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Should I upgrade to Ultra / can I keep using old S6?

A

AppleMango

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2019
217
119
Hi All!

I got into Apple Watches with the series 3, then moved onto series 6 - always cellular, always the smaller size.

Last year I watched the Ultra keynote and thought: impressive but too much for me.

I use my watch for Fitness+, to track every walk and cycle ride, sleep tracking, cycle sat nav and enjoy a bit more mental safety with the cellular function and health features.

2 days ago, god knows why, it hit me: I went to the Apple Store and played around with the Ultra. Stayed for an hour, got a lovely introduction to it and tried on different bands.

I think I’m fed up with my battery on the series 6: battery health is down to 83%. I’m still on AppleCare+ monthly. But far from a free battery exchange.

I’m quite active so I now need to charge the watch twice a day to make it through day and night.

My wrist size is about 16.5-17cm (6.4-6.7in) and overall slim and taller silhouette. In dress watches I always went for 35-36mm. Prefer the aesthetics.

So the Ultra is huge. But it wasn’t outright hideous. I enjoyed the huge screen size. I mean have you seen the sat nav?! That must be brilliant for cycling.

Imagine going 2 days without charging?

I tend to “baby my products” (saw a post the other day) but I always have AppleCare+. So there’s a screen protector and clear skin on my watch.

I got adventurous and tossed the case on my iPhone 14P - just a dbrand skin and screen protector. Never want to go back. These phones are too nice.

And now I find myself watching all videos and reading all the threads about the Ultra and can’t get it out of my head haha.

What’s happening here?

And is it a good idea to wait till September in case there’s a new one?



Oh and last question: the Ultra might be huge for sleep tracking. Any experiences?
Could I keep my series 6 and use that for sleep tracking only? But how would that work without messing anything up?




Many thanks for reading and your input !
 
The S6 had many upgrades on fitness and sleep tracking since it first came out. As owner of S6 I’m planning to keep it for a while even if the battery went down to 82% (it was 80% in Dec but performed better, then a SW update arrived). Then if you think the bulge fits you well and the cost is not a problem for you go for it. I am planning to upgrade in fall 2024 maybe with a battery replacement (better if AC+ covers it)
 
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You can keep your S6 as you can pair up to 5 different watches to one iPhone and the health data syncs perfectly fine.
I use my Ultra for sleep tracking as well and it feels absolutely no different from my others - I don’t notice it really.

Nowadays as rather new Ultra owner I mostly wear the Ultra and S5/S7 only when the Ultra is on the charger🤭
 
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I went from the Series 6 to the Ultra. I use my Ultra for sleep tracking and it doesn't seem too big for me. I'm average height and weight. Not a small guy but not a big, either.
 
Many thanks for the answers people.

So I could use two watches which sounds pretty cool.

Now I just have to resist the urge to buy and wait till September if there’s an update? :S
 
I went from a series 7 to the ultra. The 41mm looked fine on my smaller wrists. It took some time to adjust to the Ultra size, but now I definitely prefer it to my series 7 41mm. I still have my S7 as a backup, but can’t really see myself going back to a smaller AW again.

I bought AC+ for it, and a screen protector. But, it still looks as new as the day I bought it.
 
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I went from the 6 to the Ultra and couldn't be happier. I wear it going to bed and charge it every morning while I eat breakfast and shower, and sometimes just charge it every other day. My 6 used to spend the whole night on the charger when I went to bed because I would fall asleep before it was finished charging.
 
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What’s the overall consensus on battery life? I know YMMV but as an average, if you do some fitness tracking and sleep tracking + normal usage throughout the day? Surely it should be a good amount?
 
I can usually get 22 hours out of it until I charge it, including 40-60 minutes of training with GPS usage and still have 40% or more battery left.
 
xxFoxtail said:
I went from a series 7 to the ultra. The 41mm looked fine on my smaller wrists. It took some time to adjust to the Ultra size, but now I definitely prefer it to my series 7 41mm. I still have my S7 as a backup, but can’t really see myself going back to a smaller AW again.

I bought AC+ for it, and a screen protector. But, it still looks as new as the day I bought it.
Click to expand...
Now you have to build up a new strap collection.
 
InvertedGoldfish said:
If you’re just using for some type of fitness thing, why not save the money and get a fitbit or something
Click to expand...
Maybe some people can afford and/or prefer something more sophisticated that’s also quite perfectly integrated with their iPhone? Just sayin….
 
Get the AWU and keep your 6. You won't get much money for the 6 anyway, and it is a good backup - fashion switch.
 
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