Apple Unveils Apple Watch Ultra With Large-Screen Design for Athletes and Explorers

[onlinespending]

Does it have ANT+? How can one connect it to a boat, bike, pro hr band, cadence sensor, powermeter, and so on?

Doesn’t look like a gadget for athletes and explorers to me.

Yeah, this is really disappointing! Wish Macrumors, 9to5mac, iMore, and others should call Apple out on this omission. This is definitely something they need to fix for the next gen Ultra (aka another money grab)

 

[jca666us]

My Fenix 5+ gets about 10 days of battery life with smartwatch mode. The Fenix 7X Solar can get up to 3 months battery life in Expedition GPS mode. Apple has a long way to go get Garmin users.


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Well, we know that Apple doesn’t stand still. The ultra is an outgrowth of the apple sports watches.

Garmin could end up like blackberry in a few years.

With better processor and improved battery tech, we could see the ultra get a week or more battery life.

 

[minivini]

Truly the ugliest watch I’ve ever seen.

Wow, you should get out more!

 

[iLLUMI]

Ultra... the marketing team had to use that.

The marketing team had to copy that from Mobvoi.

 

[Confused-User]

Parking lot at work is full of jacked up Jeep "Mall Crawlers" with giant noisy tires that would drive me bonkers in less than 20 min and front mounted wenches [...]

Front.

Mounted.

****Wenches****.

That may be the funniest typo I've ever seen.

 

[Fumblerooskie]

Does it have ANT+? How can one connect it to a boat, bike, pro hr band, cadence sensor, powermeter, and so on?

Doesn’t look like a gadget for athletes and explorers to me.

Yeah, this is really disappointing! Wish Macrumors, 9to5mac, iMore, and others should call Apple out on this omission. This is definitely something they need to fix for the next gen Ultra (aka another money grab)

There are Bluetooth cadence sensors for cycling and HRM monitors. Look at Wahoofitness for starters. Might want to have a look at WatchOS9, it has metrics for stride and contact time, it probably calculates cadence for running as well.

Safetywise, for viewing in real time, you want those metrics on your cycling GPS affixed to the handlebar, not on a watch or phone in my opinion. Good way to bust your arse unless you are a leisure rider on an empty road. Otherwise, use an iPhone or proper cycling GPS to view the data after the workout. Proper tools and all that…

 

[hafiziza]

As someone who wears long sleeve shirts, I wonder if the watch will fit under the cuff.

 

[svish]

Seems like a good Apple watch. Maybe in the future, Apple could launch the normal variant with a larger screen.

 

[Will Co]

Apple lawyers will always include it, regardless of the watch's capabilities over time. Understand your concerns and I definitely wouldn't trust it after servicing. I just think you're reading too much into that statement.

My dive computer manufacturers don’t include that statement in their specs. Their lawyers are happy that the product has been specified to withstand the appropriate depth for life, so long as it’s serviced properly. That service will include a pressure test and certification. I guess that’s what Apple lawyers are saying here in not so many words. At some point this thing cannot be trusted because it will need a service that includes a pressure test and there is no way for that to happen, so you have been warned. My dive computers get serviced annually. I guess it’s ok to dive with this watch for 12 months and that’s it.

 

[Sf844]

There are Bluetooth cadence sensors for cycling and HRM monitors. Look at Wahoofitness for starters. Might want to have a look at WatchOS9, it has metrics for stride and contact time, it probably calculates cadence for running as well.

Safetywise, for viewing in real time, you want those metrics on your cycling GPS affixed to the handlebar, not on a watch or phone in my opinion. Good way to bust your arse unless you are a leisure rider on an empty road. Otherwise, use an iPhone or proper cycling GPS to view the data after the workout. Proper tools and all that…

But the whole thing is, you need to be able to add it to an ecosystem, and those ecosystems (pro and prosumer equipment) work based on ANT+. It’s surprising that they didn’t take that into account.

It’s not only bikes, it’s also for runners, swimmers, indoor training and so on. Basically the intended audience me thinks. What do you want the watch for otherwise? A pro watch that doesn't work with advanced training equipment is just a chunky and expensive Apple Watch SE. Do you want a flashy "tough" watch that doesn't work with your equipment? Buy a Rolex Sea Dweller.

People aren't going to move from an universally accepted standard just because Apple doesn't want to use it on a niche product. It's hardly going to be used as a diving computer either, that requires a lot of well established trust and no-nonsense. This is going to fail, and I'm not your usual "Apple is doomed" type.

Wahoo are ANT+ and completely compatible with the Garmin ecosystem BTW.

The Watch calculates lots of thing, only pro equipment does it better.

 

[brogwalkerh]

Int

"new action button in international orange..."
Apple has really just gotten so full of themselves

International Orange is a legitimate, often used color used for quick ID and to stand out….used in many safety applications. Not sure what makes them full of themselves for doing that 😅

 

[gregriley]

My Casio G-Shock has 2 years battery life.

