Apple Watch Ultra Display Too Dim in Low Light, Say Some Users
The Apple Watch Ultra display is too difficult to read in low light conditions, report some users, an ambient light sensor issue that is likely linked to Apple's watchOS 10 software update last month.
There are multiple complaints from MacRumors readers (1, 2), Reddit users (1, 2, 3, 4), and Apple Community users who say that they are unable to read information on the Apple Watch Ultra display in dark environments because the screen is too dim, suggesting the device's ambient light sensor has not been properly calibrated to increase brightness to an adequate level.
Launched last month, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 pushes the maximum screen brightness to 3,000 nits, making it the brightest Apple Watch ever, according to Apple. The display is also capable of reducing brightness to as low as 1 nits.
Some Ultra 2 owners have pinned the blame on this new hardware specification, however the recent uptick in reports also includes users of the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra, suggesting it is an issue with Apple's watchOS 10 software update, which was released in September.
Users say the issue is particularly pronounced when quickly moving from a bright room to a dark area, and when the Wayfinder and Ultra Modular watch face is set to Night mode, which puts a red filter on the display. Legibility issues persist despite manual adjustments to the brightness level in the watch's Settings. Both Ultra and Ultra 2 owners say the problem is evident on models updated with watchOS 10.0.1 and the latest watchOS 10.0.2 update.
Apple is reportedly aware of the issue, so hopefully a future software update will remedy the situation. Have you experienced difficulty reading information on the Apple Watch Ultra's screen in low light? Let us know in the comments.
(Thanks, Joshua!)
Popular Stories
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec).
The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps.
More features and changes will follow in future ...
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.
iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet.
The update will likely be released by the end of next week.
Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year.
The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass.
The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings.
iOS 26.4 will...
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more.
With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with an M5 chip, and there are two key storage-related upgrades beyond that chip bump.
First, Apple says the new 14-inch MacBook Pro offers up to 2× faster SSD performance than the equivalent previous-generation model, so read and write speeds should get a significant boost. Apple says it is using "the latest storage technology," ...
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year.
Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...
