Apple Watch Ultra

Source

Dave2D

Key Takeaways

• 49mm titanium bulk and 61.3-gram bare mass feel like a medieval anvil on wrists under 16cm, creating severe top-heavy wobble.
• Wayfinder dial's crimson Night Mode required tedious manual crown twists on Gen 1, routinely triggering by accident when trying to scroll.
• Despite packing a much larger 542mAh cell, charging speed is sluggish; taking over 60 minutes to hit 80% strains quick morning prep.
• Action Button customizability is heavily restricted by Apple, and the button triggers accidentally when bending wrists back in thick winter gloves.

✅ Pros

• Raised titanium bezel protects flat sapphire screen from brutal rock scrapes
• Dual-frequency L1/L5 GPS renders surgical running routes through urban high-rises
• Ear-splitting 86-decibel siren penetrates long distances for emergency rescue

❌ Cons

• Bulky 49mm slab overwhelms smaller wrists with severe wobble
• Gen 1 manual crown-twist Night Mode was clunky and prone to misfires
• Slow charge times fail to match modern fast-paced daily routines
• Action Button susceptible to false squeezes under winter apparel

📝 Verdict

"A bold, rugged engineering triumph handicapped by wrist-straining bulk, slow charge cycles, and clunky first-gen software."

Source

• Video: Apple Watch Ultra 1-Year Review - I Didn't Expect This..
• Channel: Max Tech | Type: Long-term review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• After nearly a year of use: he originally thought it was too sporty, but after switching to a titanium band he wears it every day, and no longer even wears his old gold stainless steel model
• Amazingly durable: he wore it throughout six months of renovation work, bumped it and dropped it on concrete, and it has almost no scratches and an intact screen
• Water resistant to 100 meters; he often wears it swimming, even in the ocean, with no issues; he uses it to control music on a boat or at the beach, with long connection range
• Battery life: up to 3 days with light use and 2 full days with heavy use, which was his main reason for buying it; when his iPhone 14 Pro dies, he can still get notifications and calls on it
• Downsides: no smaller size (which is why his wife won't buy one), it's a bit thick to sleep in, it needs a dedicated charger, and Apple still hasn't released a titanium band

✅ Pros

• Extremely durable
• 2–3 days of battery life
• Water resistant enough for swimming
• Goes with everything

❌ Cons

• Only one size
• A bit thick
• Dedicated charger
• No first-party titanium band

📝 Verdict

The pros far outweigh the cons, and he highly recommends it; he suggests buying a used one at a good price or waiting for the second generation.

Source

• Video: Apple Watch Ultra Review - it should NOT be this good..
• Channel: Brandon Butch | Type: Long-term review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• Used for 90 days, he says he's never seen so many people curious about an Apple product; the large 49mm face and orange accents are eye-catching, and it costs US$800
• He chose the Alpine Loop, but the most comfortable is the Trail Loop; the Alpine Loop collects a bit of grime over time
• The build gives him the most confidence: he's not worried even when it bumps against car trim; the raised side button solves the old problem of accidentally triggering Siri, but the crown guard digs into his wrist bone
• Official battery life is 36 hours, and he actually gets about 40, making it the first Apple Watch he can use for sleep tracking; Low Power Mode gives about 60 hours; it fully charges in under an hour
• But battery life is still poor compared with its real competitors: 2.5 days isn't enough for long backcountry expeditions or dive trips

✅ Pros

• Durable build
• Battery life enough for sleep tracking
• Fast charging
• Night mode red display

❌ Cons

• Battery life short of dedicated sports watches
• High price
• Crown guard digs into the wrist

📝 Verdict

It's his favorite Apple product of 2022; it's overkill for most people, but that's exactly the point; if you don't mind spending more, it's the best Apple Watch.

Source

• Video: Apple Watch Ultra Review: Worth It Or Nah?
• Channel: Marques Brownlee | Type: Professional review | Based on: YouTube transcript

Key points

• Battery test: with 3 hours of ultimate frisbee practice on each of two weekend days plus sleep tracking, it still had 20% left at 11 a.m. on Monday—two days and two nights, far better than any Apple Watch he's used
• He thinks it's really a "Watch Pro": durability, features and battery reinforce one another; a large 49mm case, titanium, and only one color (he'd like black)
• New additions include an orange Action button (which can map to 8 functions), dual-frequency GPS, a new Compass app with unlimited waypoints, and an 86-decibel siren (audible from about a quarter mile away)
• An extra microphone and speaker, WR-100 water resistance and a 2,000-nit screen
• Its large size makes it hard to "wear it low-key," and you need a big enough wrist to wear it every day

✅ Pros

• Big improvement in battery life
• Dual-frequency GPS and navigation features
• Brightest screen
• Durable titanium body

❌ Cons

• Bulky
• Only one color
• Overkill for most people

📝 Verdict

If you have to ask yourself whether you need it, you probably don't; but like a ROG phone, if you know what you want, it's a great Apple Watch.