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 2
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

madmin Avatar
21 months ago
They probably made the new battery out of recycled nickel and dimes
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
21 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
21 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
21 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
21 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
21 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)