Apple Watch Ultra: 10 New and Noteworthy Features

[LIVEFRMNYC]

In some cases the siren would be more useful in the crowded, public areas (urban wilderness) than in the (rural) wilderness...

Yea, I'm not trying to piss bears and mountain lions off. 😅

 

[DrV]

That GPS L1+L5 (plus probably a whole lot of other GNSS options) is actually a real step forward for those of us who track their steps. I usually use two different trackers (AW6 plus a sports watch) when running, and it is quite surprising how different the distances are (several percents off). AW6 is quite optimistic, I'd say.

 

[Mr. Chewbacca]

So glad I was already shopping around for a dive computer. Feeling more justified about buying the watch I totally would have bought anyway.

 

[DrV]

Area is a quadratic function. So the Ultra has 1164 - 1143 = 21 sq mm more area than the 8. Since the aspect ratio is roughly square, that means that the Ultra has roughly sqrt(21) = 4.6 mm more linear space in each direction. That’s more than an eighth of an inch.

Grab your ruler, and you’ll see that that’s a non-trivial length for something to go on your wrist.

Yes, it would be nice were the bezels as thin as on the 8 — whether because the case was smaller or the display area was bigger. I’m sure we’ll see that no later than mid-decade.

But the display itself actually is bigger, plus it’s got a much larger battery, plus it’s got the extra speakers and microphones, plus it’s got … well, an improved but not as much improved as you might have hoped for display seems a reasonable compromise for all the other leaps ahead in the Ultra.

Nobody’s yet commented on the substantial increase of thickness of this watch; that’s likely to be much more annoying day-to-day. But I’m hoping / expecting to be pleasantly surprised … by the numbers, my S4 would seem to be a behemoth, but it actually looks and feels like nothing. I’m guessing that, by the end of the second day of wearing the Ultra, it’ll feel perfectly natural.

b&

Back to Maths 101...

If you have a square with 1164 mm2 area, its side is 34.11 mm.
If you have a square with 1143 mm2 area, its side is 33.80 mm.

So, the difference is around 0.3 mm. Not very much, I'd say.

 

[BenGoren]

All of those complaining about the temperature … the post clearly states, “ON WRIST.” So, unless you’ve got frostbite, your body is going to be warming the watch to well above freezing. Similarly, unless you’re about to die from heat stroke, your body will act as an heat sink that will cool the watch to well below 50°C.

If you’ve taken the watch off, or if you’re wearing it on top of your arctic parka … yeah, then the watch might have a problem. But why would you do that?

b&

 

[Martinpa]

[…] to accommodate the most extreme environments […] from –4° F (–20° C) […]

Outside my apartment in the Canadian winter is too extreme of an environment…

 

[tivoboy]

Do we think this is the first real world product implementation of apples LIQUIDMETAL purchase of technology?

 

[Macalway]

More buttons is a big difference. Also, the speaker. Another big difference. These things take up space.

Do you imagine Apple wastes space? Apple? LOL. Point is, it's useful.

 

[_Spinn_]

I’m still amazed that it is only $799. Can’t wait to read the reviews. If the reviews are positive I’ll probably pick up next year’s Ultra.

 

[djphat2000]

It’s not a bigger screen it’s basically exactly the same look on apples site; it’s just the huge bezel and case make it 49mm but not bigger screen, also all these features like brighter display etc should have been on series 8 most people don’t want this brick of a watch but want the new features

I want this brick of a watch. Exactly what I was looking for since they started making watches.
I'm unusual I guess.

 

[anthonylambert]

Look like Rockley Photonics got their temperature sensor into Series 8. Apple will be paying them some more money then. That will help with their other sensor development like Glucose and Alcohol etc...

 

[spartan1967]

Yes. That 49mm size is very deceiving comparing it to a 45mm with that large bezel. An additional half of a half of a street name letter on each side is far from impressive. Hopefully Apple gives the 49mm proper real estate next year on a normal AW.

 

[Mescagnus]

That's one ugly watch. Years in the making, they said?

 

[JackNL]

I preordered one, but I may cancel. The screens actually seem to be the same size. The only software features the ultra seems to have is the depth app and a watch face. The button would be useful.
I like to pretend that I would get use out of the ruggedness, but if I'm honest with myself I wont.

A Rolex, which is only good for time and date, start around $7.000 and still people are buying it (sometimes above retail). It's not only common sense and rational functionality. If you like what you see in the new Ultra, don't cancel.

 

[RevTEG]

agreed. Since it has the flat physical bezels, would have been nice if the screen itself went all the way up to the edges. That black border is quite large.

Apple had to leave something for Ultra series 2. 😃

 

[surfzen21]

That all red night mode looks awesome. I wonder if the other watches are getting it too.

 

[Eorlas]

does the iPhone 14 (pro possibly?) have the extra GPS feature?

 

[skottichan]

I admit, I'm not the target audience for this, but I want it just for the Night Mode function.

 

[decypher44]

I think one feature they really should/could have implemented is solar. The Tough Solar on my G-Shock is fantastic! If this is an “outdoor” adventure watch, it seems like a natural fit. It could stretch out the battery life quite a bit.

 

[djphat2000]

wats extreme tho, the normal watch is strong and durable and you can add an extreme case if you want, so what's so special, this has the louder speakers and brighter display that's not extreme that should have been standard on series 8

Which normal watch are you referring to?
The Aluminum? Or the Stainless Steel (Silver, Gold, Dark), or the other Titanium one?
Any one of them can hold up very well for most people. And yes you have the option to add a strong case to protect it.
But for $50 more than the normally priced Steel versions. You don't need a case, has a bigger and louder speaker, and additional function button. And a screen that is just under the bezel. Where as the current watches are bubbled up past the bezel. Tends to take the hits and dings, at least for me.

This watch is rated for more extreme environments than the normal watch. You're not going to dive with an Apple Watch Series to 100+ feet in sea water. These are differences that tend to require a different design than the current.
It wouldn't surprise me that the next version or 2 from now will have SOS satellite communications. So they will have the extra space for the antennas.

And are we saying series 8 isn't better than 7?

 

[paulypants]

The bezel is way too wide on Ultra. The display area on Ultra, according to Apple specs is 1164 sq mm vs 1143 sq mm on a regular Watch 8: basically the same size just ultra has bigger bezels. Shame

Gee I dunno, maybe their designers didn't think bout this at all when they designed it. There has to be no real reason for it at all. 😏

 

[paulypants]

It’s same screen size just ultra has bigger bezels

False.

 

[Jacoblee23]

As a dude with a small wrist I'm so bummed about how gigantic this thing is. The features are awesome and I would totally pick one up in a smaller case size but this would look absolutely comical on me

Same here. I would look like an absolute fool with this thing on my tiny wrist.

 

[Jumpinbeans]

I can see this only really being used in the urban jungle not actual jungles or anywhere remotely rough. In those situations you wan a tried and tested reliable outdoor watch.....and this won't be it.....at least for a good few years.

 

[Aston441]

A Rolex, which is only good for time and date, start around $7.000 and still people are buying it (sometimes above retail). It's not only common sense and rational functionality. If you like what you see in the new Ultra, don't cancel.

To be fair, in five years the Rolex won’t need to be binned due to Rolex dropping software support.