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Apple Watch Ultra Teardown Reveals Larger Battery, Improved Water Resistance, and More

One would have thought that at some stage, Apple and Garmin would provide watches that allow users to replace batteries by just removing a back cover. Imo, it would be a good selling point. Won't happen of course, both companies are banking on users buying a new watch when the battery fails rather than sending it off for a technician to replace a new one. I have both a Apple Watch 8 and Garmin Fenix 7, when the battery goes I will probably be seduced by new features that I will probably never use. As Tom Cruise once said, "show me the money."
 
daveathall said:
One would have thought that at some stage, Apple and Garmin would provide watches that allow users to replace batteries by just removing a back cover. Imo, it would be a good selling point. Won't happen of course, both companies are banking on users buying a new watch when the battery fails rather than sending it off for a technician to replace a new one. I have both a Apple Watch 8 and Garmin Fenix 7, when the battery goes I will probably be seduced by new features that I will probably never use. As Tom Cruise once said, "show me the money."
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Dave, just curious. Which watch you actually prefer more? For me, I wear the Apple Watch more simply because it is hardwired to iOS and is somewhat easier to use but I find the Garmin can take a pounding, charge in the sun, last 5 plus days and is my go to watch when I want to hike or go on a photography shoot. The Apple Watch sits on my desk until I am back. The only thing I miss on the Garmin is a touch screen. Thoughts?
 
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daveathall said:
One would have thought that at some stage, Apple and Garmin would provide watches that allow users to replace batteries by just removing a back cover. Imo, it would be a good selling point. Won't happen of course, both companies are banking on users buying a new watch when the battery fails rather than sending it off for a technician to replace a new one. I have both an Apple Watch 8 and Garmin Fenix 7, when the battery goes I will probably be seduced by new features that I will probably never use. As Tom Cruise once said, "show me the money."
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Would probably have made them more difficult to waterproof? I have no idea.
 
no_idea said:
It will be great when this thing evolves over the years to go more than a week on a single charge. I’m hoping apple will be pushing for that long term
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Nah a week is pathetic. I want two years. Why can’t they push for that?
 
GuruZac said:
I’m good with my Watch Ultra 👍 2-3 days of battery life works very well for me. The Garmin doesn’t give me the smartwatch experience the Ultra does.
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I'll take battery life vs features I wasn't using before anyway (like taking calls or texting). Epix is smart enough for my taste.
 
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1gadget said:
Does a 234 mAh larger battery and a 4mm larger screen than the AW8 45mm warrant a price increase of 370$ compared to 429 USD of AW8?
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Depends on whether you value the improvement in utility derived from that larger battery hand screen size enough to pay the extra money.

For some people, that could mean the difference between the Watch making it through a marathon and dying in the middle of one.
 
I am here because I am Apple user too. I will love AW again when I get battery life that suits my needs.
 
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needsomecoffee said:
Sadly looks like this might be the worst watch yet re: battery replacement. $400/year, then to the landfill. Oh well, I am sticking with my $16 Casio (whose battery is easily replaced using rear case screws), and my Luddite approach to sports/fitness.
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Typed on a Commodore Vic-20.
 
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1gadget said:
Does a 234 mAh larger battery and a 4mm larger screen than the AW8 45mm warrant a price increase of 370$ compared to 429 USD of AW8?
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Does it warrant a $49 price decrease from the S7 45mm Titanium AW with a smaller battery? Is the larger battery, larger case, larger screen actually worth the exact same as a S8 41mm SS w/ modern buckle band? Or $430 less than the least expensive Hermes S8 AW?

My point being, price comparisons between the various AW are pointless because there is no rationale to pricing other than the fine line between maximum pricing and lost sales. AW are expensive and for the most part faux-luxury items with built-in obsolesce rather than either value "bang for the buck" products or true fine jewelry watches that cost multiple thousands, but can last 100+ years with proper maintenance.
 
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Abazigal said:
I will pass, since a Garmin likely can't do the things I use my Apple Watch for.
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True. If you don't run, swim, bike, long hike, then Garmin is a poor choice. AW is better as a daily driver. Garmin's strengths, other than battery life, are durability, sports metrics and easy of viewing them in app or online, GPS mapping w/o cellular service, and ANT+ compatibility. But they are ugly, unwieldy as daily drivers, and the bands are horrible too. Also "Garmin Pay" is a frickin joke. I have 1 credit card that is compatible with it. 1. Amex isn't compatible at all.
 
