Why I still wear the Apple Watch Ultra 2 after years of use

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 remains one of the most complete smartwatches available, thanks to its rugged design, broad feature set and ongoing software support. After daily use since 2023, it has proven dependable across demanding outdoor activities as well as everyday health tracking and notifications.

Apple kept the price at $779 while using titanium construction, an integrated LTE radio and a sapphire display, which feels reasonable for a high‑performance sports watch. Compared with the first model it adds a faster S9 processor, a brighter display (3,000 nits versus 2,000 nits), twice the storage and a mix of recycled materials; the bulkier design, however, won’t suit everyone.

Practical updates include a brighter flashlight (the digital crown now increases its maximum brightness) and offline maps support when paired with an iPhone running iOS 17, while the Compass app can mark waypoints and show the last‑detected cellular and emergency SOS locations.

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