The watch is simply a platform for app developers. Apple makes their own apps but, they are usually just above average. Workoutdoors is a good example for fitness, Topo maps, Footpath, for hiking and backpacking, and there are many other emerging apps. The watch is great because you'll have choices as app developers build amazing things for the watch. This is why I chose the Ultra II over Garmin, choice in the kinds of apps that best fit my needs. (although I'd love to play with a Garmin for a while!) :D
very underrated. Found your no BS content much more informative than many of the big youtubers who didn’t spend enough time even knowing the difference. You are the only one who did not, to the best of my knowledge, miss a single difference. Subscribed!
Just got an AWU2 upgrading from a series 8. I know it’s not a huge upgrade software wise, but I wanted an Ultra since the first one came out. I’ll never ever go back to a normal Apple Watch. It’s insanely awesome!
I just bought the satin black titanium with the Milanese loop!!! It looks really good. Can’t wait. Im also upgrading from my stainless steel S5 but giving that away to my fiance since she’s always wanted an Apple Watch and doesn’t mind using mine.
There’s subtle improvements which I personally think is fine for a 2nd year model. I probably wouldn’t upgrade if I had an ultra one but the find my capability is a good upgrade for someone like me who is constantly looking for my AirTags. As a non ultra owner the choice to get the 2 over the one is pretty easy.
Great overview and review Dave 😊! Surprising they did not print a "2" on the inside. Now you will need to charge it to check which one is which. Excited to get mine and get the testing going, though as you said I don't expect (huge) differences .
It makes me think they did not sell a lot of the ultra #1 and are re using the parts for the ultra 2 and just adding more software updates + new screen with higher nits
I’ve been interested in the double tap feature. My husband is a combat wounded amputee and he lost his right arm above the elbow. He’s always wanted a sports watch but he can’t use any of them. Doesn’t look like apple is there yet but they’re getting closer. He would need every app and every feature to be usable with voice control and/or double tapping etc. Mostly he would want strava for recording workouts, runs, bike rides etc.
Great video. Agree on the battery life. I also think making it in a darker color should have been a no-brainer. They would have sold like hotcakes if they only made an additional color.
I agree totally with the undercurrent running through your review, which is that the 3000 nits brightness upgrade was something nobody asked for, since 2000 nits in the U1 was more than sufficient. But extended battery life, that would get at least 4+ days or preferably a WEEK of normal usage with “always on” and regular exercise activities, would have been a HUGE plus. Apple missed that mark by a mile !
I agree about the battery life. That was the one thing I really wanted and I thought that the transition from 7nm to 5nm would give us a lot better efficiency and therefore, battery life, even if it was just 20-30% it's still an improvement and a step in the right direction. I did think though when they said it had a brighter screen and the same battery life I was like, well if I just turn down the screen brightness I should get longer battery life then because I already do the same thing on my Apple Watch Ultra, I just run it at 2/3 on the brightness scale. The battery life isn't bad by any means and it's not the end of the world to slap it on charge before I jump in the shower but it would be nice if I could go away on a hike for a couple of days, with GPS/heart rate tracking and not have to worry about bringing an Apple Watch charger. That is the bare minimum of what I would consider to be "good" battery life for a device of this type. Nevertheless, I love my Apple Watch Ultra and I'll keep using it for another 2-3 years before I consider a new one.
@@silv3rArrowif your taking a backpack anyways, what’s the big deal with packing a charger or a power bank? It might be time to re-examine your life if carrying a little watch charger (especially if your already taking a backpack) is inconveniencing you.
If you have an Apple Watch Ultra, you shouldn't upgrade in my opinion. Since I don't have an Apple Watch Ultra, I did upgrade from a Series 6 Apple Watch and it should be here on Friday. My order status went from processing to preparing to ship and I'm getting excited! Also, this was a great in depth review of the watch!
I saw a lot of Ultra 2 videos now and people tell me always the same stuff. Your videos is dope! You found really good settings that are new for me and also very useful. Thank you
Great video! What scares me is that they’re treating the ultra like a normal Apple Watch. They did NOTHING to improve on the “ultra” aspect of the watch. Like you said, more battery life. Garmin is killing it. I don’t want to them to forget why and who they build the Ultra watch for.
Dope review. It sucks that we have to split hairs to name the differences with an upgrade smh. They could of just held back the small tweaks and released a actual better overall version down the road
This is their flagship watch model. I don't think they could have updated the SIP to be better on the AWS9 while the watch that starts at twice the price has a less powerful system. This is less about an update, and more about keeping it at the top. AWU1 wearers should definitely not sweat thinking about the upgrade.
