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 SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

madmin Avatar
11 months ago
They probably made the new battery out of recycled nickel and dimes
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JosephAW Avatar
11 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
11 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
11 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
11 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
11 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)