There was no Apple Watch Ultra 3 announced at today’s “It’s Glowtime” event, but the highest-end smartwatch from Apple is now available in a black titanium model.
Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, says the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is an ideal partner for athletes and adventurers of all kinds, featuring the most accurate GPS in a sports watch, the brightest display of any Apple product, and up to 36 hours of battery life with regular use or up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.
He adds that the upcoming watchOS 11 brings powerful new features to the best sports watch, with breakthrough insights from training load and the Vitals app; sleep apnea notifications; the Tides app; new customization options for the Action button; and more. A new Titanium Milanese Loop band for Apple Watch Ultra is designed for water activities. An all-new Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2 combines the features of Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a nautically inspired watch band and an exclusive Hermès watch face.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black titanium, Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2, and the new Titanium Milanese Loop can be pre-ordered today, with availability beginning Friday, September 20.
Williams says the new black titanium finish for Apple Watch Ultra 2 is achieved with a custom blasting process, and the diamond-like carbon physical vapor deposition coating over the grade 5 titanium makes it scratch-resistant and durable. The back crystal is made from a matching dark zirconia.
To complement the new black finish, the popular Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band have all been updated to offer a black hardware option in addition to natural titanium. Both black and natural finishes of Apple Watch Ultra 2 are made from 95% recycled titanium, and are carbon neutral with any Titanium Milanese Loop, Trail Loop, or Alpine Loop.
The new Titanium Milanese Loop is the first metal band for Apple Watch Ultra. It will be available in both natural and black titanium.
Enhancements to Support Activity on All Terrains and in the Water
Apple Watch Ultra 2 features the brightest display Apple has ever designed at 3000 nits, suited for a wide range of outdoor adventures. The precision dual-frequency GPS of Apple Watch Ultra 2 utilizes advanced satellite and signal models, custom positioning algorithms, and Apple Maps data to provide the most accurate GPS in a sports watch, leading to more accurate distance, route maps, and metrics, according to Williams.
With watchOS 11, the new Vitals app gives users a way to quickly view key overnight health metrics and gain better context when it comes to their health. The new training load feature offers a new way to measure how the intensity and duration of workouts are impacting a user’s body over time. An Up Next view for Custom Workouts helps users keep track of their current and upcoming interval.
The Action button can be customized to make it even easier to start a workout, switch between workout types during a Multisport workout, and more. With watchOS 11, users will be able to switch actions at any time by pressing and holding the Action button. Williams says this gives users quick access to useful features like Stopwatch, Backtrack, and Flashlight, and a variety of new options, including Translation, Voice Memos, and Shazam.
To help users plan and enjoy open water activities and stay aware of changing conditions, watchOS 11 will introduce a new Tides app for Apple Watch. Users can access seven rolling days of forecasted tidal information for coastlines and surf spots around the globe, including information on high and low tides; rising and falling tides; tide height and direction; and sunrise and sunset, all plotted against a timeline. Users can also view beaches near their location on a convenient map, and new complications show current tide information for their favorite spots or the closest beaches at a glance.
Sleep Apnea Notifications
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious condition where breathing stops momentarily during sleep. The condition, which is estimated to impact more than one billion people worldwide, goes undiagnosed in most cases, and if left untreated, can have important consequences on health. Building on the intelligent health features already available, Apple Watch now offers a feature to help identify signs of sleep apnea.
To detect sleep apnea, the smartwatch uses the accelerometer to monitor small movements at the wrist that are associated with interruptions in normal respiratory patterns, tracked by a new Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbances. While some breathing disturbances are normal, they are important to track as they can be used to help understand restfulness of sleep, and when occurring frequently over multiple nights, may be associated with sleep apnea.
The new sleep apnea algorithm analyzes breathing disturbance data so Apple Watch can notify the user if the data indicates signs of sleep apnea. The notification will include the time period when potential sleep apnea occurred, educational materials on the importance of seeking treatment, and a PDF providing three months of breathing disturbance data to reference during a conversation with a healthcare provider.
The sleep apnea notification feature is expected to receive marketing authorization from the FDA and other global health authorities soon. Sleep apnea notifications will be available in more than 150 countries and regions this month, including the U.S., the EU, and Japan.
Audio Playback Through Speakers
For the first time, audio can play back through the two built-in speakers on Apple Watch Ultra 2. Just like with phone calls, users can listen to audio from a range of apps — including Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, and third-party apps— right from their Apple Watch.
Pricing and Availability
- Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the U.K., the U.S., and more than 49 other countries and regions can pre-order Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black titanium today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 20.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at US$799 and is available in natural and black titanium.
- Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 2 is $1,399.
- New bands, including the Titanium Milanese Loop, will be available to order today from apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 20.
- watchOS 11 will be available for Apple Watch Series 6 or later on Monday, September 16, and requires iPhone Xs or later, running iOS 18. Not all features are available on all devices and in all regions.
- Three months of Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music are included for customers who purchase Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch SE. Apple Watch Ultra 2, or a new Apple Watch Series 6 or later.
- AppleCare+ for Apple Watch provides service and support, including unlimited incidents of accidental damage, battery service coverage, and priority support.
I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. All our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support.