Honestly incremental refinement is good, because most people won’t upgrade their watch ultra every year anyway, and then someone won’t feel as bad as if they upgrade 2 years into a 3 year cycle
I have the series 1 and not thinking about upgrading. Garmin, Coros, and other companies don’t tend to announce major updates yearly , Apple is no different. The series 1 has everything I need and I’ll wait for series 3. (An upgrade every other year sounds more applicable)
Assistive Touch is way different. The feature that you wanted to test was called "Quick Actions" and its basically the same as the double tap just with a couple of things ommitted. E.g. you cant scroll the widgets but you can dismiss notification, stop a timer or alarm, answer/end a call. It's very similar to the "double tap" feature on series 9 and works pretty well.
The S9 with the local Siri is the big thing for me. Plus I'll try adding a cellular plan. Also like you showing the accuracy of double-tap. Upgrading from a watch 7. I will likely downgrade the phone size and upgrade to 15 pro with 6.1 screen instead of 12 promax 6.7. I think it will be a big boost in convenience and productivity.
I moved from Garmin FR935 after using for 5 years to Apple Watch 8 and after using few months due to frequent changes required, also purchased a Casio G Shock to wear when Apple Watch was on charger. Last month dumped both Apple and Casio and bought Epix Pro Gen2. Now again happy and no more carrying the Apple Watch charger in pocket anymore
Also I was bugged up with 3 apps to see my statistics in Apple and very poorly rendered data presentation vs Garmin Connect. Garmin explore is also a nice navigation app and big issue when you use navigation on Apple Watch the battery drains crazy and practical I never able to use that unless I am completely lost in the road.
The Garmin line is superior as a sports watch in virtually every conceivable way over Apple. It really seems like the AW ultra is some type of status symbol or an oh look at me product because otherwise someone into sports would always buy the Garmin.
Thanks for the review coming from an Apple Watch six and planning on taking the two but also wondering if buying a 1 wouldn’t be a good way to save money and wait until ultra three comes out
I bet series 1 can do all the stuff series 2 can but obviously nobody will buy series 2 if they would release all the features to series 1. Bottom line is if you have series 1, stay with it if you don’t series 2 makes sense :)
Not as good as a Garmin…. How do I know? Well, when ever I have a few too many drinks at night I notice the Garmin tells me I did not get very good sleep, the ultra on the other hand will say I have excellent sleep. I have both and wore them both at night for two weeks. The Garmin was consistent - when I was living healthy, I would get a good score, when I would drink at night, the Garmin would report bad sleep as I would expect. The ultra reports good sleep regardless…. I do not trust it for that reason. Scientific? Perhaps not but i trust the Garmin from what I have personally observed having both.
@@manualgoldsteen7366I have both and different results from you. I agree, the Garmin hrv goes low when I’m getting sick or have had a few drinks. That’s nice but My Garmin sleep tracking is garbage. I’ve worn both my AW and Garmin to bed several times to compare and I would wake up a couple times and take note of the time I woke up. The AW got it right every time. The Garmin said I was asleep the whole time. Also, when I wake up the AW just knows. I have to physically touch the stop button on the Garmin because it always asks me “do you want to end sleep?”
I went from a series 6 to the ultra 2, it already does double tap to dismiss notifications and answer calls. Works pretty well, overall it’s a huge jump for me so it’s worth it in that regard.
@@ChaseTheSummit it’s definitely double tap and not the accessibility function. It only answers or declines calls and dismisses notifications, but it’s popped up with a prompt for either of those functions since I turned the watch on. I didn’t set up any accessibility shortcuts and I didn’t have them set up on my previous watch.
@@SunshineFL it is a considerable jump and worth it in my opinion. I do wear it for 2 days or so before charging. I do enjoy the double tap tremendously. It’s quick, it’s easier to talk on the phone through the watch, and it seems to charge faster. Going that far of a jump from one to the other is a large jump and you will notice many differences.
@@SunshineFL also, I also upgraded from an 11 pro max to a 15 pro max and as someone who absentmindedly leaves their phone all over the place, the way it pings the phone is a million times more convenient.
Very enlightening video! I order one today and tomorrow Ill go to the store to take it. Also very impressive tattoo “I miss you” in greek. Excellent expression and very tender also
I cracked the display of my AW5 a few months ago and it wasn’t covered by AppleCare anymore, so I decided to replace it with the Ultra 2. I’m not the most outdoors-y guy but after the Pandemic lockdown in 2020 I started going on walks and I bought the Apple Watch to track my progress and listen to music without bringing my phone. I lost over 50 pounds by walking up to 2 hours a day. Since then I slacked off and have gained some of that weight back, and I’m hoping I can recreate my success by “investing” in a new Apple Watch to incentivize exercising again - it’s just how my mind works. I can’t wait for my Ultra 2 to arrive! The only thing that bothers me is that I have a half dozen 44 & 45mm AW bands that aren’t compatible with the 49mm AWU2. I considered buying the AWS9 to use my watch bands, but I wanted the more robust Ultra. My AW5’s display cracked along the edge falling onto a granite tile floor. The touch display still works so it’s only cosmetic damage, but I want the AWU’s flush display that is more protected by the case.
