My Thoughts on the Philosophy Behind the Apple Watch Ultra

[parseckadet]

So now that I've had my Ultra for a few days (picked up Saturday afternoon), I'm forming some initial thoughts that I thought I would share. I upgraded from a space black series 4. That watch was very unassuming. It tried to be minimalist and would just disappear on the wrist. The single word to best describe that watch was unassuming, the epitome of Johnny Ive style and very much a fashion watch. I saw this as a plus. I always wanted the stainless steel models because of the sapphire screen, but I feel the polished stainless steel and the gold are too blingy for my taste.

I don't think I had put much thought into it until now, but tool watches are more my style. Before the Apple Watch I wore a Tag Heuer Link chronograph (the same watch from The Borne Identity), and I was also drawn to the field style watches from Timex and Seiko (I was thrilled when the California face came out). For years I've wanted Apple to produce a brushed stainless steel watch, and I was very tempted by the brushed titanium models. Even then though, I would have felt like there was something missing. Another way to describe unassuming is lacking character. While that's maybe a bit harsh, I do feel like there is some truth there when I think about the original Apple Watch design. When the screen is off the Apple Watch is somewhat boring. The Ultra is 100% Apple's take on a tool watch, and it certainly brings with it some much needed character.

My wife has said that when we first met one of the first things she noticed was that Tag Heuer watch. It grabbed her attention in a positive way. There was just something about it that impressed. The style, the quality, the confidence that wasn't over the top, the way it looked on me specifically. 17 years later, when I got home with the Ultra (of course I was already wearing it) she had that same reaction as soon as I walked in the door. It's a reaction that hasn't been there since I got the series 0 all those years ago. I had forgotten it. Yet it was immediately familiar and most welcome. That speaks volumes about the Ultra.

I've posted in a few threads my thoughts on how others are bashing on the Ultra, but I'll touch on it here as well. I hate the fitness community and their constant gatekeeping. Many, many reviewers are saying that average people shouldn't buy the Ultra, while simultaneously puffing out their chest by saying that what they do is too extreme and the Ultra doesn't meet their needs. Yet every day people who aren't divers wear dive watches; people who aren't pilots wear pilot watches and aviator sunglasses, and nobody says a single word. Somehow society is perfectly ok with that, but how dare you wear an Ultra if you aren't running an Iron Man every weekend! I get that Apple's marketing of the Ultra invites this sort of commentary. At the same time I don't see people saying that only divers are allowed to own a Submariner, or that you can't own a Speedmaster because you'll never go to the moon. Yet Rolex and Omega have been advertising those watches in those ways for decades now and nobody bats an eye.

I'm an overweight, middle aged man. I can't even run right now because I'm recovering from a significant injury. Yet I bought an Ultra and I'm enjoying it. MKBHD put it really well in his review by saying that you don't have to be an extreme athlete to benefit from the features that are geared toward that audience. So far I'm really enjoying the extended battery life, always on screen, and all the other technical benefits the Ultra offers. But, I also really enjoy the LOOK of the watch. The feel, the weight, the size are all excellent and fit in with the aesthetic that I've been wanting from an Apple Watch for a long time now.

 

[Alhagar]

“Many, many reviewers are saying that average people shouldn't buy the Ultra, while simultaneously puffing out their chest by saying that what they do is too extreme and the Ultra doesn't meet their needs.” You nailed it. Well done. With a few exceptions I think that everyone is taking Apple’s marketing too literally. If they were only selling to the types of people portrayed in their videos/ads, they would not sell many watches. It is meant to be aspirational. Anyway, you lay it all out very well so no need for me to reiterate. But bravo.

 

[ssampath]

I wore my 3 cellular for 5 years. It did everything I needed. I could stream music and track my runs fine, I never felt the need to upgrade for another watch with the same look. I like the ultra because it different. It still does all that I need but for longer. Most of us don’t need the classic looks of the series watches, different is good. I hope the next design is a fun one day ala swatch. Maybe an awatch!!

 

[DontGetTheCheese]

It's a good watch with good enough battery life for most of us.

That simple.

 

[akidokraja]

At this point Apple should just stop producing regular AW. Just go Ultra all the way and add 53mm version for some of us.

 

[Salty Pirate]

I love my Ultra and anyone who throws down fitness snobbery my way can choke on it.

it is almost like the ultimate little iPhone for certain tasks.

