Is the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Worth It as a Digital Nomad?

I've been using the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for close to a year now, having bought it on day one. I mainly bought it as I was doing night shifts and I needed notifications to wake me up if needed, but I started using it for many different tasks over time.

Here's my take on whether this smartwatch is worth it for a digital nomad.

Travel and Outdoors use

Designed for adventurers, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a rugged build and is waterproof. It's made of titanium, so it's sturdier than the SE or Series models. I've tapped it against walls several times without any damage. But even though I heard that titanium is hard to scratch, mine is already full of small scratches everywhere, even though I haven't done anything crazy with it (except hugging walls).

If you want to wear an Apple Watch Ultra 2 screen protector, go for it. I never did, and the way it's built makes it harder to scratch the screen as it's designed without obvious screen borders, unlike the Series 8, 9, or SE.

One big difference in the build is the waterproofing. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is fully waterproof, along with the Ultra 1. According to Apple, if you have an Apple Watch Ultra or later, you can wear it during recreational scuba diving up to 130 feet (40 meters) and other activities like swimming, showering, and water skiing. Apple Watch Series 2 and later can be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean, but you shouldn't use models other than Apple Watch Ultra or later for diving, water skiing, or other activities involving being underwater below shallow depth or high-speed water. I've seen people on Reddit saying they had issues after swimming in seawater with their series, so keep that in mind.

The big orange button on the side of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is called the action button. You can customize what this button does for you. I personally use it for the flashlight. It's a nice plus, even though it's far from must-have. It's handy when you need it, but you could live without it.

Battery Life

If there were only one reason to choose the Ultra 2 over the Series 9 or SE, it would be battery life.

It can easily last 3 days if you don't overuse it, or two full days if you use it to track your sleep. That's a luxury compared to the SE and Series 8-9, where you always need to keep the battery in mind. With those models, you get used to putting it to charge an hour before bed if you want to record your sleep, or during your shower, even if that's not long enough for a full charge.

As a digital nomad, there will be times when you spend a whole day traveling and won't be able to charge every piece of gear you carry. Not having to worry about your watch is one less thing on your mind.

Screen and Display

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the brightest screen of any Apple product, which is great for outdoor use. You'll be able to see what's on the screen anytime and anywhere. That higher brightness also makes the flashlight more powerful, which is a nice plus.

The Ultra 2 also has the biggest display of all the Apple Watches. It might seem a bit too big if your wrist is small, but a bigger screen has a lot of advantages. When replying to a text, it's easier to type on the keyboard compared to the Series 9. When using GPS, you'll be able to more easily know where you are and where to go. It's also nice to be able to see the info on your watch face, even when you aren't actively using the watch.

Speaking of faces, the Ultra has its own faces made for its bigger screen. You can see different important information, the time, and 6 to 7 other data points. I didn't know I needed to understand how high I was until I had the option of knowing it (by ‘high’ I mean elevation).

Of course, there are also the classic customizable faces for the Ultra 2, with more space to show info on your complications.

Functionality and Productivity

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 supports several apps for organization and productivity, but there is a clear lack of apps when it comes to work. I would have liked to be able to use Teams natively, for example. Good thing that notifications will show up, and you'll be able to answer messages right from your watch. If your job requires you to be reachable at any time, it's a must to have an Apple Watch with you everywhere.

The walkie-talkie app is something I didn't care for until a friend with an Apple Watch told me to turn it on. Basically, this app lets you connect to your friends who have an Apple Watch. You just push a button and talk without needing the other person to answer. It can be awkward when you're in the middle of talking with your boss and your watch starts speaking by itself, but you can always turn off the walkie-talkie to avoid being bothered. It's a nice app to check on loved ones who tend to forget they have a phone or just to have fun.

Some basic apps like WhatsApp or Telegram aren't available, which is definitely a miss. Many developers have given up on the Apple Watch due to low user numbers. There's also the risk of paying for an app that gets dropped by its developer because it didn't sell well. There are a few decent games here and there, but don't buy an Apple Watch thinking you'll be able to play much on it.

One app I'm happy to have on the Apple Watch is Shazam. It's so cool to hear a song and easily identify it using Shazam. I've missed out on so many great songs because I didn't have my phone with me or because it took too long to get to it before the song ended, so kudos to Shazam!

The camera app from Apple is also nice, letting you open the camera on your phone even if you aren't near it. It feels a bit like James Bond, I have to say. It's also a cool feature when you want to take a photo from a distance using the double tap.