I’m going from the series 5 to Ultra 2. I’m Happy about that but kinda bummed the feature to finding iPhone with direction and distance is only for iPhone 15. Why? I have the 14 Pro Max. No way that’s not just a software update.
I’ve had a Apple Watch 3 before and I was getting bored with it… for years I haven’t bought an Apple Watch again until now I own a ultra 2 and it’s absolutely worth buying. I love it
Your closing remarks are spot on, and have been true of Apple for a long time. Think back to the iPhones getting thinner and thinner every year, when in reality I've not once heard someone complain that their phone was too thick. The Ultra is a very similar story. The design has really grown on me, and the fact that it could replace my phone if I wanted to be less distracted is awesome, but for the size of the thing it should be getting 5 days of battery. To echo your point, I remember when I bought my series 6, one of the supposed selling points was the "always on display". Well guess what the very first thing I did was when I turned on the watch, disabled the always on display for better battery life!
When the Ultra dropped last year my first comment was that it’ll be a great 2nd or 3rd generation device. Seems to be trending towards 3rd. I switched to a Garmin about a year ago because the Apple Watch just wasn’t doing it for me anymore as I was ramping up distance and getting into training for an Ironman. If Apple could just optimize that battery life, get it to a week even, I feel like they’d move a lot more devices. They’d have me back as a customer for sure.
Thank you for your in-depth video. I’m new to Apple Watches and purchased the Ultra 2. Though I have more learning to do with this watch, I am extremely happy with it. Also, love the 3.5 day battery life.
Apple Watch Ultra one or Series eight are coming pretty close to the double tap feature. There is not only the accessibility feature assistive touch but something called quick actions. Together with a changed configuration of the hand gestures this works really well. I can answer calls, knowledge incoming messages or notifications while having my little boy on my right arm.
My AWU 1 is coming tomorrow and that is my first ever Apple Watch. Did I make the right decision because I dont need that brightness boost or the double tap.
I upgraded from the series 7 stainless in graphite to the ultra 2. Do you think it was a smart upgrade? So far, I am enjoying the Ultra 2 because of the screen size and longer battery life!
How long does Ultra 2’s battery last in real life testing? Based on your active life style, did you even get 36hrs or did it surpass expectations with more? I belong to a third category, people who have an older iwatch (series 5-7) who’s considering an Ultra 2. How’s does the weight and size impact working out and sleep? Thanks
Thanks Dave. That’s disappointing the double tap is not yet available in the workout app. For running, it would so great to be able to pause with double tap.
I had an Apple watch series 3 for about a month - hated it and gave it back. I decided to jump back into the Apple watch and bought an Ultra 2. I like it - its a novelty - but I love the health features, sleep (I have never sleep with a watch before but I like the results), fitness tracking, some of the communication stuff is great to not to be so reliant on my phone for quick messages etc. The battery life is quite adequate for me - With lots of stuff turned on I get almost 3 full days on a charge. I keep most notifications off and rely on haptics for the small number of notifications I wish to receive. Not sure if it's going to be my daily forever or if it turns into a speciality watch for purpose driven activities etc. Having had it for about a month it is still a novelty but a fun and quite useful one. Great video too. Thanks!
Great video. I have just purchased the Ultra 2 and have never had an Apple watch before. Since then I have watched lots of video's on the watch but yours was the best with honest real life comparison with questions and comparisons with the original ultra. I have never seen any of your content before but I'm sold and have subscribed. Thanks.
I currently have a six. I’m looking to get away from the glitchy Ness in the heart rate monitor. Good work out, sleep and health reporting. Plus reminders, and integration with apps. I’m going listen to review of 9
Very iterative upgrade. I really think that anyone using a Fenix/Epix device is not going to switch to one of these at less than 7 days battery life. Sounds like 20 hours of GPS life, but on my last 3 week hike I was able to go 3 days between charging on my Fenix 7 Sapphire. I'd have to charge daily on one of these, as my typical day is about 10 hours.
I wear an Ultra 1 on my left wrist, and an Garmin Epix Gen 2 Sapphire on my right wrist. I prefer the Epix for the granular performance tracking. I prefer the Ultra for most other things.
@@Peezy71421same but wrists reversed. Epix 2 Gen 2 Sapphire on left wrist and 🍎 ultra on the right one. People keep asking me why I’m wearing two watches. I’ve been doing wearing two watches for YEARS. Since the series 6 and Fenix 6
I upgraded to 10.1 and have enabled DT. I’ve got to admit I’m a bit underwhelmed. Aside from activating the Smart Stack, it doesn’t seem to do much else. Maybe down the road they can actually make it useful without another watch upgrade…
Great overview Dave. I use an Apple Watch 6 and think about upgrade to the Ultra 2. A friend of mine wants to buy the 6. I'm not a fanatic sportsman. I just like the Ultra 2. My iPhone is a 12 Pro max. I keep this one for now. The 15 major upgrade is the camera resolution. I keep it in mind though.
