PRE-ORDER NOW: Apple announced a black version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at its Glowtime event on Sept. 9. It officially comes out on Sept. 20, but you can pre-order it now for $799.
No, Apple isn’t discontinuing the Apple Watch Ultra — but it’s not giving us the Apple Watch Ultra 3 yet, either.
Rather, all Apple could muster up in the way of upgrades in the past year that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has been out is a new color for the Ultra 2 line: highly-awaited black. The scratch-resistant satin black titanium Ultra 2 (as well as a new black Milanese loop band) was announced at the Glowtime event on Sept. 9. Granted, the star of the show was definitely the iPhone 16, with a few other fun opening acts like the new Apple Watch Series 10 also scattered in — so someone had to take a backseat, I guess, and it was the Ultra 2 this time.
The black version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available to pre-order for $799 now, and will be available officially on Sept. 20. For anyone who already upgraded to the Ultra 2 last year, an upgrade probably sounds comical — however, this elegant, moody new colorway just might be the push some athletes need to go Ultra over competing sports watches.
Since there are no new technical upgrades within the Ultra 2 to analyze, let’s at least recap the pros of the Ultra 2 in general: Compared to a regular Apple Watch, the Ultra is more rugged and sporty. Powered by Apple’s S9 chip and highly accurate U2 GPS chip, the Ultra 2 tracks just about any workout or activity you could throw at it — including extreme ones, like scuba diving or surfing thanks to the watchOS 11 update. The watch offers clutch features like automatic running detection or personalized tips on when to push or when to recover. Whether you’re a lifelong athlete or are just getting into cycling or surfing after making the Olympics your entire personality, the Ultra Watch 2 is a serious training companion.
Debuted last year, the Ultra 2 is also armed with double tap. A quick double tap of your thumb and index finger (pinching emoji style) can trigger actions like answering a call or stopping a timer, depending on the activity you’re up to.
The new black Ultra 2 is still made with 95 percent recycled aluminum and, like all new Apple Watch finishes, can be made carbon neutral.
