The Apple Watch Ultra 2 could be unveiled later this year, alongside the Apple Watch Series 9. The tip comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman whose Power Up newsletter suggests a follow-up to Apple’s rugged wearable sooner than expected.
Previous rumors had us thinking the follow-up to the Apple Watch Ultra wouldn’t see the light of day until 2024 but that may not be the case. Unfortunately, Gurman has no information besides the fact a) the product exists and is coming and b) it’s codenamed N210. Still, that shouldn’t stop Ultra fans from getting excited about what the new product will bring to the table.
The Apple Watch Ultra already boasts the largest screen and longest battery life of any of the best Apple Watches as well as a customizable action button and unique features like a safety siren. But that’s not to say improvements can’t be made.
Although the Ultra promises a 36-hour battery life (and will go longer with Low Power Mode) it still can’t compete with the best Garmin watches when it comes to longevity. Many will be looking for a longer stint between charges from the Ultra 2, especially if you’re using it for a lot of GPS tracking or doubling it up as a dive computer.
Meanwhile, Gurman has previously speculated the Ultra’s Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display could be switched out for a Micro LED version in a future update. Over in the TV world, Micro LED has been shown to offer brighter colors and better off-angle viewing. Unfortunately, it’s also much more expensive to produce so could drive the cost of the wearable up.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Processor bump?
While that shift may seem sudden and unlikely for the second generation Apple Watch Ultra, it’s possible Apple will look to increase the performance with a processor bump. The current Ultra runs on a S8 SiP with a 64-bit dual-core processor as well as Apple’s W3 and U1 chips. Since Apple has introduced new Watch processors every year since the first generation model, this would seem like a sensible bet.
The benefits of a new Apple Watch Ultra 2 chip could include the ability to run more apps concurrently, not to mention refinements to all the fitness tracking data the Apple Watch Ultra collects. Added power could also lead Apple to introduce new features that may be exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Athletes, health fanatics and weekend warriors will be keeping an eye out at the Apple September event for a reveal of the Apple Watch Ultra 2. But there’s a host of other refreshes apparently on the way too, including the iPhone 15, a 13-inch MacBook Pro M3 as well as two iPad Pros with OLED screens. And just to round things off Gurman also mentioned work has started on the AirPods Pro 3.
While we wait for September to come around, check out our our Apple Watch Ultra 2 hub for all the latest leaks and we’d like to see.
