Apple Watch Ultra 2 Advertised With 72-Hour Battery Life in Low Power Mode, But There's a Catch

While the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is advertised with up to 72 hours of battery life in Low Power Mode, compared to 60 hours for the original Ultra model, there is a catch.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 hero 230912
According to fine print on Apple's website, the testing parameters for the Ultra 2 in Low Power Mode were different than those for the original Ultra.

The fine print for the original Apple Watch Ultra said:

Multi-day adventure battery life is based on the following use while in Low Power Mode and with workout settings enabled for fewer GPS and heart rate readings: 15 hours of hiking workout, over 600 time checks, 35 minutes of app use, 3 minutes of talk, and 15 hours of sleep tracking, over the course of 60 hours.

The fine print for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 says:

Battery life in Low Power Mode is based on the following use: 360 time checks, 360 notifications, 180 minutes of app use, and two 60-minute workouts with music playback from Apple Watch via Bluetooth, over the course of 72 hours.

Given these very different testing parameters, customers should keep in mind that the Ultra 2 does not simply offer 12 hours more battery life than the original Ultra in Low Power Mode, which is something that could be easily misconstrued.

It's possible the original Ultra would also get around 72 hours of battery life in Low Power Mode based on the new testing parameters, but this is not proven yet.

We've reached out to Apple with a request for comment, and we'll update this story if the company provides a response.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

madmin Avatar
26 months ago
They probably made the new battery out of recycled nickel and dimes
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
26 months ago
If your checking the time 22 times per hour you need to find a better job. :rolleyes:⌚
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nathan_reilly Avatar
26 months ago

I wonder if Apple looked at the metrics of how the Ultra was being used and revised their estimates accordingly.
well it'd be nice if they went back and retested the first Ultra accordingly, right?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
26 months ago
I wonder if Apple looked at the metrics of how the Ultra was being used and revised their estimates accordingly.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoEw Avatar
26 months ago

They probably made the new battery out of recycled nickel and dimes
best comment I've seen on MR in awhile ?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jdusofbf Avatar
26 months ago
So they went in their testing from 15 hours of hiking + sleep tracking to 2 hours of workouts without any sleep tracking? Of course they got 12 extra hours lol
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)