Then don’t buy it. You don’t have to justify it. Don’t buy it and this useless thread could be over.
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The one big problem with the Apple Watch Ultra
- Thread starter Johnnyseeth
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I have an iPhone and an electric SUV. That’s it. I’ve been to MEC a zillion times this year and have looked at more dedicated GPS units. The SUV has GPS and I’m sleeping in it typically the first night then leave it behind as I travel into the bush.
I snow shoe and will be mountain biking this winter using fat tires. I’m heavy into mountain biking and where I am in British Columbia there’s endless places to go. I also just got my firearms license and am going to do some hunting this winter so I’m planning on several trips in the wild this winter.
I’ve just recently been looking at all things non-Apple smartwatch for what I’m doing given that I’ve prioritized battery life. Learning as I go…
throAU
macrumors G4
Carry it in an inner pocket. It won’t be freezing. If it is you’re dead.
belvdr
macrumors 603
ckurt25
macrumors 65816
Well good luck using that sat phone to send an receive email, texts, browse the web, do online banking, watch movies, live sports, stream netflix...
Your "electric SUV" has more limited range functionality than an Ultra or any iPhone.
ANTAWNM26
macrumors 65816
I grab my garmin denim for that type of work load. The ultra isn’t competing with garmin period.
Battery packs contain technology and I don't want technology while 'roughing it'
It’s their marketing though. They showcase extreme sports, to entice the average joe, where it actually wouldn’t work. E.g. serious scuba diving, ultra marathons, expeditions etc.
They dug a hole themselves to get criticized. They can take it.
They dug a hole themselves to get criticized. They can take it.
bbeagle
macrumors 68040
If I'm out hiking and camping for a week, I doubt I would be in range of cell-phone towers. Why would I need a smartwatch? I'm bringing zero technology with me. I will bring a phone, but leave it off. I'd bring it in case of an emergency.
It was actually comical when I went camping in July near a Six Flags. Huge mob of people lined up in the early morning at the showers/restrooms to charge their phones in the dozen or so outlets they had.
No outlets at the campsites, but everyone needed their cell phones for entry into the Six Flags and concerts. Paper tickets should still be a thing.
It was actually comical when I went camping in July near a Six Flags. Huge mob of people lined up in the early morning at the showers/restrooms to charge their phones in the dozen or so outlets they had.
No outlets at the campsites, but everyone needed their cell phones for entry into the Six Flags and concerts. Paper tickets should still be a thing.
Knowimagination
macrumors 68020
You understand that this is not a review right? He doesn't have the watch or the ability to test anything he is just giving his opinion on it.
When you can throw a portable charger in your bag this becomes such a non issue but even more than that its fine if it doesn't work for you it doesn't make it some fatal flaw of the watch Ultra. Sure more battery life would be nice but really the only way to do that would be to disable features like some of the garmins do or making the overall size even bigger to be able to cram a bigger battery in. Neither of those options are worth it for me and probably the vast majority of Ultra buyers.
Week long expedition people are such a small percentage of potential buyers that it would be silly for apple to cater to them.
M33-1
macrumors 6502
If you are a multi day explorer, you should already have small solar panels for charging electronics. When hiking, you lay the solar panel on the top and back of your backpack and charge while hiking. This way, the solar panels have full exposure to any light or sun available. Having electricity while hiking should be no issue with technology these days. You can fast charge in the morning before the hike or at noon when the sun is typically the highest and most powerful.Battery life.
I mentioned it before. A couple of days isn’t enough. I rough it in the bush regularly up North in Canada and a couple of days isn’t enough. If I were going on an expedition I would be looking for weeks of battery life not a few days.
Now I see some reviews coming out and saying this exact same thing.
I likely am going to end up with a non-Apple Watch like a Garmin Fenix or something else, which is fine.
Curious to hear from anyone else what their thoughts are.
Good review that gets into this topic at around the 8 min mark:
belvdr
macrumors 603
You must be trolling, right? If the thing you're doing is so extreme that a power bank won't work, how is any smart watch of any company going to suffice? Or any phone for that matter?
What you're saying makes no sense.
akidokraja
macrumors 6502
I wish it had a couple of days of battery. A couple to me means more than 2 which is probably not the case. As I said it in a different thread the solution is easy. Enduro 2 on one arm and Ultra on another.
Yes I understand what it is. What you don't understand is you cannot just rely on an external battery pack. They are subject to failure and especially in very cold temperatures. And in many respects it's not practical to have to mess around with that stuff in extreme conditions. The idea is to have a product designed exactly for those types of conditions that won't fail. I'm not saying they can't be useful but you can't expect to completely rely on them.
I don't think you've ever been camping or hiking or on expeditions in anything considered extreme temperatures. I've been in as cold as -35 and that isn't the coldest. Any water and a lot of gear and stuff you have freezes/gets extremely cold rapidly. The external battery packs and the cables are also subject to freezing and damage. It's just not possible to have that gear sitting by a campfire warming 24 hours a day or pressed up against your body 24 hours a day.
The week long expedition people as you point out are precisely what Apple has displayed in their marketing.