They didn't ... the system allows you to manage which one is more important to you. Want battery life? Manage screen brightness. Want max readibility? Shift it up for the activity if needed.
I’m a new apple phone user and new to which watch to get. I have Diabetes which is new as well wearing a sensor for that. Older eyes as I’m in my 50s what do you think would be best for me?
The most important thing finding your iPhone with the watch u went too fast through,can u do separate video explaining how far ,how close the UW gets u ? And compare it to the old ultra 1 ?
I used my AWU 1 for a couple of months and sold it because I missed my fenix 7X. But now my fenix looks beat up. I tried to upgrade to the Epix Pro but it is not as rugged and there is a lag to display the time, therefore I am back to AWU2 just because of the smart watch and good looks. For my triathlon training it cannot compare to the Fenix.
I want more real time complications that show health metrics right on the face, Steps without needing a separate app, real time heart rate, etc. Maybe a body battery type feature would be cool without needing a separate app as well.
The watch is simply a platform for app developers. Apple makes their own apps but, they are usually just above average. Workoutdoors is a good example for fitness, Topo maps, Footpath, for hiking and backpacking, and there are many other emerging apps. The watch is great because you'll have choices as app developers build amazing things for the watch. This is why I chose the Ultra II over Garmin, choice in the kinds of apps that best fit my needs. (although I'd love to play with a Garmin for a while!) :D
very underrated. Found your no BS content much more informative than many of the big youtubers who didn’t spend enough time even knowing the difference. You are the only one who did not, to the best of my knowledge, miss a single difference. Subscribed!
Just got an AWU2 upgrading from a series 8. I know it’s not a huge upgrade software wise, but I wanted an Ultra since the first one came out. I’ll never ever go back to a normal Apple Watch. It’s insanely awesome!
I just bought the satin black titanium with the Milanese loop!!! It looks really good. Can’t wait. Im also upgrading from my stainless steel S5 but giving that away to my fiance since she’s always wanted an Apple Watch and doesn’t mind using mine.
I’m finally upgrading from my series 3 to an Ultra 2 😂😂😂
me too 😊
from series 3 to ultra 2❤
I upgraded from series 4 to Ultra 2. I rly liked the design since the ultra release.
There’s subtle improvements which I personally think is fine for a 2nd year model. I probably wouldn’t upgrade if I had an ultra one but the find my capability is a good upgrade for someone like me who is constantly looking for my AirTags. As a non ultra owner the choice to get the 2 over the one is pretty easy.
Great overview and review Dave 😊! Surprising they did not print a "2" on the inside. Now you will need to charge it to check which one is which.
Excited to get mine and get the testing going, though as you said I don't expect (huge) differences .
looking forward to your scientific reviews on those hr gps sensors🎉❤😊
@@senwang1982me too
It makes me think they did not sell a lot of the ultra #1 and are re using the parts for the ultra 2 and just adding more software updates + new screen with higher nits
A different color next year.
I’ve been interested in the double tap feature. My husband is a combat wounded amputee and he lost his right arm above the elbow. He’s always wanted a sports watch but he can’t use any of them. Doesn’t look like apple is there yet but they’re getting closer. He would need every app and every feature to be usable with voice control and/or double tapping etc. Mostly he would want strava for recording workouts, runs, bike rides etc.
Yes, agree, MORE battery life is what I want!!
Great video. Agree on the battery life. I also think making it in a darker color should have been a no-brainer. They would have sold like hotcakes if they only made an additional color.
Only trouble with darker colour stretches and marks show up.iv a fenix 7 and it looks terrible
Good news, everyone
I agree totally with the undercurrent running through your review, which is that the 3000 nits brightness upgrade was something nobody asked for, since 2000 nits in the U1 was more than sufficient. But extended battery life, that would get at least 4+ days or preferably a WEEK of normal usage with “always on” and regular exercise activities, would have been a HUGE plus. Apple missed that mark by a mile !
I agree about the battery life. That was the one thing I really wanted and I thought that the transition from 7nm to 5nm would give us a lot better efficiency and therefore, battery life, even if it was just 20-30% it's still an improvement and a step in the right direction. I did think though when they said it had a brighter screen and the same battery life I was like, well if I just turn down the screen brightness I should get longer battery life then because I already do the same thing on my Apple Watch Ultra, I just run it at 2/3 on the brightness scale. The battery life isn't bad by any means and it's not the end of the world to slap it on charge before I jump in the shower but it would be nice if I could go away on a hike for a couple of days, with GPS/heart rate tracking and not have to worry about bringing an Apple Watch charger. That is the bare minimum of what I would consider to be "good" battery life for a device of this type. Nevertheless, I love my Apple Watch Ultra and I'll keep using it for another 2-3 years before I consider a new one.
