Apple launched a slate of new devices at its annual September event, most notably the new, changed iPhone 14 Pro models. That being said, the other star of the Far Out event at the Apple Campus was undoubtedly the Apple Watch Ultra. It is the first time since the original Apple Watch was launched that Apple has decided to make something very different. Here is everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Ultra – how is it different to the regular Apple Watch?
Read: Apple Watch Series 8 launched with minor updates
Rumours pointed to the existence of this device many months ago, but up until the day of the launch we thought it would be called the Apple Watch Pro. The Apple Watch Ultra is bulkier, tougher, and aimed at the extreme athlete. It has a larger display and chassis, a large bulge, curved sides, a more rugged design, and a lot of additional functionality to ensure you keep up with your fitness and never get lost.
If you see this device out in the wild, it is still unmistakably an Apple Watch. However, everything is turned up to the max. It has a bigger, bulging display, coming in at 49mm (the largest Apple Watch Series 8 has a 45mm display). It is undoubtedly more durable and tougher. The new watch is crafted with high attention to detail, and it’s made out of Titanium to withstand even more environments. It is able to survive up to a depth of 100m for deep sea divers. And this is a recurring theme – Apple essentially spoke to all extreme athletes that didn’t use their Apple Watch and asked why. They tried to address all these shortcoming of its mainstream watch.
It’s tested to Military-grade MIL-STD 810H, which is a first on an Apple Watch, and it still features the IP6X dust resistance, and WR100, as well as the internationally recognized EN13319 certificates. The latter certification is an internationally recognized standard for dive accessories, including depth gauges that dives rely on worldwide. The new Apple Watch Ultra is ideal for ocean and water sports enthusiasts.
The Watch Ultra also adds an additional customizable action button on the left side. The button has an accented colour to make it stand out, and the power button and the digital crown can still be found on the right side. The customizable button can be used to open applications, and other actions.
Other than the improved fitness tracking, all the other health tracking improvements are the same as on the Apple Watch Series 8. However, the new watch focuses on the precision with the dual-frequency GPS that integrates both L1 and the L5 frequencies and new positioning algorithms to improve location tracking. Apple claims that this is the most precise and accurate GPS yet in the Apple Watch line-up, and it’s excellent for runners, hikes, and just about any sports activities.
Apple claims that the battery life is double its regular watch series.
The biggest unanswered question from the leaks and rumours was the price. Some claimed it would be more than $1,000. However, it starts at $799, which is double the starting price of the new Series 8.
