Apple Watch Ultra 2 VERY dim inside and dark enviroments..

Just received my Apple Watch Ultra 2 today and loved it until nighttime. I cannot read my text messages at all because it’s so dim and the brightness feature does not do much. Please re-calibrate!!! This is unacceptable for a Watch at this price.

Same for me. It’s dimmer than my previous series 7. I can’t read it in a dark environment at all! I hate it. I have the brightest turned up to the max setting and it is still useless. I purchased this watch for its enhanced brightness as advertised, but this is so awful I’ll have to rerun it. Very dissaoointed. False advertisements Apple!

TEMPORARY SOLUTION UNTIL SOFTWARE FIX

-Make sure auto brightness is on.

-Place your watch face under a light so auto brightness makes your screen full brightness.

-Tell Siri to turn auto brightness off.

This will lock in your brightness to the max. For some reason, when you turn auto brightness off, it locks in your brightness to whatever it was at the time.

I just spoke with Apple and they are aware of the issue. On the face of the watch if you hold down the screen to edit the face you will see an Edit button> Tap the Edit button and on the top of the screen there is a option to slide left or right to choose night mode. Once you are in this option use the Digital Crown to scroll it to off.

This will not turn off the auto dim just the night mode where it goes red.

I use mine to monitor my blood glucose as I am a diabetic a couple of nights ago well early in the morning I had an alarm go off on my iPhone saying my blood glucose was low I struggled to read it on my watch and my phone was the other side of the room I misread it because it was so dim and thought that it was OK just a false alarm well it wasn't I ended up being severely ill on the verge of calling an ambulance because they were so low and misread the dim display was the cause!! Being low is called a hypo (hypoglycaemia) I was so ill, and now I'm angry with the watch, too late to return it now. You can die from a hypo (Prolonged hypoglycaemia can lead to encephalopathy, brainstem damage, cardio-respiratory arrest), and death I was very lucky, my wife recognised the symptoms and gave me half a bag of jelly babies to bring my sugars up.

I agree. The brightness in dark environments is ridiculous. I would return it based on this issue alone. This is a very expensive watch and not being able to see it in dark environments is ridiculous.

We are all having this intentional design problem/decision of too dim a display to be useful when you want to use it in a darker environment.

I get the ultra dim config when not in use but raised to use or adjusting the controls should or must have a user preferred setting for the dark room scenario. Even just double the current max brightness might be enough. This would be easy for Apple to code up as another selection in the display brightness setting for dark mode.

Do not respond with a working as designed and battery life choices. The watch is used for moments so a tiny percentage of reduced battery power is acceptable.

We all spent $800+ on this luxury item

and our older models do not have this issue. I say issue as enough unhappy customers means you need to make a change. It is so obvious we all cannot fathom how this got released and it seems an endemic problem on other models.

This issue really does reduce the quality and overall experience of the watch. Having owned enough Apple products over the years, it seems they need outside users to test their products who are not the design engineers that clearly have different goals and will not use the product.

I’m an engineer and I would fix this ASAP.

I like the overall product but this has me seriously questioning my purchase.

Please post this on your UX groups window for next update release.

Thanks

I like how Apple spent a year designing a product with the only change being a “brighter” screen which is actually not readable after 7pm because it’s too dim with no options to configure the brightness. Doesn’t anyone ever ask these questions before the software is released for final? or provide any input on things that should be added / changed or simply don’t make sense.

I too am having this issue. One thing I noticed is that the second and third brightness level in the watch settings app are the same. The third level which should be brighter than the second is not. Seems like a software bug to me.

I list below the safety hazards of this issue not being addressed by Appl:

1. Distraction: Straining to see a dim display can divert a person's attention away from their surroundings. This can be particularly hazardous if they're in a situation where awareness of the environment is essential, such as walking on a dimly lit street or staircase.
2. Tripping Hazard: If someone is looking at their watch and not paying attention to where they are walking in a dark area, they could trip over unseen obstacles on the ground, leading to potential injury.
3. Mistaken Input: If the display is too dim to see clearly, users might mistakenly tap or interact with the wrong app or feature, which could lead to unintended consequences. For example, if a user intended to turn on a flashlight function but accidentally activated a loud alarm, it could startle them or others nearby.
4. Decreased Response Time: In emergency situations, a dim display can delay a user's response time. For instance, if someone needs to call for help or use a specific safety feature on the watch, struggling to see the interface can waste valuable seconds.
5. Misjudgment of Time: In contexts where timekeeping is crucial, such as taking medication or catching public transport, not being able to clearly see the time due to a dim display can lead to errors in judgment or missed schedules.
6. Potential Security Risk: If someone is trying to discreetly check a notification in a dark area, a dim display might force them to bring the watch closer to their face. This action could inadvertently draw attention to them, making them a potential target for thieves or other malicious individuals.
7. Battery Concerns: Continuously trying to adjust brightness or frequently checking to see if the display is visible might drain the battery more quickly. A dead watch battery in a situation where the watch's features are needed can be a safety concern.
8. Misleading Information: If only parts of the display are visible due to the dimness, a user might misinterpret information, which can lead to incorrect actions based on incomplete data.
9. Reduced Visibility for Others: If someone relies on their watch's light in a dark environment to make themselves visible (for example, while cycling or jogging at night), a dim display could reduce their visibility to others, increasing the risk of accidents.

I returned my Ultra Watch 2 for this very reason. I really wanted to keep it but could not get use to the low light issue

Well, I got deleted for saying pretty much the same.

Wow. It's released, I commented kindly, and still got nuked.

That's why, after many years here, I stopped participating. I'd be a level 11 by now if I could put up with this.

And no, it's not acceptable.

I'm returning my U2 this week.

Thanks Apple.