Fiona FTW said:
True. If you don't run, swim, bike, long hike, then Garmin is a poor choice. AW is better as a daily driver. Garmin's strengths, other than battery life, are durability, sports metrics and easy of viewing them in app or online, GPS mapping w/o cellular service, and ANT+ compatibility. But they are ugly, unwieldy as daily drivers, and the bands are horrible too. Also "Garmin Pay" is a frickin joke. I have 1 credit card that is compatible with it. 1. Amex isn't compatible at all.
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Yeah, I run a couple of times a week, and the Apple Watch more than suffices for fitness tracking. Especially when it syncs with this LumiHealth app that lets me complete health related challenges in exchange for points, which I can then redeem for cash vouchers.
 
ohthehorror said:
Dave, just curious. Which watch you actually prefer more? For me, I wear the Apple Watch more simply because it is hardwired to iOS and is somewhat easier to use but I find the Garmin can take a pounding, charge in the sun, last 5 plus days and is my go to watch when I want to hike or go on a photography shoot. The Apple Watch sits on my desk until I am back. The only thing I miss on the Garmin is a touch screen. Thoughts?
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I'm not Dave but I'll pretend I am... I've had/have both. The AWU was everything I kept telling myself I needed from Apple to give up Garmin. But here I sit with my Fenix 7 looking at me with sad puppy eyes.

I think I'm finding I dont want a smartwatch. I appreciate the quiet simplicity and fitness centric approach of the Garmin. I dont need music streaming, LTE, Apple Pay, none of that. The things pulling me to AWU are its amazing build and tech (what it *could* do if I wanted). It really is a fantastic unit and probably better for 99% of the people out there. What I'm not liking is all the apps I need to use/manage this experience that was all in one place with Garmin Connect.
 
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ohthehorror said:
Dave, just curious. Which watch you actually prefer more? For me, I wear the Apple Watch more simply because it is hardwired to iOS and is somewhat easier to use but I find the Garmin can take a pounding, charge in the sun, last 5 plus days and is my go to watch when I want to hike or go on a photography shoot. The Apple Watch sits on my desk until I am back. The only thing I miss on the Garmin is a touch screen. Thoughts?
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At the moment, I prefer the Garmin, but that may change, I have only had the Apple Watch since the end of last week and may not be used to operating it fully. I do like the fact that the connect app is also available (web browser) on my iPad and lap top and the battery life is out of this world. The touch screen on the Fenix 7 isn't as good as the AW (in my opinion). I am having trouble integrating them all together, I am trying to make it so that Concept 2, Garmin, Techno Gym and Apple work seamlessly but at the moment I am getting double and sometimes triple readings on my workout. This is probably my fault though and I am working to sort it out. It is interesting though.

I do like the fact that the Garmin shows steps and heart rate constantly and in real time on the face although, I do have trouble with the accuracy of the Garmin in a pool, I was impressed with the AW yesterday in the pool.

If I could only have 1? I think at the moment, I would pick the Garmin.
 
TTTedP said:
I'm not Dave but I'll pretend I am... I've had/have both. The AWU was everything I kept telling myself I needed from Apple to give up Garmin. But here I sit with my Fenix 7 looking at me with sad puppy eyes.

I think I'm finding I dont want a smartwatch. I appreciate the quiet simplicity and fitness centric approach of the Garmin. I dont need music streaming, LTE, Apple Pay, none of that. The things pulling me to AWU are its amazing build and tech (what it *could* do if I wanted). It really is a fantastic unit and probably better for 99% of the people out there. What I'm not liking is all the apps I need to use/manage this experience that was all in one place with Garmin Connect.
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I am Dave and that was probably a better answer than mine. I think you hit the nail on the head, the Apple Watch is a smart watch and the Garmin is a fitness watch, the boundaries are blurred though. I completely agree with you on the AWU and confess that I am also in that possibly expensive position.
 
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daveathall said:
I am Dave and that was probably a better answer than mine. I think you hit the nail on the head, the Apple Watch is a smart watch and the Garmin is a fitness watch, the boundaries are blurred though. I completely agree with you on the AWU and confess that I am also in that possibly expensive position.
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I've been fence sitting with Apple and Garmin a long time!
 
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