This! Or just a weeked getaway. Going somewhere just with a backpack to a hostel for a couple of days. Bringing the charger is a buzzkill
@@silv3rArrowif your taking a backpack anyways, what’s the big deal with packing a charger or a power bank? It might be time to re-examine your life if carrying a little watch charger (especially if your already taking a backpack) is inconveniencing you.
If you have an Apple Watch Ultra, you shouldn't upgrade in my opinion. Since I don't have an Apple Watch Ultra, I did upgrade from a Series 6 Apple Watch and it should be here on Friday. My order status went from processing to preparing to ship and I'm getting excited! Also, this was a great in depth review of the watch!
Excited to upgrade from watch series 5 to ultra 2. Hopefully quite a jump in quality!
I saw a lot of Ultra 2 videos now and people tell me always the same stuff.
Your videos is dope! You found really good settings that are new for me and also very useful.
Thank you
Great video! What scares me is that they’re treating the ultra like a normal Apple Watch. They did NOTHING to improve on the “ultra” aspect of the watch. Like you said, more battery life. Garmin is killing it. I don’t want to them to forget why and who they build the Ultra watch for.
garmin this, garmin that, Garmin is ugly as fuck..
Dope review. It sucks that we have to split hairs to name the differences with an upgrade smh. They could of just held back the small tweaks and released a actual better overall version down the road
Yeah, this seems more like AWU 1.1
This is their flagship watch model. I don't think they could have updated the SIP to be better on the AWS9 while the watch that starts at twice the price has a less powerful system. This is less about an update, and more about keeping it at the top. AWU1 wearers should definitely not sweat thinking about the upgrade.
Honestly incremental refinement is good, because most people won’t upgrade their watch ultra every year anyway, and then someone won’t feel as bad as if they upgrade 2 years into a 3 year cycle
I have the series 1 and not thinking about upgrading. Garmin, Coros, and other companies don’t tend to announce major updates yearly , Apple is no different. The series 1 has everything I need and I’ll wait for series 3. (An upgrade every other year sounds more applicable)
Assistive Touch is way different. The feature that you wanted to test was called "Quick Actions" and its basically the same as the double tap just with a couple of things ommitted. E.g. you cant scroll the widgets but you can dismiss notification, stop a timer or alarm, answer/end a call. It's very similar to the "double tap" feature on series 9 and works pretty well.
The S9 with the local Siri is the big thing for me. Plus I'll try adding a cellular plan. Also like you showing the accuracy of double-tap. Upgrading from a watch 7. I will likely downgrade the phone size and upgrade to 15 pro with 6.1 screen instead of 12 promax 6.7. I think it will be a big boost in convenience and productivity.
I moved from Garmin FR935 after using for 5 years to Apple Watch 8 and after using few months due to frequent changes required, also purchased a Casio G Shock to wear when Apple Watch was on charger. Last month dumped both Apple and Casio and bought Epix Pro Gen2. Now again happy and no more carrying the Apple Watch charger in pocket anymore
Also I was bugged up with 3 apps to see my statistics in Apple and very poorly rendered data presentation vs Garmin Connect. Garmin explore is also a nice navigation app and big issue when you use navigation on Apple Watch the battery drains crazy and practical I never able to use that unless I am completely lost in the road.
The Garmin line is superior as a sports watch in virtually every conceivable way over Apple. It really seems like the AW ultra is some type of status symbol or an oh look at me product because otherwise someone into sports would always buy the Garmin.
@@andy5478-MTBhow is it a status symbol when plenty of Garmins are more expensive 😂
Thanks for awesome content! Looks like Ultra 2 is vey similar to 1st gen... Upgrading? I dont think its worth it...
My Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in today. You confirmed my choice. Thanks.
Double tap makes a lot of sense for me since I commonly have wet hands when doing house work.
im glad they doubled the storage. i can finally sync all my music.
Thanks for the review coming from an Apple Watch six and planning on taking the two but also wondering if buying a 1 wouldn’t be a good way to save money and wait until ultra three comes out
I recently upgraded from a series 3 to the ultra 2 for many reasons and so far I really like it
I’m hopefully doing the same soon, any big noticeable changes? (Besides having to reset the apple watch to factory settings to install each update 😂😂)
I bet series 1 can do all the stuff series 2 can but obviously nobody will buy series 2 if they would release all the features to series 1. Bottom line is if you have series 1, stay with it if you don’t series 2 makes sense :)
Buy the 2 give the 1 to the wife 😂
😂
@@Utubeisazzho even 41mm looks big on her 😂😂😂
I don’t have an Ultra, so I ordered an Ultra 2.
