If you've been hankering after the Apple Watch Ultra 2 but didn't pre-order immediately after the launch event, you may need to be pretty patient: at the time of writing, some variants of Apple's best smartwatch are showing expected delivery times of early November in the Apple Store.
That may improve – Apple has a tendency of under-promising and over-delivering with its product ETAs, so you often get a happy surprise when it turns up earlier than anticipated – but clearly, there aren't enough Apple Watch Ultra 2 models to satisfy demand right now.
The good news is that some retailers are expecting to have multiple models in stock when sales begin this Friday, 22 September.
Where is the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in stock?
According to John Lewis, all of its Apple Watch 2 models are available for named day delivery from 22 September. It has the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop and Ocean Band versions.
Curry's also has Apple Watch Ultra 2 models available for delivery on 22nd September, but there are only two options here: the Blue Ocean Band and the Orange Ocean Band.
AO has multiple Apple Watch Ultra 2s with a reported delivery date of 22nd September; it has the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop and Ocean Band options in a limited range of colours.
Other retailers have a bit of a mixed bag. Trade sales warehouse Costco has some Alpine Loop models in stock for slightly less cash – £769 instead of £799 – but its website is currently crashing when you try to select the appropriate band size. O2 has multiple Apple Watch Ultra 2 models available for delivery 2-3 days after sales start on Friday, but some variants such as the orange/beige Trail Loop are currently showing a four-week delivery schedule.
If you're not too fussed about getting the second generation, the original Apple Watch Ultra is available with a discount from some retailers, such as John Lewis: it's currently listing the OG Ultra at £669. There are also a few refurbished models in the channel, with price tags of around £629. Given the toughness of the Ultra's construction those refurbs should be in near-new condition.