My Casio G-Shock GSW-H1000 Wear OS struggles to manage a day battery life.

 

[Spankey]

Not something I would wear everyday. I can see it’s use though if used for outdoor activities.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Int

International Orange is a legitimate, often used color used for quick ID and to stand out….used in many safety applications. Not sure what makes them full of themselves for doing that 😅

Some people think everything Apple names is them being full of themselves. Saw a similar comment about the "dynamic island" as well.

 

[gregriley]

Int

International Orange is a legitimate, often used color used for quick ID and to stand out….used in many safety applications. Not sure what makes them full of themselves for doing that 😅

The Apple Watch Ultra at £849 now also replaces my international orange safety emergency whistle that cost £1 and lives in my backpack. Due to its simple design and no battery requirement it will probably stay in my backpack. It might save me from needing a satellite message sending iPhone 14.

On that note, I predict 2023 is going to be a record year for Mountain Rescue Teams.

 

[jbellanca]

A proper diver computer doesn’t have a CYA clause when it comes to water resistance. The device either can or cannot be relied upon at depth. Period. If not then it doesn’t come diving with me. I always dive with spares of all critical safety equipment in case of failure. My dive computer is such a piece of equipment. I would not dive knowing that one of my two units is not to be relied upon - effectively a fail before I’ve even started. IMHO Apple should not have gone there. Scuba kit needs professional servicing by certificated technicians. Never gonna get those guarantees from a Genius Bar and my local scuba centre won’t be able to service an Apple Watch, so it’s neither one thing or the other.

They were always very careful to say "recreational scuba" or "recreational diver"... I took that to mean - someone who goes out once or twice on vacation with a group of people on a tour boat, or something similar.

 

[Sf844]

Some people think everything Apple names is them being full of themselves. Saw a similar comment about the "dynamic island" as well.

It's not about "thinking", Apple is usually marketing on top of marketing on top of marketing. Ask the magic retina displays and the aerospace grade aluminum, ie mid to high density screen and aluminum.

 

[Sf844]

They were always very careful to say "recreational scuba" or "recreational diver"... I took that to mean - someone who goes out once or twice on vacation with a group of people on a tour boat, or something similar.

And who buys an almost unwearable 49mm piece of wrist equipment to go diving twice a year?

The problem with this product is it's too weird to be mainstream and too incapable to be professional.

 

[jamesrick80]

I'm calling Christopher Columbus (to explore and get lost) and Shaq (since it would look perfect on his wrist due to it's larger than life face 👀), nothing else can be said for this wasted product. SMH

 

[onlinespending]

There are Bluetooth cadence sensors for cycling and HRM monitors. Look at Wahoofitness for starters. Might want to have a look at WatchOS9, it has metrics for stride and contact time, it probably calculates cadence for running as well.

Safetywise, for viewing in real time, you want those metrics on your cycling GPS affixed to the handlebar, not on a watch or phone in my opinion. Good way to bust your arse unless you are a leisure rider on an empty road. Otherwise, use an iPhone or proper cycling GPS to view the data after the workout. Proper tools and all that…

Don’t a lot of stationary bikes only have ANT+ meters? Mine is like that. And obviously no risk of busting ass

 

[Creek0512]

"new action button in international orange..."
Apple has really just gotten so full of themselves

Would you have preferred fire engine red or school bus yellow?

 

[siddavis]

This is a niche product for niche group of users. I'm not certain the R&D and sales will warrant this specific product as worth the effort.

I DO see like already mentioned of a sensor or bands possibly being compatible that this will combine with the typical series models.

I'm kinda shocked that this wasn't an Apple Nike+ Adventure or Rugged named watch.

Ugly, needlessly expensive but I think this product will phase out and it's core benefits and pillars will trickle into the normal lineup.

I think of it like the S8 is really the SE, and the SE is like the old S3. Difference for the user is the significant price bump.

 

[siddavis]

Would you have preferred fire engine red or school bus yellow?

I don't care what color it is, but let's not pretend that it needs to stand out as a safety measure - "don't press unless your life depends on it". It's a freakin button that they added. They celebrate it as if it will revolutionize everything and change the way you think about watch buttons. So much so that we MUST tout the international orangeness because it is just so G-D important. A button...

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think of it like the S8 is really the SE, and the SE is like the old S3. Difference for the user is the significant price bump.

The S8 is the mainstream Apple Watch that perhaps most will buy. The SE still exists and is a current release and the Ultra is just the niche offering.

 

[siddavis]

The S8 is the mainstream Apple Watch that perhaps most will buy. The SE still exists and is a current release and the Ultra is just the niche offering.

I understand the market placement. My point was the Ultra is what the S8 should have been (at least feature wise). Really, look at the advancements from S4 to S8 and tell me they haven't gimped the mainstream watch so that they could create this new Ultra market. They really don't have much competition, so why not. They can now command $800 for the privilege of these advancements.