Design and Build

The Apple Watch Ultra, which is presented in a 49mm size, is manufactured in a titanium case and is 14.4mm deep to withstand harsh conditions. It is quite light and only weighs 61.3g and it is available in Natural Titanium. It fits 130–220mm wrists with the Digital Crown, side button, customizable Action button, and band release as well. The sapphire crystal front and ceramic back contribute to the watch’s qualities of 100m water resistance, IP6X dust resistance, and MIL-STD 810H durability. Its users describe it as an extremely rugged watch but mention that it shares the same design as Ultra 2.

• Titanium chassis, 14.4mm depth
• Digital Crown, Action button, side button, band release
• Sapphire crystal front, ceramic back
• 100m water resistance, IP6X dust resistance
• MIL-STD 810H certified

Apple Watch Ultra Display

Ultra has an LTPO OLED display with Retina branding that has 410 x 502 pixels (49mm, 1185 sq mm) at approximately 338 PPI. It supports up to 2000 nits of brightness with 1Hz to 60Hz variable refresh rate for always-on functionality. The display is as large as Ultra 2’s, brighter though. It is the user’s favorite for outdoor viewing but not as bright as Ultra 2.

• Retina LTPO OLED, always-on, 1Hz–60Hz
• 49mm: 410 x 502, ~338 PPI
• Up to 2000 nits
• Sapphire crystal protection
• Larger than Series 8

Performance and Software

The Ultra is equipped with the S8 SiP and a 64bit dual-core processor, having 32GB of storage, and running watchOS 9 (it can be updated to watchOS 11). The chip is the same as the Series 8, and it has Oceanic+ diving features and Crash Detection, but it cannot achieve Neural Engine features like Double Tap. With S9, the Ultra 2 processor surpasses the S8 one of Ultra in terms of speed. Its users describe it as a rock-iron watch but mention that it might be slower when it is running the latest apps.

• S8 SiP, 64-bit dual-core
• 32GB storage
• watchOS 9 (up to watchOS 11)
• Oceanic+, Crash Detection
• No Neural Engine or Double Tap

The S8 handles rugged tasks well, with watchOS 11 adding sleep apnea detection, but it’s less future-proof than Ultra 2.

Sensors and Health

The Ultra is equipped with a plethora of sensors like a blood oxygen sensor (since Jan 18, 2024 it's not supported for US geography), third-generation optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor (ECG), temperature sensor, depth gauge (40m), water temperature sensor, high-g accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and always-on altimeter. Cycle Tracking and dive metrics are its supportive features but they become disabled in the absence of watchOS 11 sleep apnea component. It is rated high on users’ list of the sensors ready for adventure activities, but the US-based users point out the limitations.

• Blood oxygen (limited regions), ECG, heart rate
• Temperature, depth gauge (40m), water temperature
• Cycle Tracking
• High-g accelerometer, gyroscope, compass
• Always-on altimeter

Battery and Charging

The Ultra boasts of a battery that can last you approximately 36 hours by using a 542mAh battery. You can also get it charged really fast (0–80% in roughly 1 hour) through a USB-C Magnetic Fast Charger. In practical use, it gives about 30–34 hours exactly the same as it can with the Ultra 2. The purity users noted that its battery life is great but they found that charging speed was .

• 542mAh battery
• ~36h (normal), ~72h (Low Power)
• Fast charging: 0–80% in ~1h
• Magnetic Fast Charger USB-C
• No wireless power sharing

Connectivity

The Ultra supports Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n, 2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.3, L1+L5 GPS, LTE (cellular only, $799), second-generation Ultra Wideband, and Apple Pay. It includes a microphone, speaker, and 86-decibel Siren. Connectivity matches Ultra 2, with precise GPS for navigation. Users praise its outdoor performance but note no Wi-Fi 6.

• Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n, 2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.3
• L1+L5 GPS, LTE
• Second-generation Ultra Wideband
• Apple Pay, Siren
• Speaker playback

Pricing and Availability

Ultra sales by Apple, retailers, and carriers started on September 23, 2022 and sold at 799(49mm,GPS+Cellular,titanium).It’s offered refurbished between 600 to $750 after being discontinued in September 2023. While some consider it an excellent option for enduring use, most note Ultra 2’s newer chip.