Apple Watch Ultra
I'll admit that we went into last night's Apple Event thinking that there would be an Apple Watch Pro. What we got instead was the Apple Watch Ultra, and it wasn't just the name that threw us off; it was the whole concept of it. For all intents and purposes, the Watch Ultra is the Watch Series 8, and more.
Can you be any more extra?
The Watch Ultra comes in one size, a huge 49mm case (compared with the 45mm of the 'large' Watch Series 8). It is also made from titanium as opposed to the stainless steel or aluminium material of the other Watches, and is tested to MIL-STD 810H standard ruggedness. Its Always-on Retina display is protected by sapphire crystal and has 2,000 nits brightness; double the max brightness of the Watch Series 8!
The most immediately identifiable feature would be a larger digital crown with thicker groves that's designed such so it's usable with gloves on. There's also a new programmable Action Button that acts as a shortcut for many new activities from trekking to diving. You'll also notice more pronounced grills and holes in the Watch Ultra's case, and that's because Apple threw in an additional speaker for increased volume and a beamforming 3-mic array to improve voice pickup even in harsh, windy conditions. Here's a brief look at it firsthand:-
And as you can expect, with a much bigger case, comes a much bigger battery. The Watch Ultra boasts up to 36 hours battery life, double that of the Watch Series 8. And with Low Power Mode, stretch this up to 60 hours.
Other features are under the hood, but they all make the Watch Ultra usable in the most extreme of cases. For example, there is now a depth gauge that can trigger new modes. The Watch Ultra has double the water resistance rating of the Watch Series 8 - up to 100m depth. There's a new Oceanic+ app that can turn the Watch Ultra into a dive computer, and the watch even has the proper EN13319 certification for such use. GPS is also enhanced, featuring dual-frequency (L1, L5) GPS positioning. With this, Apple claims the Watch Ultra's GPS will be accurate in the great outdoors as well as in crowded city areas.
There's also a reworked Compass app with waypoints and backtrack features that look like the mini map from a video game. While this feature is technically available on all three new Apple Watches (Series 8, SE, and Ultra), only the Watch Ultra has more functionality such as easily adding waypoints with the Action Button. And in case you do get lost, the Watch Ultra can emit an 86-decibel siren to attract help (or a bear) to your location.
Lastly, the Watch Ultra will have all-new bands designed specifically to work in various conditions and sports. You can pre-order the Apple Watch Ultra right now on the Apple Store for S$1,199, with availability starting on 23rd September.
Read Next
- Hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra
- All about the Watch Series 8 and second-gen Watch SE
- What's new on the iPhone 14 series?
- Firsthand experience of the iPhone 14 and the new Plus variant
- Should you get the iPhone 13 instead?
- How is the iPhone 14 Pro better?
- Buying the right iPhone 14 series that suits your needs
- Updated Apple Watch Pro earbuds
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