@@Utubeisazzhothat’s what I did lol.
One thing I didn’t understand is that If the materials are recycled to then why didn’t the price go down?
I like watch faces with numbers instead of hands so much better.
Anyway I will upgrade from the Series 5 Nike to the Ultra 2 with Orange Ocean Band.
I dislike the 1nit feature. Half the time I can’t see the clock and it’s not that dark outside. All the settings are set to max!
I'm going from a 7 to an ultra 2 I'm sure ill be delighted
For sure, big upgrade!
Omg sameeee
Apples heart rate and sleep stage accuracy is impressive
How u know? Did u film yourself in infra red?
Not as good as a Garmin…. How do I know? Well, when ever I have a few too many drinks at night I notice the Garmin tells me I did not get very good sleep, the ultra on the other hand will say I have excellent sleep. I have both and wore them both at night for two weeks. The Garmin was consistent - when I was living healthy, I would get a good score, when I would drink at night, the Garmin would report bad sleep as I would expect. The ultra reports good sleep regardless…. I do not trust it for that reason. Scientific? Perhaps not but i trust the Garmin from what I have personally observed having both.
@@manualgoldsteen7366I have both and different results from you. I agree, the Garmin hrv goes low when I’m getting sick or have had a few drinks. That’s nice but My Garmin sleep tracking is garbage. I’ve worn both my AW and Garmin to bed several times to compare and I would wake up a couple times and take note of the time I woke up. The AW got it right every time. The Garmin said I was asleep the whole time. Also, when I wake up the AW just knows. I have to physically touch the stop button on the Garmin because it always asks me “do you want to end sleep?”
I truly appreciate your review, thank you. Not upgrading my Ultra 1, still a solid watch.
Just bought the ultra 2
Best initial AWU 2 review out there. Lots of detail and info not found in other reviews. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Yes, that’s true
I went from a series 6 to the ultra 2, it already does double tap to dismiss notifications and answer calls. Works pretty well, overall it’s a huge jump for me so it’s worth it in that regard.
The official double tap has yet to be released but the accessibility option for quick actions is available (and has been for years).
@@ChaseTheSummit it’s definitely double tap and not the accessibility function. It only answers or declines calls and dismisses notifications, but it’s popped up with a prompt for either of those functions since I turned the watch on. I didn’t set up any accessibility shortcuts and I didn’t have them set up on my previous watch.
I’m on the fence. I have a series 6 too. How do you like it.
@@SunshineFL it is a considerable jump and worth it in my opinion. I do wear it for 2 days or so before charging. I do enjoy the double tap tremendously. It’s quick, it’s easier to talk on the phone through the watch, and it seems to charge faster. Going that far of a jump from one to the other is a large jump and you will notice many differences.
@@SunshineFL also, I also upgraded from an 11 pro max to a 15 pro max and as someone who absentmindedly leaves their phone all over the place, the way it pings the phone is a million times more convenient.
I just got mine and i downloaded a few watch faces only problem im haveing is that the face is much smaller than the actual size of the face
Very enlightening video! I order one today and tomorrow Ill go to the store to take it. Also very impressive tattoo “I miss you” in greek. Excellent expression and very tender also
I cracked the display of my AW5 a few months ago and it wasn’t covered by AppleCare anymore, so I decided to replace it with the Ultra 2.
I’m not the most outdoors-y guy but after the Pandemic lockdown in 2020 I started going on walks and I bought the Apple Watch to track my progress and listen to music without bringing my phone. I lost over 50 pounds by walking up to 2 hours a day. Since then I slacked off and have gained some of that weight back, and I’m hoping I can recreate my success by “investing” in a new Apple Watch to incentivize exercising again - it’s just how my mind works.
I can’t wait for my Ultra 2 to arrive!
The only thing that bothers me is that I have a half dozen 44 & 45mm AW bands that aren’t compatible with the 49mm AWU2. I considered buying the AWS9 to use my watch bands, but I wanted the more robust Ultra. My AW5’s display cracked along the edge falling onto a granite tile floor. The touch display still works so it’s only cosmetic damage, but I want the AWU’s flush display that is more protected by the case.
I’m pretty sure the 44/45 mm bands are compatible. I use my Nike band I got with my first 44mm SE. used it for my 45mm Series 8 and now with my AWU2.
Just ordered my ultra today. I’m so excited.
I’m going from the series 5 to Ultra 2. I’m
Happy about that but kinda bummed the feature to finding iPhone with direction and distance is only for iPhone 15. Why? I have the 14 Pro Max. No way that’s not just a software update.
Ultra wideband chip v2, the v1 chip also works but the v2 chip has 3x the range
I upgraded my series 7 stainless in graphite to the ultra 2. I’m loving it so far.
