After rumors, confirmation: the Apple Watch Ultra was announced by Apple on Wednesday (7). As the name suggests, the new watch is more advanced than the other models in the line. It starts with the screen, the largest ever placed by the company on a smartwatch. An additional button on the left is another novelty.
The Apple Watch Series 8 was also announced today, but it’s just a slight update of the Apple Watch Series 7. On the other hand, the Apple Watch Ultra brings drastic changes in relation to these models.
It starts with the physical dimensions. The screen got bigger, it’s flat and made of sapphire crystal. This is the largest display ever placed on an Apple Watch. In addition, the model comes with 49 mm case, while version 8 retains sizes of 41 and 45 mm. We can say that Ultra model is the “SUV of smartwatches”.
In design, apple watch ultra preserves rectangular shape with rounded corners. However, the model brings an additional button to the left, just below the speaker opening. In the color “international orange” (high contrast), it can be programmed to immediately perform various activities, at the user’s choice.
Also note that the buttons on the right have been kept, but are now sheltered in a ledge.
From the images, you may have the impression that the watch is more robust than the previous ones. And it is. The case is made of “aerospace” titanium, just so you can get an idea. It makes sense, after all, the Apple Watch Ultra is aimed, above all, at extreme sports practitioners.
Still in this sense, the box rises slightly at the edges of the screen to protect it from scratches.
It is also worth noting that the screen has brightness of 2,000 nits to ensure good visualization of information even in very clear environments. In addition, given the sporty purpose of the device, the buttons are designed to be triggered with gloves, which can be useful for those who climb mountains, for example.
When it comes to performance, don’t wait for anything too different than what will be offered by the Apple Watch Series 8. Both are equipped with the new Apple S8 chip, which the company said has a performance of up to 20% over the previous generation.
The item autonomy is good, but it does not impress. Your Apple Watch Ultra has a battery that can last up to 36 hours in normal use conditions. There is a low power mode that activates only essential features to make the battery last up to 60 hours.
If the screen is larger, more information can be displayed simultaneously on it. Apple Watch Ultra takes advantage of this. Additional space is used to show more detailed statistics of physical activity or health parameters, for example.
To do so, the smartwatch was equipped with several sensors: heartbeat, electrocardiogram, blood oxygen and body temperature. The latter is one of the highlights of Watch 8, by the way.
In addition, the Apple Watch Ultra is the first smartwatch on the brand to bring dual-frequency GPS aided by new positioning algorithms. Thanks to this, the device can provide more accurate information about distance, pace and route of a workout, for example.
This all works in conjunction with watchOS 9, operating system that will be released for previous models of the line, but brings specific features to the Apple Watch Ultra. Among them are larger screen dials, more detailed apps and, of course, body temperature sensor functions.
Water sports practitioners have not been forgotten. The watch is compatible with activities such as kitesurfing and wakeboarding, for example. Thanks to the Oceanic+ app, the device can also be a companion for dives up to 40 m deep.
Still on this aspect, the Watch Ultra brings CERTIFICATES WR100 and EN 13319.
On-call adventurers may also like the mode that displays the screen information in red with a black background. It is a way to make it easier to view details at night or in dark environments.
