Meet Apple Watch Ultra: The Super Adventurous

Patience is the key, they say. And I must admit, the keynote of Apple’s Far Out event reinforced that for me. I mean, one hears them speak about Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE, and one simply wants to give up. Then comes the showstopper – Apple Watch Ultra. Thank God for that. My patience finally paid off.

So, what’s new about Apple Watch Ultra? Let’s see:

It’s Bigger, Brighter, Better

Apple Watch Ultra has the biggest and brightest Apple Watch display ever, says Apple. And rightly so. This time, you get a 49 mm case size for the always-on retina display with 2000 nits (read: 2X brighter). What I liked was the night mode enabled Wayfinder watch face. I was painted red when I saw the digital crown rotate. The battery gives a mega 36 hours of normal use, and the company will soon enhance it with a low power mode that could take up to 60 hours of battery life. Talk about setting new benchmarks!

It’s Got the Muscles

Apple Watch Ultra is here to make a mark, a heavy one, I am telling you. The flat sapphire front crystal is protected by an aerospace-grade titanium-only case designed to endure extreme temperatures and environmental conditions. Apple claims the device will function without glitches at as low as -20° C and as high as 55° C. It is WR-100 water-resistant, EN13319 certified, and IP6X dust resistant too. The only catch? It’s also heavier weighing a whopping 61.3g. Time to flex those wrists!

Lose Yourself, Not the Way

You know how you can never get your GPS to work precisely when you go beyond the beaten tracks? The reoriented Compass App in Apple Watch Ultra will come in handy here. The Cupertino experts combined L1 and L5 GPS to make it a dual-frequency system for accuracy in route calculations, backtracking, waypoint drops, and everything else you wish goes right with your watch’s or phone’s GPS.

And… Action (Button)

Did you see that high contrast button on the side? It’s fashion and function, all rolled into one. That’s the all-new action button. Well, it’s a quick access button. But you can do much with a single press – check workout progress, swap between fitness points, use compass waypoints, activate backtrack. And the most important one – if you are in an emergency, this nice orange button can activate an 86-decibel siren that can be heard from up to 600 feet or 180 metres away.

Those Straps, Wooooah!

Apple has put a lot of thought into designing the new Apple Watch. And the straps are just the cherry on top. Three bands to serve three specific purposes: Trail Loop for endurance athletes, Alpine Loop for explorers, and Ocean Band for water sports enthusiasts. Love them, love them all.

The Not So Little Things

I know, I have trashed the newly introduced Crash detection feature in Apple Watch Series 8. That’s because it feels like a misfit there. In the Apple Watch Ultra, on the other hand, this feature makes perfect sense. The GPS is way better, and cellular connectivity is a standard for this one. Plus, it’s meant for folks who train years for that fine line between adventure and danger. To have a fallback option for times of emergency, it’s great!

And, there are other things to make life easier for adventurers – the depth gauge and water temperature sensor, dual speakers that are 40% louder than Series 8, and a three-mic array for cancelling wind noise. Not to mention the watchOS 9 and SiP Processor that will smoothen the watch’s operational aspects.

Apple Watch Ultra is by far the most sophisticated wearable device Apple has designed so far. Extreme sports or not, it definitely tickled all the adventure bones in my body. The watch will be available from 23 September, starting at ₹89900. A price I can’t afford!

Also, I keep wondering if Tim Cook and Co threw Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE into the mix, so Apple Watch Ultra comes out even stronger. I mean, try and crack the tech giant’s marketing strategy, right! What do you think?