I’ve had a Apple Watch 3 before and I was getting bored with it… for years I haven’t bought an Apple Watch again until now I own a ultra 2 and it’s absolutely worth buying. I love it
Batterylife in low power mode for ultra 1 is stated to be 60 hours while its 72 on the ultra 2 so looks consistent with what you noticed.
I need to do more testing in low power mode. Good thing I have a 100 miler coming up! Stay tuned.
This is great news! Can’t wait for this update.
Your closing remarks are spot on, and have been true of Apple for a long time. Think back to the iPhones getting thinner and thinner every year, when in reality I've not once heard someone complain that their phone was too thick. The Ultra is a very similar story. The design has really grown on me, and the fact that it could replace my phone if I wanted to be less distracted is awesome, but for the size of the thing it should be getting 5 days of battery. To echo your point, I remember when I bought my series 6, one of the supposed selling points was the "always on display". Well guess what the very first thing I did was when I turned on the watch, disabled the always on display for better battery life!
When the Ultra dropped last year my first comment was that it’ll be a great 2nd or 3rd generation device. Seems to be trending towards 3rd. I switched to a Garmin about a year ago because the Apple Watch just wasn’t doing it for me anymore as I was ramping up distance and getting into training for an Ironman. If Apple could just optimize that battery life, get it to a week even, I feel like they’d move a lot more devices. They’d have me back as a customer for sure.
Which face gallery are you using? I like the time in the middle but can’t seem to find it anywhere. It looks great on your watch.
Thank you for your in-depth video. I’m new to Apple Watches and purchased the Ultra 2. Though I have more learning to do with this watch, I am extremely happy with it. Also, love the 3.5 day battery life.
My old eyes appreciate the brighter display. With that and better battery life I upgraded to the ultra 2
The Ultra 2 looks pretty good to me. Forget all that hiking jazz. I need it for navigating the urban jungle.
Have you done a comparison between the larger 9 and the ultra? I am not sure what the actual differences are.
I have the fenix 7x and might get the ultra too because both are awesome. Rotate both over the next few years
Apple Watch Ultra one or Series eight are coming pretty close to the double tap feature. There is not only the accessibility feature assistive touch but something called quick actions. Together with a changed configuration of the hand gestures this works really well. I can answer calls, knowledge incoming messages or notifications while having my little boy on my right arm.
My AWU 1 is coming tomorrow and that is my first ever Apple Watch. Did I make the right decision because I dont need that brightness boost or the double tap.
After the first 4:40 mins, I totally enjoyed your video , thank you
I upgraded from the series 7 stainless in graphite to the ultra 2. Do you think it was a smart upgrade? So far, I am enjoying the Ultra 2 because of the screen size and longer battery life!
From the 7 to the Ultra 2 is a pretty big upgrade. Enjoy it!
Yes it’s amazing had the first one and the second one. I’ve smashed the screen into walls on accident and this thing hold up so well
I am disappointed that Apple didn't add the number "2" or "2nd Edition" on the back of the ULTRA 2.0. Nice review, Dave!
Excellent review as always, thanks Dave for your detailed analysis.
How long does Ultra 2’s battery last in real life testing?
Based on your active life style, did you even get 36hrs or did it surpass expectations with more?
I belong to a third category, people who have an older iwatch (series 5-7) who’s considering an Ultra 2.
How’s does the weight and size impact working out and sleep?
Thanks
I’m in between worlds, I much prefer the look of stainless but I like that the Ultra has better battery life
I purchased both for that reason:) but I understand most people won’t be doing that. I was between both too😂
I want the size of the stainless but the battery life on the ultra is hard to ignore. Pricing gap is huge so I remain undecided. 😅
I’m going to go from a series 3 to an ultra 2, gonna be a massive jump by the looks of it!
for a wearable that I have to look at every day - I went ahead and spent the extra money on the ULTRA 2. I'm upgrading from a gen3 apple watch.
“…..is not a huge leap in innovation”……the understatement of the year !
Upgraded from Watch SE to the Ultra 2! Definitely agree that it isn’t worth upgrading the watch every year!
I've got the GW Ultra and love it, but the black AW Ultra and ti Milanese bracelet is very tempting.
Thanks Dave. That’s disappointing the double tap is not yet available in the workout app. For running, it would so great to be able to pause with double tap.
You said it: it has been an useful and entertaining video. Congratulations for all of your work here.
My last Apple Watch was a series 6 so this will be a huge upgrade
I upgraded from the series 6 to the ultra 2 and I love the Apple Watch Ultra 2 I like the bigger display and also have the new iPhone 15 as well
Carbon neutral band! 🎉 Now I don’t have to feel guilty about driving my turbo SUV.
Hopefully soon!
While towing a boat...
When does Ultra 3 come out?
They call this "recycled content".
You should have asked Siri "what time is it" lol
Trying to decide if I am going to switch from android samsung to apple..phone and watch..