Double tap, the big new thing of the Series 9 and Ultra 2, is a technology that knows when you tap your index finger and thumb together twice. You can scroll through apps, accept a call, or change songs using it. It sounds cool, but it's almost completely useless. There's a big lack of customization for this function. I should be able to choose what it does on each menu, but Apple being Apple, you just need to wait for them to decide to add new functions. They only recently gave the API to developers so they can use it in their apps. So while it sounds cool, it shouldn't be a deciding factor between the Ultra 2 and other models.

Health and Fitness

If you aren't doing sports with your Apple Watch, you're not using 80% of what it can do. The Apple Watch is, more than anything else, a pocket tracker. It keeps an eye on your heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and breathing. It's nice to have, but it's not as helpful as when you're doing sports and tracking how your body reacts to what you do. Knowing where you are when hiking or jogging in the city is a great feature.

Apple's own sleep tracking app gives good results. In fact, it's the only sleeping app that is reliable, and it's also the app with the least features. You need to set up the hours around when you usually go to sleep for it to start recording, so if you decide to take a nap in the middle of the day, it won't record it. It's a very rigid app that does the bare minimum.

Having Siri on-demand is handy for quick tasks. But I suggest using Siri by pushing the crown to avoid making calls by accident. It happened to me that my Ultra 2 understood I wanted to call the police and it took me 15 seconds into the call to understand what happened... So keep in mind to turn off the option to wake Siri up by talking to it.

The Apple Watch Can Save Your Life

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is also a safety device, with fall detection and an alarm.

Fall detection is a feature that can automatically call emergency services and your emergency contacts if you take a hard fall and don't move for about a minute afterwards. It uses the watch's accelerometer and gyroscope to detect if you've fallen, and then it checks for movement. If it doesn't detect any movement, it will vibrate, sound an alarm, and tap you on the wrist. If you still don't respond, it will call emergency services and send a message to your emergency contacts with your location.

This feature can be really useful for digital nomads who might be traveling alone or doing outdoor activities. If you're out hiking or exploring a new city and you have an accident, fall detection can get you help even if you can't reach your phone.

The alarm is another safety feature that's designed to attract attention in emergency situations. It's a loud, dissonant siren that's distinct from regular alarms. The sound is designed to be attention-grabbing and unique, so if someone hears it, they're likely to investigate. This could be useful if you're in a situation where you need to alert people around you that you need help.

To activate the alarm, you press and hold the action button (the big orange button on the side of the watch) for a few seconds. The siren will then sound and the watch will call emergency services if you keep holding the button or if you don't move for a minute after the siren starts.

As a digital nomad, these safety features can provide some peace of mind, especially if you're often in unfamiliar environments. Knowing that your watch can help you get assistance if you need it can make solo travel or outdoor adventures feel a bit safer.

Of course, these features aren't a substitute for being prepared and cautious. But they're a nice addition to the watch's capabilities that could potentially be lifesaving in certain situations.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Bug

I ran into a bug where the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was clicking everywhere and swiping by itself. When you get work notifications, the last thing you want is for your Apple Watch to start replying on its own. This happened 3 to 4 times in a year. The only thing you can do is reset the watch, so it's important to know how to reset, restart, and unpair the Apple Watch, just in case:

- To reset: Press and hold the side button and the Digital Crown until you see the Apple logo.

- To restart: Hold down the side button until you see the power-off slider, then drag it to turn off the watch. Press the side button again to turn it back on.

- To unpair: Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to My Watch, tap the info button next to your watch, and tap Unpair Apple Watch.

Cost Condiserations

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is close to twice the price of the Series 9 and the gap is even wider with the SE. The question is, is it worth the difference?

The answer depends on your needs. For me, I decided to go for the Ultra 2 because of this really simple fact: I’m going to wear this thing on my wrist everyday for years.

Those few hundreds make a big difference when you are choosing which Apple Watch you should get, but what about a year later? Less. And one more year later? Even less.

In my opinion, the SE is the best deal of all the Apple Watches. And the Ultra 2 is the best deal if you plan on actively using your Apple Watch. The battery life, the bigger screen, the better GPS, the better waterproofing, the action button… There are so many improvements over other models that are not essential, but they are pieces of peace of mind.

If you manage to find a refurbished model at a good price, you should go for it as this is a very sturdy device there shouldn’t be a problem.

Is The Apple Watch Ultra 2 Worth The Price?

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is worth it for several reasons:

It has a better battery life.
Bigger and brighter screen
Action button
Better waterproofing
Better GPS
Unique faces

It’s obviously the better device, but the price tag is so much higher than other models than your choice should depend on your needs.

If it’s just for light workouts and notification, plus tracking your sleep. The SE is the better deal.

If you are more ‘hardcore’ and will use everything from the list of improvements, go for it.

As a digital nomad, if you have the money, it’s definitely a useful device, and I don’t regret choosing it over the Series 9 or the SE.