When the Apple Watch Ultra When first launched, two features caught my eye: 1) larger screen and 2) longer battery life. Now, after using the Apple Watch Ultra for about six months, these things definitely stand out in my experience, but there are plenty of other features that have impressed me – and also ones that I haven’t used as much. than I thought.
I never thought I would use the Apple Watch Ultra to its full potential. That said, it’s a workhorse smart watch, and certainly the most complete portable made by Apple. Whether it’s fitness tracking, connectivity, or security, not a day has gone by that I haven’t used the Apple Watch Ultra to some degree.
Is it the best apple watch Again? Certainly. But is there room for improvement? Of course. It’s a first-gen device of sorts, after all. Let’s take a closer look at my pros and cons of the Apple Watch Ultra, 6 months later.
The new design has pros and cons
The design of the Apple Watch Ultra is certainly eye-catching. It’s a huge smartwatch, among the biggest I’ve ever tested. The 49mm flat screen gives me so much room to see my notifications, follow map routes, mess around with face complications, and – my personal favorite – get some extra metrics for my workouts. No matter what type of activity I do, I can always see my progress or my heart rate easily at a glance.
That said, the big Apple Watch Ultra isn’t always comfortable to sleep on. I always do, because I like to track my sleep stages, but sometimes I take it off in the middle of the night when it gets on my nerves.
I don’t think it matches my personal style either. I wear a lot of delicate jewelry on a daily basis, and the contrast with the Apple Watch Ultra is almost amusing. The Ultra is rugged and sporty, which is ideal for occasional and sporty use. But for work or a pleasant event, the regular Apple Watch looks more minimalist, plus it matches a more beautiful Apple Watch Bands.
Speaking of watch straps, I haven’t come to prefer any of the included Ultra straps over the regular Apple Sport Loop or Sport Band.
I’m a big fan of the action button, but something is missing
THE Action button is an exclusive Apple Watch Ultra feature, providing an additional launcher for certain tools or functions with a single tap. Overall, I think the action button is a brilliant addition for the Apple Watch. I alternated between having him start a practice session and having him open my flashlight. The flashlight is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated Apple Watch Features which I use regularly.
However, I’m missing something in the current functionality of the action button. I wish you could set the button to open any app or tool, especially the best apple watch apps of third parties. I also think it would be handy to assign the button different functions depending on your focus status. Perhaps these changes will come in a future watchOS software update.
Safety devices are essential, even if they are underused
When it comes to security features, the Apple Watch Ultra has a lot to offer. The best safety feature is its siren – I’m so glad I have it on my wrist. I do not have In fact had to use it, but living in the city where I often walk alone at night, it really reassures me. Not so long ago, I challenged myself to replace my iPhone with the Apple Watch Ultraand I don’t think I would have felt comfortable jumping into the experience without the siren (and emergency calls) on my wrist.
Now, I’ll be honest, I didn’t take the Apple Watch Ultra out camping or hiking or in any situation where other safety features would come in handy, such as the rollback feature. Likewise, I didn’t need to take advantage of the advanced GPS system built into the watch. I feel a little guilty, in a way. I hope to have an adventure worthy of Ultra this summer.
Great battery life – for an Apple Watch
As for the battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra, I’m happy to report that the battery health of the watch is still at 100% after six months. I use the Apple Watch Ultra optimized load limit function which automatically stops your Apple Watch Ultra battery charging at an optimized point – not just pausing it – even when you leave it on the charger for a while and forget about it.
As for how often my Apple Watch Ultra charges, I ended up enabling LTE, so the battery life certainly doesn’t last as long as before. Without LTE the watch would last about 2 full days, but with LTE the watch needs a charge closer to the actual 36 hour estimate. After needing to charge my Apple Watch daily for several years, the transition to charging every other day is a positive improvement.
I also forget to use low power mode most of the time. I’m surprised I haven’t enjoyed it as much as I thought I would over the past six months. I guess that’s another sign that I haven’t used the Apple Watch Ultra in tough situations. In fact, I almost always have a Charger nearby, so I don’t worry about it dying.
It’s still very expensive
The price of the Apple Watch Ultra is still shocking six months later. At $799, the Apple Watch Ultra is quite expensive. I think the margin of people who will actually use the features of the Apple Watch Ultra is much narrower compared to people who would be equally suited by the Apple Watch Series 8or even the Apple Watch SE (which, at $249, is an absolute bargain.)
Don’t get me wrong, it was fun flashing the Apple Watch Ultra, and also not having to be gentle with it thanks to the titanium case. I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again, the Apple Watch Ultra is as close to replacing a smartphone as any Apple Watch before it, if not any smartwatch.
But it’s not perfect, and I think it’s important to remember that this is sort of a first-gen device, so there are a few upgrades I want to see for the next version or in software updates. More options for the action button, some different included bands and even longer battery life are some of them. Satellite Emergency SOSwhich is available for the iPhone 14, would also be a game changer from a security perspective.