Apple Watch Ultra Impressions: Polished Overkill!

The Apple Watch Ultra was just unveiled, and it's positively thiccc

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[owenpatterson]

I do a lot of mountain biking and back country skiing and this is the first time I’ve been excited for a new iPhone since the X, and the first time I’ve ever been interested in getting an apple watch. Sat phone, wayfinding, crash, and fall detection would all be hugely valuable things to have in the backcountry, I’ve definitely had some close calls where each of these could have potentially saved me. It’ll be amazing to have all this without tons of extra expensive gear

[AWSAM]

Note: 100m water resistance doesn't mean you can dive to 100m depth with the watch, it means the watch can withstand the equivalent water pressure of *sitting perfectly still* at 100m depth.

Obviously when you're swimming with a watch on your wrist it's not sitting perfectly still, and so the effective water pressure on the watch is higher. For this reason most divers wouldn't take a 100m water resistant watch anywhere near 100m depth.

The general rule of thumb watch enthusiasts use for depth ratings is:
<30m: Dress watch. don't get it wet.
30m: can survive getting rained on or splashed.
50m: You can take it for a dip safely, probably even a swim.
100m: Sports watch. You can swim, snorkel, and recreationally dive with it safely.
200m: True dive watch. You can professionally scuba dive with it.
300m+: Starting to get into serious professional deep diving and saturation diving territory.

[morezco]

I like the Ultra. I’ll never buy it, I definitely don’t need it, but I am very happy to see companies investing into specialised versions of their products for those who would benefit from them under more niche circumstances.

I find this way better than some of their past “Pro” lineups of products that had little to actually distinguish themselves.

[il-ganna]

Probably the most underrated (and overdue) "feature" is the fact that finally cellular versions are getting proper international roaming ie they can be used as standalone devices when travelling rather than being downgraded to a companion gadget as soon as they're out of country of purchase. Still dependant on carrier availability, but it's a start.

[tilionlife]

The low power mode is available now with the watchOS beta. I’ve tested it for the last 12 hours and I’m still at 81% on a s5. So definitely excited to see how much I get when my ultra arrives

[jacoblane]

Man I love Marques. He is always able to balance specs for the tech geeks and user experience for the average person in his review

[batwood]

I am a mechanic so the durability of the Apple Watch ultra is a huge selling point to me. I feel like depending on what your job is, if you do a lot of hands on, this could be for you.

[JakeKelsick]

The Ultra is super appealing to me. I do a lot of kitesurfing and been rocking and loving the SE but they usually die within 6- 8 months due to water damage. The beefed up waterproofing alone is a big plus!

[TheRubiksPilot]

10:38 You could always water-lock the watch to disable the touch screen. It's a workaround but you can do it. Still not a hard button and it would be cool with the action button, but yeah.

[takeitfromageek]

I really hope they implement the action button to know the difference between a push, double and triple push, and hold to allow the most flexibility for the new button.

[ArnoldTuinman]

Actually… One “major” thing noticed that Apple brought back a true silver in the series 8. The starlight was the only light option for the 7 but missing a true silver is fixed again in the 8… Good stuff!

[wegman]

Marques “I don’t need a Plaid” Brownlee is definitely getting an Ultra, lmao

[Poké_Rick]

I’m a driver for UPS and this ultra is appealing to me. I had an S3 and it worked but I need something more rugged. Dealing with high temps and bumps and scrapes is really what I’m looking for so I’m excited to try it out!

[mjjf]

10:39 yes you can, even with the current models, just use the „Water Lock“ function.
It has a water drop 💧 as a symbol and it works perfectly fine.

[Tubefish]

I sit on the toilet for “extreme” amounts of time. I feel that this watch will allow me to exceed time limits that are currently beyond my reach! Thanks Tim! Brilliant! Cheers mates!!

[brandonejem]

I think the ultra is appealing to those who do construction as well, a bright screen for when it's sunny or if the watch has dust on it. Larger buttons when gloves are on. As well as being ultra durable

[DanJohnson]

The thing that has been holding me back from buying an Apple Watch is the battery life. The possibility of 36 to 72 hours between charges has me seriously considering the Ultra.

[ScottDabson]

I'm not in the Apple ecosystem, but I always appreciate their hardware. Both Apple and Android OEM's take inspiration from each other and can only improve for all of us.

[Iamajaccio]

I feel like I want to cry every time MKBHD video ends in a such a cool way

[stevemulcahy]

Water mode addresses the "turn off touchscreen" thing. It has for ages too...

My favourite watch before my Apple Watch is the Seiko Orange Monster that my wife bought me as an engagement gift. The Ultra seems to have that similar presence, so that's why I just preordered it.

My series 5 is great, and while it being there hasn't forced me to close my rings and stuff, I've been on a streak for the last 8 weeks and it helps me keep that up. It's also way more useful than my regular watches are, except for the sentimental value the orange monster has.