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is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine.
Last year, I wrote that you do not need a black Apple Watch Ultra 2. It was simply a color refresh, I said. The original Apple Watch Ultra on your wrist was still perfectly fine. The landfills of the world were better off without Apple’s first-gen ruggedized smartwatch filling it. Also, suggesting that you spend another $800 just because it looked sick as hell (I mean, looketh at these photos) isn’t great advice.
I still stand by that statement. But, but, but!!! If, you have been good and resisted for this long, I feel both guilty and obligated to let you know the black Ultra 2 is $200 off, listed for $600 at Amazon and Best Buy during Black Friday. And that’s a better value proposition now compared to back then for a few reasons.
$599
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in one size — 49mm — and is geared toward athletic types. It’s the most rugged wearable in Apple’s lineup, offering the brightest display as well as the longest battery life. It runs on Apple’s last-gen S9 chip, letting you take advantage of Apple’s newer double-tap feature. Read our hands-on impressions.
For starters — the Ultra 3 is very nice but also the upgrades are extremely minor. You get satellite messaging for emergencies (only helpful if you frequently go off-grid or have crap connectivity where you live) and slightly better battery. Also, this Black Friday price is only $10 more than Apple’s refurbished models. And $200 off is solid savings if you’re looking to upgrade from an original Ultra.
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