired my Series 6 44m 🥳
Should I get the ultra 2 or a Garmin 965? I basically run and bike
Ray I need some help from the expert. I am currently using the Apple Watch ultra and I am a cyclist (yes i miss my Garmin) but even with the most recent updates pertaining to cycling they are still missing a major component in my opinion. I am looking for the capability of broadcasting HR to my Garmin 1040 heat unit. I dont believe apple does that currently, correct? Are you aware of any 3rd party app options that offer a work around? TIA
Just bought the ultra 2 coming from Apple series 3
Still doesn’t come close to the epix 51mm
I have an old Apple Watch 6 I think it is. I’m wondering if the 2 is worth it now? Or should I wait til whenever the 3 is out? I like that it has a titanium casing and other things like that like the iPhone 15 pro that I got recently
Funny, I was watching your review thinking, "Wow, the east coast trails look exactly like what I have in my backyard..." Then, latter in your review when you zoom in and out showing new new "topo" feature I realized you were at Rancho San Antonio (my backyard....)
Somehow, probably because of your username, I assume you were based and did all reviews from the east coast. Hope you enjoy the trail all the way to the top of Black mountain, there is a really nice view from there. you can see the Apple spaceship and the Googleplex!
Merci pour la review!
Thanks for these videos, keep coming back here! Was hoping for a tad of info on the Workout pushing option in OS10 (Especially from Trainingpeaks). Doesnt seem to be working as of yet. Have any info on that? Updates this year are so minor, even coming from an Series 5 im very much considering a Garmin FR965 or even an Epix.
Unfortunatrly TrainingPeaks hasn't launched it yet. TrainerRoad did though, so I'm gonna give that a whirl here over the coming days.
The garmin are far superior choice for workout and running if that’s your main focus then it’s garmin
I see the Elevation Bug on the Video, think only i have this. i fix it with uninstall Compass App and reinstall. The next Bug is than you cant take a Waypoint on Compass ... 🙂 thx love this Videos
I would love to see your comparison between ultra 2 and epix gen 2. I am in between this choice. I love ultra 2 design and functionality but the battery life keep me away. Epix 2 has the best battery life and map that I need but thr design somehow for me looks not that stylish
If I hadn’t broken my series 4, I would’ve never upgraded to the ultra 1. But I’m so glad that I did. The ultra 2 is not worth an upgrade for me or anyone with the first one, but when the third generation comes out, I may have to get it if it has new features.
Thanks for the review, for now I think I’ll stick with my Garmin 530 and Fenix 5X for now. Apple has a long way to go.
How do you messure the watt's while ridning the bike?
Also note that in order for sleep tracking you work you have to set your bed time. It will NOT TRACK SLEEP AUTOMATICALLY. You can also manually trigger it by turning on "sleep" in the focus widget on the watch
True. My bedtime has been set for years as 12am though, and when you first setup an Apple Watch it walks you through that.
@@DcrainmakerAnd if you fall asleep at 11pm, you "lose" an hour of sleep, right? I put it in Sleep manually every night, considering that I need my phone and my watch to turn off the display in a darkened room. It seems so easy that I wonder why people bother with setting a bedtime.
@@burjoes Sorry, just to be clear, the setting of the bedtime is more of a silly background thingy. It doesn't impact tracking of sleep once enabled once. So if you fall asleep earlier, it'll still track just fine.
@@Dcrainmaker hmm what about the “Sleep” setting? If you don’t put it in Sleep mode, will it detect sleep?
@@burjoes The sleep setting is merely a one-time configuration thing, where basically you tell the watch the daily schedule for when to go into the sleep mode (for backlight savings). It doesn't have anything to do with the actual detection of sleep itself. You can manually enable or disable sleep mode (for the backlight), whenever you want, but it will still track nightly sleeps either way.