apple watch ultra - why?

[leifp]

Yeah, when i say i have taken chunks out of walls, i am not joking. There are some walls and structural pillars in the building i work at where i have literally dug chunks out of the thing with my apple watch accidentally (i’m a klutz swinging my arms when i walk past) and there is zero damage to the watch…


Flip side:

Be aware, the edge of the bezel is a very precisely machined 90 degree edge (so its pretty sharp). I’m paranoid about scratching the crap of my car with it.

And yes, as per an above poster: I am still 100% happy with my AW2. It has applecare. The battery health is 89%. I’ll see how it goes but right now i have zero desire to upgrade (its still super fast, responsive and does all the things) and at this stage will look to replace the battery when it has dropped low enough to qualify.

My history is S2, S4, S6 and Ultra 2.
IMHO once the watch hit S4 the watch became performant enough. But by 2 years in both my s2 and s6 were pretty borderline on battery life.

IMHO: Buy an ultra and be happy for years. I’m that happy with mine that i bought the titanium band for it. It rocks. It’s so much lighter than the milanese loop i had with the others.

Yeah, I also picked up the titanium band last year. A bit torn on it, though. It doesn’t let my arm breathe as well as the Trail Loop. And I’d love it if it functioned through magnets like the stainless steel version does. Yes, I know titanium isn’t magnetic but the design ought to allow for replacement of segments with stainless versions. I’m certain Apple or other style houses could craft such a thing and have it look great as well…

 

[edhchoe]

The ticking seconds hand in AOD is what I always wanted. and the Modular face is the only face I use everyday.
But the price was hard to justify at first.
But I love it. It is funny how a digital watch's ticking seconds costs so much. lololol.

 

[Howard2k]

My Apple Watch is about 6 years old and it’s recently started acting strangely when charging, i.e., it sits at 0% with the red charging icon for close to an hour, and then suddenly jumps to something like 50% a few minutes later.

Because of that, I’ve been thinking about replacing it sooner rather than later. That got me looking at the Apple Watch Ultra and wondering what the main appeal is compared to the regular Apple Watch models.

Aside from the titanium case and the larger size, I’m not sure what the major differences are. I know it has better battery life and improved water resistance, but I’m curious what else sets it apart. From what I can tell, it’s roughly twice the price of the standard Apple Watch, so I’m trying to understand what makes it worth that premium. Features like longer battery life and specialized sensors are part of the difference, but the overall experience is otherwise fairly similar.

I do like the look of the Ultra, but at the same time, the 800 dolllar price is way too steep imo

Battery life is the big one for me. I still end up doing a short charge each day when I'm showering, doing the dishes etc. It just means that the battery is never something I really need to be concerned about. It's still not a long as I would like, I'd love to see a full week.

The longer battery life is also great when exercising. For long runs when I leave my phone behind and want to stream music from the watch while I run, that can be quite thirsty.

SOS I'll almost certainly never use, even though I do like to do some day hikes. I also don't swim much and don't dive any longer.

I do like the look of it too, even though I have small wrists.

A good compromise might be a used/refurb, perhaps even an Ultra 2.

 

[cmiller4642]

Battery life is huge. I just upgraded to a Watch Ultra 3 and we went out of town this weekend and I didn't even need to charge it. My old watches had to be put on the charger every day, this thing just goes and goes and goes. It's the MacBook Pro of Apple Watches. The bigger form factor is also great for doing things like answering texts when you're busy on your phone watching a TV show or something.

 

[andyw715]

I'll echo battery life as the primary reason.
I started wearing AW with S5, but I've always had the Ti version, so since then the price has been the same (ok the U is $50 more). I went from a 5 to 7 to Ultra to U3. I sold each so was able to get a fairly nice chunk of the orig price back.

 

[Paul1964]

I love mine. The look and the battery life are what do it for me.

I got mine by selling some RAM I wasn't using, and then and taking that money and adding it to the trade in of my Series 7 at CEX (a UK store similar to GameStop in the US).

The watch is mint condition.

The strap is an eBay knockoff of the Nomad Stratos.

Edited for typos and spelling.

 

[DSTOFEL]

All of the things mentioned above:
-Battery life
-Build/durability
-Flat screen
-Brightness
-Multiple features
-ect, ect, ect…..

Plus, design/style as much as anything! I have very large wrists (a bit over 8 inches) and the Ultra just fits me and my lifestyle. I love the design of the Ultra and the band options.

 

[ChelseaDrew]

I own the Ultra because it is good dive watch and a good running (and many other activities) watch. It is considerably less expensive than buying separate watches (of comparable capabilities) for these activities. If I were neither a diver nor a runner, I likely would not have bought the Ultra.