 

[XboxEvolved]

I like certain things about the Ultra, but for $800 that is a tough pill for a lot of people to swallow. If I had to guess, a lot of the features of the Ultra will trickle down to the Apple Watch. I can see by next year or the one after, an Watch with the same size screen, aluminum, not as many sensors, not as durable (like not able to dive with it) maybe not as bright, for $450.

I'm sure it's not lost on Apple that when the majority of people are buying Watch it is either the first watch they've ever owned, or the most expensive watch they've ever owned, and they likely expect most people especially now to keep it for at least four years before getting a new one, if not longer, but $800 is still rough for a lot of folks.

 

[cardfan]

“Many, many reviewers are saying that average people shouldn't buy the Ultra, while simultaneously puffing out their chest by saying that what they do is too extreme and the Ultra doesn't meet their needs.” You nailed it. Well done. With a few exceptions I think that everyone is taking Apple’s marketing too literally. If they were only selling to the types of people portrayed in their videos/ads, they would not sell many watches. It is meant to be aspirational. Anyway, you lay it all out very well so no need for me to reiterate. But bravo.

Just goes to show you how easy it is for apple to manipulate the influencers.

 

[Farrellcollie]

I have seen a lot of mostly non-active people getting very defensive about the watch that they bought and seem to like. There are plenty of reviews about the average person loving the battery and looks and useful of the watch all while admitting they are not going to go deep sea diving or through hike the Appalachian trail. So now apple has a couple of different watch styles in order to appeal to different people. Hurrah. This is not a new or unique concept - car companies, motorcycles, other watch manufacturers etc all do the same thing. Apple is happy to take your money whichever style you want to buy.

 

[ian87w]

A watch is a fashion statement, status symbol, etc. Regardless of what features Apple put on the Ultra, in the end, it's the most expensive model in the Apple Watch lineup, and many people will simply buy it due to that. Simple. I have seen many people with Pro Max iPhone and Galaxy foldables simply because of them being the most expensive model, not because of their utility. The same with cars, etc.

 

[Shirasaki]

Many, many reviewers are saying that average people shouldn't buy the Ultra, while simultaneously puffing out their chest by saying that what they do is too extreme and the Ultra doesn't meet their needs

Just battery life alone id recommend Apple Watch ultra to anyone who can afford it. Being able to not worry about battery life (for example 30% right now on my series 4) that much can put so much less stress on my Mind and allows me to use watch a bit more freely than before. Exemplary battery life (for Apple Watch of course) is the biggest feature that will never trickle down to other Apple Watch simply because of the physics.

I watch those Review videos with more grain of salt as time goes on, and your comment on them puts more confidence in me to maintain strong skepticism about those reviews.

 

[1rottenapple]

So now that I've had my Ultra for a few days (picked up Saturday afternoon), I'm forming some initial thoughts that I thought I would share. I upgraded from a space black series 4. That watch was very unassuming. It tried to be minimalist and would just disappear on the wrist. The single word to best describe that watch was unassuming, the epitome of Johnny Ive style and very much a fashion watch. I saw this as a plus. I always wanted the stainless steel models because of the sapphire screen, but I feel the polished stainless steel and the gold are too blingy for my taste.

I don't think I had put much thought into it until now, but tool watches are more my style. Before the Apple Watch I wore a Tag Heuer Link chronograph (the same watch from The Borne Identity), and I was also drawn to the field style watches from Timex and Seiko (I was thrilled when the California face came out). For years I've wanted Apple to produce a brushed stainless steel watch, and I was very tempted by the brushed titanium models. Even then though, I would have felt like there was something missing. Another way to describe unassuming is lacking character. While that's maybe a bit harsh, I do feel like there is some truth there when I think about the original Apple Watch design. When the screen is off the Apple Watch is somewhat boring. The Ultra is 100% Apple's take on a tool watch, and it certainly brings with it some much needed character.

My wife has said that when we first met one of the first things she noticed was that Tag Heuer watch. It grabbed her attention in a positive way. There was just something about it that impressed. The style, the quality, the confidence that wasn't over the top, the way it looked on me specifically. 17 years later, when I got home with the Ultra (of course I was already wearing it) she had that same reaction as soon as I walked in the door. It's a reaction that hasn't been there since I got the series 0 all those years ago. I had forgotten it. Yet it was immediately familiar and most welcome. That speaks volumes about the Ultra.

