You can get Apple Watch Ultra 2's best new feature without even buying it

News
By Oliver Haslam
published

There's no need to upgrade.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 modular ultra face
(Image credit: Apple/Future)
iPHONE 15: What you need to know

Teaser image for Apple Wonderlust event

(Image credit: Apple)

- Apple Event - LIVE reaction
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro /iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2
- iOS 17
- watchOS 10

The Apple "Wonderlust" event has been and gone and while we already expected about much of what was announced, there were still some tidbits of note. And then there's the tidbits of the tidbits, too.

The first tidbit is that the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with a fancy new watch face that is designed to make better use of its large display, putting more information on-screen at any given moment. That's a win in our books.

Then the tidbit of the tidbit comes when you realize that the new Modular Ultra watch face will also be available on the existing Apple Watch Ultra, too. That's an even bigger win.

No upgrade necessary

Apple announced the Apple Watch Ultra 2 alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 and, of course, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models. But the new Modular Ultra watch face was one of the biggest improvements to come to the best Apple Watch in the lineup.

"A new watch face designed for Apple Watch Ultra — Modular Ultra — takes advantage of the large display, using the outermost edge to present real-time data, including seconds, altitude, or depth," Apple's press release reads. "It offers the most complications of any Apple digital watch face to customize for sports, outdoor adventures, and ocean and water activities."

But the best part is something the press release doesn't mention — the Modular Ultra watch face will be available as part of the watchOS 10 update for the existing Apple Watch Ultra model.

It's only available in beta right now, but watchOS 10 will roll out to everyone on September 18. So, there isn't all that long to wait for your new Modular Ultra watch face, Apple Watch Ultra owners.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event news and reactions now that Wonderlust is over. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.