Is the Apple Watch Ultra overkill, or practical?
Apples new smart watch, has almost everything you could ever want in a smart watch, and even some things you didn’t know you needed, at a price you probably can’t afford.
The Apple Watch ultra is something we have wanted apple to do for years now, but has yet to do so, but finally we got what we have always wanted, and things we did not even know was possible. The new Apple Watch Ultra has so many new features that are something that many many of us never expected to see in a smart watch, but at a price point of 799$, is it worth it?
Apple has taken their time perfecting this watch, rumors of a ‘higher end’ Apple Watch, where around years before it’s release. At this price point you could buy a iPhone, so why would you buy this watch?
It’s a big boy
This watch as apple claims is for ‘the true adventurer, and athlete’ and they aren’t kidding. At a 49mm watch size, it is a big boy. It’s size is probably too big for lots of people, including myself, who have petite wrists. For people with large wrists, this could be a absolute dream, but on the other hand people with extremely small wrists, might not even be able to wear this watch. Many reports have said, even though the watch is absolutely huge, it wears small. This might not make a lot of sense to some of you, but to put it simply: it doesn’t feel as big as it is. The weight of the watch is what makes it feel so much smaller then it is. Weighing less is how big watch’s can be comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The size allows it to contain all of the features that we will talk about in today’s article. Personally I think the size is quite large, although looking at everything else this watch offers, the size is justified and it seems practical.
Wait, how long?
One of the biggest selling points of the Apple Watch Ultra, is the battery. For so long we have been tied down to charging Apple’s smart watch’s at the end of the day, but those days are no more. With the larger case size, comes a bigger battery. This watch has a whopping, 36 hours of battery life! That’s more then any other Apple Watch, and could allow you to go a entire night without charging! One night doesn’t seem like a long time, but it feels like we are finally getting somewhere with Apple Watch battery. Hopefully the Series 9 will have the same battery (although I doubt it will), because it is so freeing to not have to worry about battery life throughout the day. This is 100% practical, from my point of view.
GPS, screen, and…. action?
The action button that comes on the new Apple Watch Ultra, seems minor, but it allows so many new things. Sweaty hands and a screen, when working out, do not get along. The action button is programmable and you no longer need to worry about hitting the wrong button with sweaty hands. This can also automate the watch in so many ways. I think it would be cool if Apple gave it HomeKit ability’s, so when you get near your house, you press the action button and your garage door opens. I think the limits for the action button are software and will eventually get adopted into other 1st and 3rd party apps.
Buy this watch or literally die
While this isn’t actually the case, it seemed so during Apples keynote. The safety features on this watch are insanely powerful and can help in (almost) any circumstance. The Ultra has something I have never personally seen on a smartwatch before, a siren. Yes you heard that right, a siren. This does seem overkill, however at 86db coming from a watch, its loud. This could help you if you find yourself in a bad spot in a parking lot, or if you in distress. Every Ultra comes with cellular connectivity, allowing the watch to make distress calls if it senses something is wrong. Crash detection is something I think is a really cool, and commonly overlooked feature. This has been on older versions of the Apple Watch, but it is still something that can save your life. Having cellular connection ability’s, you can send a distress call from anywhere with cell service. The new Ultra also comes with a compass, waypoints, and a backtracking ability, which can be very useful when hiking. If you start a hike, and get lost you can use the backtracking ability and it will walk you right back where you started. Waypoints can also be very useful. If you set a waypoint at the start of your trail, then if you ever get lost, you can use this point to help guide you back to the start of the trail. It also shows you the distance to the given waypoint. Some of these safety features I hope you never have to use and can seem overkill, but can come in clutch sometimes, so I would say this one is a tie.
But wait, there’s more!
Features, features and more features. That’s how the Apple Watch Ultra sells. This watch is meant to be the end-all smartwatch for most extreme athletes. The Ultra has the ability to help you with your dives, by telling you when to stop for safety when coming up, and telling you how far down you are. This is a cool feature for a smartwatch, but this will not replace a diving watch for more serious users. I think that Apple is pushing the diving standpoint of this watch a little too hard. It’s a major selling point, but it is no where near a real diving watch. Even though it has a water rating of 100 meters (that’s around 300 feet), it cannot (currently) track below 40 meters. This time around, it is much more durable. Being made out of strong titanium, a raised screen lip, and a guard around the crown, it is surely more durable. Apple is trying really hard to make this a Garmin replacement, but its not there, for now at least. It is surely sporty, don’t get that wrong. It is able to track a variety of sports and activity’s. Depending on what you need this watch to do, these can be overkill, or practical.
Overkill or Practical?
Now, for the time you have all been waiting for….not really. Is it overkill or is it practical? Well, let’s break that down. Each Apple Watch serves a purpose. The SE for most people, will be plenty, that’s around 60% of users. People that need a little more power and tracking ability’s, will get the series 8, around 30% of people will chose the series 8. As for the last 10%, that’s who the Ultra is for. If you need a watch that is smart (smarter then a Garmin or similar), but still want similar features, the Ultra is for you. I am in no way saying that this is a Garmin replacement, as this watch is not perfect in any way. It is no where near a Garmin, yet. This watch has a lot of potential, and I predict the next few versions of this watch will make it the ‘perfect’ replacement. Personally, if you need the most extreme features, go with a Garmin (or similar) for now at least. The question is really up to you though, is the watch overkill or practical?