I've posted in a few threads my thoughts on how others are bashing on the Ultra, but I'll touch on it here as well. I hate the fitness community and their constant gatekeeping. Many, many reviewers are saying that average people shouldn't buy the Ultra, while simultaneously puffing out their chest by saying that what they do is too extreme and the Ultra doesn't meet their needs. Yet every day people who aren't divers wear dive watches; people who aren't pilots wear pilot watches and aviator sunglasses, and nobody says a single word. Somehow society is perfectly ok with that, but how dare you wear an Ultra if you aren't running an Iron Man every weekend! I get that Apple's marketing of the Ultra invites this sort of commentary. At the same time I don't see people saying that only divers are allowed to own a Submariner, or that you can't own a Speedmaster because you'll never go to the moon. Yet Rolex and Omega have been advertising those watches in those ways for decades now and nobody bats an eye.

I'm an overweight, middle aged man. I can't even run right now because I'm recovering from a significant injury. Yet I bought an Ultra and I'm enjoying it. MKBHD put it really well in his review by saying that you don't have to be an extreme athlete to benefit from the features that are geared toward that audience. So far I'm really enjoying the extended battery life, always on screen, and all the other technical benefits the Ultra offers. But, I also really enjoy the LOOK of the watch. The feel, the weight, the size are all excellent and fit in with the aesthetic that I've been wanting from an Apple Watch for a long time now.

View attachment 2088894View attachment 2088893

Right agree. I love the tool Watch anology. I post this on another thread how there’s a security pin on my car that prevent theifs from stealing it but it’s annoying to always enter the pin to drive the car. I put the shortcut on the action button and bam! Such a great feature and I would love another action buttons. Hell I want 3 action buttons!

 

[1rottenapple]

A watch is a fashion statement, status symbol, etc. Regardless of what features Apple put on the Ultra, in the end, it's the most expensive model in the Apple Watch lineup, and many people will simply buy it due to that. Simple. I have seen many people with Pro Max iPhone and Galaxy foldables simply because of them being the most expensive model, not because of their utility. The same with cars, etc.

Yup. Jeeps, trucks, Porsche. Range rovers! Landrovers! Advertised to cross the desert or run the track but Never used for it’s intended capacity and no says anything.

 

[anthony13]

This is the best ‘review’ of the ultra I’ve read. Well done.

One of the first things I do when I buy an apple watch is turn off ekg, high heart rate, and other health notifications. It’s not because I don’t trust the watch’s metrics, rather that’s just not what this tool is for me. I think it’s pretty presumptive of reviewers to determine ‘who this is for’ as so many have done. I have a sometimes very demanding physical job that requires long days on site or in the air. The battery alone is a massive sales point. The rugged design is huge. I’ve scratched and dented up my previous series 5. Everyone has different needs.

 

[JM]

Ahh 😌 we need more forum posts like these ‘round here.

That was a good read, thanks.

I’m imagining a scenario now, where your wife pulled a “all hot and bothered” look and dragged you to the bedroom with one look at your watch 😂

You should right a letter to Cook and see if it makes it into the next Apple Watch commercial.

 

[Dealmans]

This is the best ‘review’ of the ultra I’ve read. Well done.

One of the first things I do when I buy an apple watch is turn off ekg, high heart rate, and other health notifications. It’s not because I don’t trust the watch’s metrics, rather that’s just not what this tool is for me. I think it’s pretty presumptive of reviewers to determine ‘who this is for’ as so many have done. I have a sometimes very demanding physical job that requires long days on site or in the air. The battery alone is a massive sales point. The rugged design is huge. I’ve scratched and dented up my previous series 5. Everyone has different needs.

Really? This from someone on a forum in Aus.

"So I mentioned earlier about my Ultra picking up signs of Atrial Fibrillation so I took myself to the doctors and have now been admitted to hospital. Seems the watch was correct and that I do indeed have atrial fibrillation which I didn’t know about prior to wearing the watch. I love my vintage Seiko’s but none of them would’ve prevented this and helped my health moving forward"

 

[wilberforce]

A watch is a fashion statement, status symbol, etc. Regardless of what features Apple put on the Ultra, in the end, it's the most expensive model in the Apple Watch lineup

Not sure Hermes owners would agree

 

[Farrellcollie]

Yup. Jeeps, trucks, Porsche. Range rovers! Landrovers! Advertised to cross the desert or run the track but Never used for it’s intended capacity and no says anything.

what I can't figure out is who is saying you can't use the apple watch for anything you want - just like the jeeps and land rovers. I have seen more reviews for average overweight couch people than from any extreme people. Why so defensive - no one is going to come take it away from you if you just use it to go throughout your day. And I do hear people say things about those cars not being used for their design purposes. But either way - who cares? Why the need to justify? It is your money - spend it on anything you want.