I agree. I do however own different devices as you can't beat Garmin's battery life and I feel it's a multi sport watch but with that said I am a big fan of the ultra as it goes with me on many long runs and rides as anything over 13 miles running and over 50 miles (solo) on the bike I usually don't carry the phone so I need the cellular connectivity incase of an accident or being stranded.

 

[xDKP]

being 2x the price of the normal apple watch, and mine has lasted 6 years, do you feel its been worth the price delta?

You keep comparing it to aluminium models with no cellular. If you don’t value titanium, sapphire display and cellular at all, of course the value isn’t as good. Compared to the Ultra, the alu models feels like toys

 

[edhchoe]

You keep comparing it to aluminium models with no cellular. If you don’t value titanium, sapphire display and cellular at all, of course the value isn’t as good. Compared to the Ultra, the alu models feels like toys

the action button alone was worth the price for me. but i initially bought it for Modular Ultra face with AOD 1hz refresh.

 

[xDKP]

the action button alone was worth the price for me. but i initially bought it for Modular Ultra face with AOD 1hz refresh.

Action button is a great addition ! Coupled with precision start I can now just water lock my screen before going out in the rain, start the run, mark splits, pause and go inside and end it

 

[DMG35]

My Apple Watch is about 6 years old and it’s recently started acting strangely when charging, i.e., it sits at 0% with the red charging icon for close to an hour, and then suddenly jumps to something like 50% a few minutes later.

Because of that, I’ve been thinking about replacing it sooner rather than later. That got me looking at the Apple Watch Ultra and wondering what the main appeal is compared to the regular Apple Watch models.

Aside from the titanium case and the larger size, I’m not sure what the major differences are. I know it has better battery life and improved water resistance, but I’m curious what else sets it apart. From what I can tell, it’s roughly twice the price of the standard Apple Watch, so I’m trying to understand what makes it worth that premium. Features like longer battery life and specialized sensors are part of the difference, but the overall experience is otherwise fairly similar.

I do like the look of the Ultra, but at the same time, the 800 dolllar price is way too steep imo

There is no difference other than what you said above. I own both and prefer wearing the regular Apple Watch as I find the Ultra extremely ugly while the regular Apple watch is more streamlined and goes with more clothing options.

With that being said they are both a good option. I've just kind of gotten bored with the AW if I'm being honest. I hate cintanty looking at my wrist for notifications and alerts and see other people constantly doing it to, in the middle of conversations. I've gone back to wearing a traditional watch most days and only use the Apple Watch for working out to keep track of time between sets.

 

[Howard2k]

There is no difference other than what you said above. I own both and prefer wearing the regular Apple Watch as I find the Ultra extremely ugly while the regular Apple watch is more streamlined and goes with more clothing options.

With that being said they are both a good option. I've just kind of gotten bored with the AW if I'm being honest. I hate cintanty looking at my wrist for notifications and alerts and see other people constantly doing it to, in the middle of conversations. I've gone back to wearing a traditional watch most days and only use the Apple Watch for working out to keep track of time between sets.

Each to their own, but why not just disable/ignore notifications?

I have almost all of my notifications turned off and for the most part use it as a regular watch, but then if I DO want those smart features they're always available.

 

[Tdude96]

Heh, I LIKE notifications on my wrist. So much better than picking up the iPhone to take a look through them. They are also a super-handy way to bail on conversations that drag on too long. "Ooh, so sorry to go, but I've gotta take care of this." *points at wrist*

 

[DMG35]

Each to their own, but why not just disable/ignore notifications?

I have almost all of my notifications turned off and for the most part use it as a regular watch, but then if I DO want those smart features they're always available.

Yeah I could do that, but then what's the point of wearing it? I'd rather just wear a nice watch than an electronic one I guess that every single person that you see has one one.

Also, nothing grinds my gears more that when I see someone dressed formally and they are wearing an Apple Watch Ultra. The regular Apple Watch is at least passable as a formal watch but the Ultra immediately kills any formal attire someone might be wearing. Again, this is just my opinion and people can certainly wear what they want with whatever outfit they choose.

I guess as I've gotten older I appreciate a nice watch more than I did when I was younger and the Apple Watch is just another piece of technology that I don't think I really need and doesn't provide any value to my life.

 

[doogm]

Also, nothing grinds my gears more that when I see someone dressed formally and they are wearing an Apple Watch Ultra.

Why do you care which watch other people and when they wear it? Do you really think people should judge you based on which watch you wear?

It's probably a lot less stressful to just let people wear what they want to wear, especially when it has no effect at all on your life.

 

[loopy123]

My Ultra2 has an indestructible feel about it. I mountain bike and surf and it keeps coming back for more. I have dragged that thing across rocks and the rocks come off worse.

 

[jetsam]

Yeah I could do that, but then what's the point of wearing it? I'd rather just wear a nice watch than an electronic one I guess that every single person that you see has one one.