Have you ever tried using that stuff in more extreme conditions? Not only are they impractical having to fumble with them, pack them... you simply CANNOT rely on solar. Both because of the weather conditions like extreme wind, at times a complete lack of sun in addition to failing electronics because of the weather and the fact that the panels need to be rotated frequently to follow the rotation of the sun.
I tried a high end portable solar panel and it didn't work. One of the reasons I did do this is because I have an eMountain bike and I wanted to be able to charge the battery. In the end, the solar was a waste of time and I just have decided to buy a large powerbank if I will continue to use that eBike on excursions. The only way this works is to return to some basecamp each day so that will be different kinds of outings.
And when we think about it, it's pretty absurd to have to pack a solar panel and cables and an external battery just to keep a relatively small electronic device on life support.
One extreme to to go is to go to the forums where people discuss their gear for hiking Everest or similar. See what their gear and routines are.
As I said, that's extreme - but you can work backwards from there if needed.
I'm in a different group than that - or you - but I need to be just as prepared as you when I head out.
I'm also in BC, and on many weekends at every time of year I'll pack my Jeep and head up behind the mountains in Squamish/Whistler, and I'll take the forest roads as far as they/or I can go - sometimes 100km out of cellular range - and I'll get out and put on my snowshoes and just go... Or in summer I'll just hike... Just for the pure hell of it and the enjoyment of being lost in the deafening silence.
Thing is - I MUST be prepared to be stuck up there. Jeep breaks, gets stuck etc. Even with winch and recovery gear - I'm always alone, on my own and I accept I could get stranded. So, what gear - and electronics is important to me. Citing the same factors like extreme cold etc...
Now, I have a Jeep as a home base. With vehicle batteries and by then a 1/2 tank of gas. So I'd have the ability to charge more easily my phone, portable HAM radios etc.
But simply - I'm realistic here - and I WILL be wearing my AWU when I go from now one - if I get separated from my vehicle and will be away from it for days then the AWU is the least of my concerns, and it will run out of battery soon. More important to me in my phone, radio and bear spray.
I do carry a spare battery unit for charging if needed. With the gear/water on my backpack - you can't even tell you have it.
But if I truly want to be that outdoors guy - I would NOT be wearing an Apple Watch. AW is not made for that type of environment if it's not going to be constantly charged. Simple enough.
I'm not going to try and convince other people though that it's bad for me, or them. They don't know what I go through up there - and it takes a few times of being stuck, being really scared or worried and then when you finally get out - your gear list gets adjusted. Over and over again because you realize what is important to those adventures.
Again, my phone/ham radio is #1. Watch is way, way down on my list. If it was higher I'd be looking at a Garmin.
Stay safe in BC 😎 I'll do the same
What I'm saying makes complete sense. And what I'm saying is an expectation that people have given how Apple is marketing their device: that they designed if for extreme conditions.
These external components like solar panels and battery packs are quite different in their function and how they're used compared to a watch. The watch is stuck and pressed tight against your body, so your body heat is transferred to it. And most of the time it will be covered by the cuff of your jacket. Solar panels/powerbanks need to stand alone and withstand extreme conditions. Any bit of wind and those solar panels fall like a house of cards. The powerbanks also need to operate on their own, they're not always going to be pressed up against your body. They are also just extra stuff to deal with and carry and themselves prone to failure. Even in normal conditions smaller powerbanks can fail or not work as expected.
I'm not saying they're not useful, but you can't completely rely on them.
I'm up in Squamish and Whistler almost every weekend too. Cool. You raise an excellent point and the main point as you state is you must be prepared to be stuck. You nailed it.
I've had each generation AW and am upgrading from the S7 to the Ultra. Regarding Garmin devices: I've had many, and currently use and really like the Garmin Epix Gen 2, Titanium/Sapphire.
Each has its strengths, and I intend to use and enjoy both. Depending on the situation, I might take just one, but sometimes both. From the specs, I'd say both have comparable excellent displays, and both have multi-band GPS.
Major points for my use:
Ultra has phone connectivity, while the Epix does not.
Ultra is part of the Apple ecosystem, important to me having iPhones and Macs.
Epix has much better battery life.
Epix will connect to many accessories via ANT+ e.g. chest HR strap (sometimes more accurate), various cycling accessories, etc. Not limited to bluetooth as is AW.
Epix multiple buttons more convenient than fewer multi-function buttons or crown, especially during intense exercises.
Each has its strengths, and I intend to use and enjoy both. Depending on the situation, I might take just one, but sometimes both. From the specs, I'd say both have comparable excellent displays, and both have multi-band GPS.
Major points for my use:
Ultra has phone connectivity, while the Epix does not.
Ultra is part of the Apple ecosystem, important to me having iPhones and Macs.
Epix has much better battery life.
Epix will connect to many accessories via ANT+ e.g. chest HR strap (sometimes more accurate), various cycling accessories, etc. Not limited to bluetooth as is AW.
Epix multiple buttons more convenient than fewer multi-function buttons or crown, especially during intense exercises.
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