I had an Apple watch series 3 for about a month - hated it and gave it back. I decided to jump back into the Apple watch and bought an Ultra 2. I like it - its a novelty - but I love the health features, sleep (I have never sleep with a watch before but I like the results), fitness tracking, some of the communication stuff is great to not to be so reliant on my phone for quick messages etc. The battery life is quite adequate for me - With lots of stuff turned on I get almost 3 full days on a charge. I keep most notifications off and rely on haptics for the small number of notifications I wish to receive. Not sure if it's going to be my daily forever or if it turns into a speciality watch for purpose driven activities etc. Having had it for about a month it is still a novelty but a fun and quite useful one. Great video too. Thanks!
Excited to try and use this device as a phone replacement. 💪🏽🤠🇺🇸
I laughed out loud when you said “that’s not my lisp kicking in”😂, too funny.
Great video. I have just purchased the Ultra 2 and have never had an Apple watch before. Since then I have watched lots of video's on the watch but yours was the best with honest real life comparison with questions and comparisons with the original ultra. I have never seen any of your content before but I'm sold and have subscribed. Thanks.
WATCH ultra 2 also doubles storage from 32 to 64Gb.
I currently have a six. I’m looking to get away from the glitchy Ness in the heart rate monitor. Good work out, sleep and health reporting. Plus reminders, and integration with apps. I’m going listen to review of 9
first timeer to the apple watch, is that 36 hour with display always on? i have a galaxy watch 5pro and get 40 but have the AOD on off
Very iterative upgrade. I really think that anyone using a Fenix/Epix device is not going to switch to one of these at less than 7 days battery life. Sounds like 20 hours of GPS life, but on my last 3 week hike I was able to go 3 days between charging on my Fenix 7 Sapphire. I'd have to charge daily on one of these, as my typical day is about 10 hours.
I wear an Ultra 1 on my left wrist, and an Garmin Epix Gen 2 Sapphire on my right wrist. I prefer the Epix for the granular performance tracking. I prefer the Ultra for most other things.
@@Peezy71421same but wrists reversed. Epix 2 Gen 2 Sapphire on left wrist and 🍎 ultra on the right one. People keep asking me why I’m wearing two watches. I’ve been doing wearing two watches for YEARS. Since the series 6 and Fenix 6
I upgraded to 10.1 and have enabled DT. I’ve got to admit I’m a bit underwhelmed. Aside from activating the Smart Stack, it doesn’t seem to do much else. Maybe down the road they can actually make it useful without another watch upgrade…
Great overview Dave. I use an Apple Watch 6 and think about upgrade to the Ultra 2. A friend of mine wants to buy the 6. I'm not a fanatic sportsman. I just like the Ultra 2. My iPhone is a 12 Pro max. I keep this one for now. The 15 major upgrade is the camera resolution. I keep it in mind though.
I got a 12 pro max aswell only issues i have with it are the camera and its overly large size but besides that its pretty good
What about the sound? Is it better or is it the same? This is very important for some people.
The speaker? It’s the same. But it’s quite good for a watch.
That’s some real cool outro music
I have a SE 1 and looking to upgrade to this ultra 2, looking like it a good idea
Good point. Idk why those chose brightness over battery. Apple is not listening.
They didn't ... the system allows you to manage which one is more important to you. Want battery life? Manage screen brightness. Want max readibility? Shift it up for the activity if needed.
Is the upgraded brightness apparent outside of the flashlight? Like if it’s just on standby mode when it’s dim?
Only in the extremes. In a dark room you'll notice the 1 nit of brightness, in direct sunlight you'll notice the 3000 nits.
I want that topographic map in the UK.
I’m a new apple phone user and new to which watch to get. I have Diabetes which is new as well wearing a sensor for that. Older eyes as I’m in my 50s what do you think would be best for me?
The most important thing finding your iPhone with the watch u went too fast through,can u do separate video explaining how far ,how close the UW gets u ? And compare it to the old ultra 1 ?
Range is about 100 feet in open space with no walls, it’s quite accurate within about a foot.
This video activated my Siri HARD lolllll. Great vid though non the less!
I used my AWU 1 for a couple of months and sold it because I missed my fenix 7X. But now my fenix looks beat up. I tried to upgrade to the Epix Pro but it is not as rugged and there is a lag to display the time, therefore I am back to AWU2 just because of the smart watch and good looks. For my triathlon training it cannot compare to the Fenix.
All I wanna know is can you mass delete texts from the watch
I want more real time complications that show health metrics right on the face, Steps without needing a separate app, real time heart rate, etc. Maybe a body battery type feature would be cool without needing a separate app as well.
Recently i switch from 6 series to ultra 2 , good experience 👍
“just take that with a giant grain of salt” 😂😂
Amazing review. 👌