 

[wilberforce]

Got played by Apple, and that's OK:

 

[BenGoren]

Hear, hear!

And, you know what?

You don’t have to be remotely “extreme” to benefit from “extreme” features.

My wife and I hike Arizona desert trails, but nothing remotely hardcore — just an hour or two out, eat a picnic, back to the parked car. We have some favorite trails, of course, but also enjoy going new places. I have a pretty good sense of direction and we haven’t gotten lost — but I guarantee you I will absolutely 100% use the waypoint / backtrack feature on every single hike from now on, even the familiar ones.

Heck, just the next time we park in an unfamiliar large parking lot (like a mall we’ve never been to before), I’m going to be glad for the “parked car” automatic waypoint.

My old S4 that the Ultra replaced had plenty of “patina,” and the battery only lasted a few hours before needing to be recharged. I’m really looking forward to the sapphire screen of the Ultra never getting a single scratch nor chip, and the titanium also aging well.

The new speaker is glorious! I can, unhesitatingly, use the Ultra as a speakerphone. The S4 worked to take calls when there wasn’t any other choice; now the Ultra is the go-to speakerphone, especially if I might have to wander around.

I’ll never go scuba diving, but I relish getting knocked down by waves in the surf. Be really nice to not have to worry about the Ultra dying from such.

And my old eyes love the screen … and and and ...

It’s a great watch, period. It’s wonderful that “extreme” athletes appreciate it … but who doesn’t appreciate a good tool? Who wouldn’t rather have the better of two tools?

And, yes — of course, the non-Ultra watches are great tools, and much better suited for other purposes. That’s why Apple makes them. Right tool for the right job. You wouldn’t want to move an entire house across town with a four-door family sedan; nor would you want to take an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rig to the grocery store.

Apple did a great job with the Ultra. People should be able to recognize that, even if it’s not something they themselves want nor need.

b&

 

[1rottenapple]

what I can't figure out is who is saying you can't use the apple watch for anything you want - just like the jeeps and land rovers. I have seen more reviews for average overweight couch people than from any extreme people. Why so defensive - no one is going to come take it away from you if you just use it to go throughout your day. And I do hear people say things about those cars not being used for their design purposes. But either way - who cares? Why the need to justify? It is your money - spend it on anything you want.

Dude defensive lol please I've been posting here since 2004 we tall and bull **** on apple products and talk and trouble shoot on issues. Not a big deal. Bigger things to be defensive about IRL. I'm just agreeing with the poster and killing time before bed lol

 

[Farrellcollie]

Dude defensive lol please I've been posting here since 2004 we tall and bull **** on apple products and talk and trouble shoot on issues. Not a big deal. Bigger things to be defensive about IRL. I'm just agreeing with the poster and killing time before bed lol

I didn't mean specifically you necessarily. But there seems to be a ton of defensiveness about this particular watch in general to me.

 

[1rottenapple]

I didn't mean specifically you necessarily. But there seems to be a ton of defensiveness about this particular watch in general to me.

Eh who cares we all just post here cause we like apple (or like to troll apple fans). Anyway carry on.

Anyone else think the new satellite communication of the iPhone 14 is super cool? I can imagine this rolls out in the future world wide and being able to text after an emergency in the middle of the ocean.

 

[Farrellcollie]

eh enough people who seem to post justifications for their purchases

 

[azhava]

Yup. Jeeps, trucks, Porsche. Range rovers! Landrovers! Advertised to cross the desert or run the track but Never used for it’s intended capacity and no says anything.

I know a guy who drives a GMC 2500 4x4 pickup with a 6" lift, 38" off-road tires, King suspension package all the way around, and the only dirt it's ever seen is if a little gravel gets kicked out onto the road somewhere. It's the ultimate poser rig, but he gets a lot of compliments on it.