Perhaps competitors can do more, but in the apple kingdom it rules – Apple Watch Ultra [TEST]

I am a watch user on a daily basis Apple Watch SE with an envelope of size 44mm. It meets almost all my expectations. Maybe apart from those regarding battery life. I have to charge my watch almost every night. This is an outrageous result, considering what manufacturers such as Garmin or Polar have to offer in this aspect.

Going to the tests Apple Watch Ultra so I counted especially for a more durable battery. I also promised myself a lot in terms of screen brightness and envelope durability. After 10 months of use, the display of my Apple Watch SE looks as if I competed in the Iron Man competition every week. Meanwhile, my physical activity is limited to four workouts a week at the gym, as well as regular walks.

I have spent over a month with the new Apple watch. Here are 5 things you should know about it.

Apple Watch Ultra photo by DM

1) Rugged construction

Apple Watch Ultra is definitely it most durable smartwatch in the manufacturer’s portfolio. The housing of the device is made of airline titanium, and the envelope has raised edges, which additionally protects the display from scratches and damage. In turn, the screen, about which, more later in this text, has been covered sapphire glass.

Although at first glance the device makes an impression quite massivehowever – taking into account the dimensions of the case – Apple Watch Ultra is relatively light watch. It weighs without the band 61 grams. For comparison, the Apple Watch Series 8 with a 45mm case weighs 51.5 grams – the difference in weight between the two models is therefore imperceptible to me.

We have three types of wristbands to choose from: Alpine (trekking and climbing), trail (endurance sports) and Ocean (swimming and diving). I liked the second strap because it is the most flexible and soft, thanks to which I can wear the watch on my wrist 24 hours a day.

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I don’t do extreme sports, but I always take my Apple Watch with me to the gym, which exposes the screen to abrasions and scratches. How many times has it happened to me to “run” the clock face on the wall, or accidentally hit the barbell or other exercise device with it. My private Apple Watch SE after a dozen or so trainings was already scratched and quite deep.

How does the Apple Watch Ultra fare in this regard? Very good. So far, after a month of training, I haven’t noticed any scratches or abrasions on the screen. The sapphire glass does a pretty good job here. The housing also looks untouched, although if you look closely, you can find minimal abrasions somewhere near the edge of the case – visible only under the light.

Apple Watch Ultra case meets the conditions of the MIL-STD-810H standard, which means that this watch can operate in temperatures from -20 to as much as 55 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, I haven’t visited the Arctic for a long time, and we still have to wait for a real winter in Poland, so in this matter I can only take the manufacturer’s word for it.

The new Apple Watch, unlike the standard Apple Watch model, has an additional programmable action button that gives us quick and easy access to additional functions. This novelty will be appreciated by runners. You can use the action button to start training immediately, move on to the next interval, or start the next phase of mixed training.

Apple Watch Ultra Apple Watch Ultra

2) Buttons drive me crazy

Speaking of buttons, I have a problem with them – they are too big. OK, I understand that in theory it was supposed to provide better comfort of use – larger buttons are easier to operate, for example, with gloves. The problem is that large buttons are also easier to accidentally … press

It is difficult to count the situations when during exercise at the gym – bending my wrist – I accidentally activated Siri or paused the training. I had the same problem when using Apple Watch SE. I was hoping Apple did something about this. However, my hopes turned out to be in vain.

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3) Big and very bright screen and better audio

The display is definitely one of the brightest spots on the Apple Watch Ultra. Literally. Technology screen OLED LTPO offers maximum brightness of up to 2000 nits. This is a sensational result.

Nearly 27% more screen area than Watch SE makes it more readable. She appeared, among others new watch face – “Guide”, which constantly displays the compass for navigation and allows us to pin up to eight application shortcuts. After turning the crown, the dial goes into black and red night mode – useful in poor visibility conditions.

It is worth remembering, that such a large envelope is not for everyone. In the case of a person with a smaller wrist, the Apple watch will not look very good.

The Apple Watch Ultra has also been equipped with two speakers that are 40 percent louder. louder than the Series 8 model. The novelty is alarm siren function (86 decibels), which we can call when we need immediate help. It is supposed to be audible even from a distance of 180 meters.

The watch also has a set of three microphones with technology shaping bundles acoustic and wind noise suppression function, which improves the quality of voice calls made using the device.

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4) Excellent battery life

I will not hide that the working time on one battery charge was one of the key elements that I paid attention to during the tests. As I mentioned at the beginning – the Apple Watch SE, which I use every day, is very disappointing in this respect.

And how does the Apple Watch Ultra fare here? Much, much better. built-in battery, which is up to 76 percent. larger than the Apple Watch Series 8, it lasted more than two days on a single charge, which for me is an absolutely satisfactory result. Interestingly, Apple promised 36 hours of battery life here – the result of 48 hours+ was a pleasant surprise.

Additionally, the Apple Watch Ultra offers low consumption mode that extends battery life up to 60 hours. OK, in a moment someone will write in the comments that good Garmin watches will last a week or more on a single battery charge. And of course she’ll be right.

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5) Watch for diving and mountaineering

The problem is that – in my opinion – Apple Watch Ultra is aimed at a slightly different group of users. “Hardcore” athletes will continue to use Garmin and Polar devices. Ultra is a proposition for people who want to stay in Apple’s “ecosystem”, but expect a bit more from a smartwatch. It seems to me that the manufacturer christened it “Ultra” and not “Pro” for a reason.

This does not mean that the Apple Watch Ultra is completely devoid of “Pro” features. There are quite a lot of them. Let’s start with diving. Not only is the Watch Ultra completely waterproof, it’s also adaptable for recreational diving at a depth of up to 40 m.

The watch complies with the professional standard EN13319. has depth gauge with a water temperature sensor and a special application Oceanic+, which performs the function computer diving.

Apple Watch Ultra is also equipped with a new one temperature monitoring functionwhich allows for an in-depth analysis of the state of health. As Apple explains, the design of the two sensors reduces distortions that may be caused by the external environment or the body itself.

It’s also the first Apple Watch to use dual-frequency GPS that supports bands GPS, L1 and L5, and new positioning algorithms.

Apple has also refreshed the apps Compass, which automatically saves landmarks and shows us how far we are from them. There’s even a feature Trace, which we can use, for example, when we get lost during a hiking trip.

There were also functions such as:

• measuring oxygen saturation in the blood;
• ECG app;
• notification of too high or too low heart rate;
• cycle tracking with estimation of ovulation time;
• emergency SOS;
• fall detection;;
• car accident detection;
• constantly active altimeter.

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As for the “Pro” features, which the most expensive Apple watch lacked, they come to the fore here offline maps and step by step navigation. It is nice that Apple has expanded the compass functions, but the additional possibility of viewing the topographic map from the level of the watch’s large display could prove invaluable in many situations.

Apple Watch Ultra left valued for PLN 4,799. Is it worth spending such an amount on this device? As I mentioned earlier, the answer to this question is not easy. It is difficult to find a reference point for it. Ultra is a better device than most of the so-called casual smartwatches available on the market. On the other hand, it gives way to sports watches for professionals.

If you use AApple Watch SE be Series and depends you on a bigger screen, better battery and several additional functions, the choice is simple. There is no better timepiece in the apple kingdom at the moment. However, it is worth considering whether we are ready to spend an additional few thousand zlotys for these “extras”.