Apple Watch Ultra 2

Apple's second-generation rugged watch might look familiar, but there are plenty of upgrades under the hood, making it a no-brainer upgrade

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For the casual onlooker, the physical difference between the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Apple Watch Ultra seems negligible. It's the same 49mm case size, the same button layout, and has almost identical band options to choose from.

But look closely and you'll reveal some pretty significant changes, like the brighter LTPO OLED screen, which has a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits. It's incredibly bright for a small screen (well, small compared to smartphone displays) and said to be 50% brighter than its predecessor.

It also has beefed-up green credentials. When purchased with the new Alpine or Trail Loop, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is Carbon Neutral certified, thanks to its recycled titanium case, which extends up to surround and protect the flat sapphire front crystal from edge impacts.

A titanium guard also protects the Digital Crown to help prevent accidental rotations. The Digital Crown is big with coarser grooves, and the side button is raised so that both can be easily used even in gloves.

But the most impactful hardware change isn't visible to the naked eye: it's the new S9 System in Package (SIP). The new processor boosts performance and adds capabilities, including the new double tap gesture, on-device Siri, and more. It's the same processor powering the Apple Watch Series 9 and the most powerful chip in an Apple Watch ever. The S9 SiP has a dual-core CPU with 5.6 billion transistors - 60% more than the Series 8- and a GPU up to 30% faster.

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