Is this proof Apple planned a black titanium Apple Watch Ultra?

The Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 look almost identical and are both made from titanium, Apple's latest material of choice. But where the iPhone 15 Pro comes in multiple colors, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is only available in the same natural color that the previous model shipped in. There were rumors that might not have been the case, but ultimately the natural color was all that we got.

However, the story has been given additional credence today following the leak of an Apple Watch Ultra band that appears to have black hardware, the kind that would be used on an Apple Watch band that was going to be fitted against a black titanium Apple Watch Ultra. The band itself looks to be genuine and matches other Apple Watch Ultra bands, with the only difference being that black hardware.

The source of the leak was X user DongleBookPro and as ever, it's important that we take these kinds of leaks with a pinch of salt. But the band does appear to be what the leaker says that it is.

This follows a leak last year that saw a full black Apple Watch Ultra also shared on X, but it was said that Apple ultimately decided against going that route. It isn't clear why that was the case, but titanium is notoriously difficult to change the color of and it's possible that Apple was worried that the finish could chip to reveal the silver base titanium beneath it.

If that's the case we might never see a different color Apple Watch Ultra, but the fact that Apple does offer four different iPhone 15 Pro colors gives us some hope that things could change in the future. Apple only released the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in September of 2023 so it's going to be another eight months or so before we could theoretically see a new model shown off. If that's the case, it seems likely that we could see more information shared in the coming months if Apple is indeed going to offer a black version of its best Apple Watch.

While the Apple Watch Ultra is a one-color affair, the Apple Watch Series 9 is available right now and comes in a variety of colors for those who prefer something a little more flashy. That too is expected to be updated in September, likely with the Apple Watch X according to reports by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.