Also, nothing grinds my gears more that when I see someone dressed formally and they are wearing an Apple Watch Ultra. The regular Apple Watch is at least passable as a formal watch but the Ultra immediately kills any formal attire someone might be wearing. Again, this is just my opinion and people can certainly wear what they want with whatever outfit they choose.

I guess as I've gotten older I appreciate a nice watch more than I did when I was younger and the Apple Watch is just another piece of technology that I don't think I really need and doesn't provide any value to my life.

For "formal" occasions, I use this simple watch face and my Milanese band:

 

[CharlesShaw]

I'm willing to pay the high price because it's the only model with a totally flat screen which I find easier to interact with and easier to position to avoid reflections. The other Ultra features don't really matter to me.

 

[MattA]

I've had my Apple Watch Ultra 2 for about a year and a half. I purchased the black version when it was announced. Previously I've had the Series 1 and Series 6. I wanted something with better battery life and some extra durability. I also use it to work out a bunch, and I found that the Ultra works extremely well for this. It's actually really nice to wear, surprisingly. I thought the size would be a detriment, but honestly it's pretty nice. I plan to keep it until it doesn't function well anymore.

 

[someoneoutthere]

That got me looking at the Apple Watch Ultra and wondering what the main appeal is compared to the regular Apple Watch models.

Aside from the titanium case and the larger size, I’m not sure what the major differences are. I know it has better battery life and improved water resistance, but I’m curious what else sets it apart. From what I can tell, it’s roughly twice the price of the standard Apple Watch, so I’m trying to understand what makes it worth that premium. Features like longer battery life and specialized sensors are part of the difference, but the overall experience is otherwise fairly similar.

I do like the look of the Ultra, but at the same time, the 800 dolllar price is way too steep imo

I will share why I upgraded to the Ultra when it first came out, and make a suggestion for you: I did it for the battery life, durability and much brighter display. I was tired of charging my Watch every morning (it only leaves my wrist to be charged.)

You should consider the Ultra 2, they are going for $549 at Best Buy, brand new in box. All the health features are the same compared to the Ultra 3.
Connectivity on the cellular side of things and satellite emergency SOS + one generation newer chip + 6 hour longer battery life + little faster fast charging are the main differences between the U2 and U3. For $250 difference, coming from presumably a Series 5; the Ultra 2 would be an amazing upgrade for you without shelling out $799 for the U3.
LTE has performed great for streaming, podcasts and calls all these years with the original Ultra, and you can hardly notice the difference between "up to" 36 hours vs. 42 hours battery life. I still get multiple days of usage no problem.
Enjoy!

 

[BSDnostalgia]

Aside from the titanium case and the larger size, I’m not sure what the major differences are. I know it has better battery life and improved water resistance, but I’m curious what else sets it apart. From what I can tell, it’s roughly twice the price of the standard Apple Watch, so I’m trying to understand what makes it worth that premium. Features like longer battery life and specialized sensors are part of the difference, but the overall experience is otherwise fairly similar.

I do like the look of the Ultra, but at the same time, the 800 dolllar price is way too steep imo

My Fitbit is marginal, and, with Google-ization, this is a good time for me, also. But, yeah, price.

Three appeals to Ultra: 1) Somewhat more rugged. (Image of old ad of car running over Timex- maybe not that rugged.) 2) More battery life. Family members have several of the other Apple watches. Compared to the Fitbit, the series-whatever seem like constant recharging. Not an issue with my current Fitbit. Ultra sounds like what I have now. 3) Emergency communications and geolocation options.

What I don't like: 1) Price 2) The health/fitness functionality will be a bit of comedown after Fitbit. I wish Google would just respin off Fitbit and give us back what we already have.

 

[SnowCrocodile]

???
It's $49 more than the Series 11 Titanium/sapphire watch, which is the direct comparison...
Seems like a steal for the extras you get?

It's only a direct comparison for someone who needs these extras.

His question is valid, if the sapphire screen and titanium case are low on his priority list.

For me, two biggest reasons to pick Ultra over the regular watch would be a larger screen, and longer battery life.

 

[treimche]

If price is the main concern, you can get a refurbished Ultra 2 on multiple websites for $400. Best Buy, Ebay, Amazon, and many more offer them. Depending on the condition, you can even get a full 1 year warranty or return. All of them should have >90% battery capacity. All the reviews I read said their refurb Apple Watch Ultra 2 had 100% still. I just bought one off Amazon for all these reasons instead of going with a new series 11 that would actually cost more. My series 7 is starting to have battery issues so it's time to move on.

 

[drumcat]

To me, the Ultra is basically a tank. It feels like nothing can stop it, battery life is great and I totally like the look of it. It is THE Apple Watch 😎

Worth every penny in my opinion.

View attachment 2610976

This "tank" started giving me wrist pain, so I have stopped all things Apple Watch. The non-flat back is now a showstopper for me.