Apple Watch Ultra: the best watch ever created by the apple brand in history? | Analysis / Review

After its announcement, we were left with a taste that Apple had finally brought significant changes to the world of smartwatches; and after the Series 7 passed through our bench with a cold set of news a little over a year ago, we can’t deny that it gave your wrist an “itch” to test the much-talked about Apple Watch Ultra!

But is he really all that Apple talks about? This and much more you can find below!

Right after opening the box, the first impression is that the Apple Watch Ultra will be a hindrance, being a real nuisance to have it on your wrist. This, in large part, is due to the abandonment of the smooth curves of the normal model for the adoption of a more robust, full-bodied design, with a screen with straight corners.

But all that falls apart when you put the watch on your arm. Despite its size – which may indeed be too big for some wrists, the titanium case guarantees lightness and good design, a big part of the comfort.

Here, the feeling is that we are with an “ordinary” Apple Watch, but with some increments.

Rather than the standard 41mm and 45mm case sizes of the regular models, the Ultra goes a bit further, going in at 49mm, but without much of an increase in screen. At least, despite the change, the 44mm and 45mm Series straps are still compatible.

And speaking of the watch display, in addition to the straight corners, we have a screen that is 2x brighter than the Series 8 itself – which was announced alongside the Ultra. With so much brightness, it is almost impossible to find a situation where it is not possible to see the information displayed on the watch, even outdoors in direct sunlight.

And it’s not to say that the screen just carries a different design or more brightness. It is part of the model’s robustness and has already appeared in some articles here on the site for its resistance, surviving falls (and a few hammer blows).

But remember we mentioned that Ultra brought some increments?

One of the most welcome surprises is that the model brings with it a new customizable quick access button, which together with the famous rotating crown can be accessed easily even if your fingers are wet, dirty or wearing gloves.

In fact, access is so easy that even with the side protection guaranteed by the titanium edges of the case, accidental activations still occur in specific situations – like when we bend our wrist a lot in some physical activity.

In any case, the final impression we have for the design is that Apple made a safe bet, seeking to please an audience that is looking for a watch for more extreme situations, adopting a robust size of great quality, but without leaving aside those who are still looking for an Apple Watch in an Apple smartwatch – and this becomes very clear when we observe the operation of the peripheral.

When we approach the operation of Ultra, in general, we see how much we still have an Apple Watch on our wrist. Without any disappointment for anyone who has used any of Apple’s watches in the past, the new model features the same functionality as the Series, but with some additions.

In addition to the perfect integration between the smartwatch and the iPhone and the possibility of automatically identifying some activities as we are used to, WatchOS 9 brings some extras to the model, with a siren for emergencies, a new app for diving, a new watchface, exclusive night light and the possibility of customizing the case’s extra button.

Starting with the siren, when activated, the watch emits an 86 dB sound alert that Apple guarantees can be heard at a distance of just over 180m. A brand that can be great for emergency purposes, but also demonstrates the power of the new speakers – which, together with the new microphones, guarantee excellent call quality.

Continuing with the news, we have a new and exclusive app for those who dive.

Making use of the model’s ability to be submerged at a depth of up to 40 meters, the diving module can be started manually, through the menus, or automatically, when the watch identifies that it has been submerged in 1 meter.

Unfortunately, we lacked a true friendship with a pool available to test all the features during the weekend at a barbecue, but the promise is that the watch will display a screen with depth updates, water temperature and dive time during as long as you’re underwater – apps like Oceanic Plus can make things even more interesting.

But remember we talked about an extra button? Despite being customizable, being able to be configured to trigger a timer or jump straight to a recent physical activity from the home screen, it has a function that changes depending on the context, also serving to stop or start a workout without major rodeos, for example .

The famous rotating crown, in addition to its usual functions, can also be used to activate the new night mode exclusive to the Orientation family dial. When rotated from the home screen, watchface elements turn red and the background, if it isn’t already, turns black.

The Ultra’s new dial makes use of the few millimeters more display and allows for up to 8 customizable complications. And for those who might be wondering, the model also supports all standard WatchOS 9 watchfaces – including the new Metropolitano and Astronomia ones.

Integration

As we mentioned earlier, despite being a model seen by many as a smartwatch for extremes, we are still talking about an Apple Watch. Because of this, the integration between the watch and the brand’s devices remains.

Here, in addition to the possibility of receiving much of the information on the watch that would arrive on the iPhone, including calls – since the Ultra, by default, has LTE, the most dedicated users will be able to get even more from the Watch + iPhone set.

This is because it is possible to configure the extra button on the new smartwatch to launch a defined shortcut on the iPhone. For example, starting the GPS with directions home by clicking the button in a specific way.

In addition to the LTE that comes with the model by default, Apple has added a few more new features to the Ultra.

Watch users will be able to count on two-frequency GPS (L1 + L5) that guarantee a more precise location. However, unfortunately it is not yet possible to download maps for offline navigation.

The set of sensors still deliver all the experience of its predecessors, being able to capture heartbeats, blood oxygenation levels, VO2Max, sleep, perform an ECG and detect when the user is involved in a car crash and a fall.

The novelty of Ultra is for the wrist temperature meter. Although not very useful for detecting temperature in the same way as a body thermometer, for example, the feature can be great for detecting ovulation periods in women.

And if the sensors are a relevant point, what about the battery? Quite objectively, we can say without a shadow of a doubt that the Ultra has the best battery ever seen on an Apple Watch so far. But what does that mean?

In our use, with the network activated, sessions of 1 hour and a half of physical activity with headphones connected, all sensors in operation and WhatsApp notifications activated, the watch was able to withstand 2 days away from the sockets – something unheard of for a brand wearable.

In a brief comparison, the model delivers 2x greater autonomy than the 45 mm Apple Watch Series 7 with LTE – which we have already tested here. And now, with a new battery saving mode that arrived with a WatchOS 9 update, the expectation is that this difference will get even bigger.

To refill the tank, the watch has the fast charging feature. In our tests, it took 40 minutes to complete 50% of the battery and 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete the 100% charge.

Although much of its advertising material has been aimed at users who face more extreme situations such as climbing, triathlon, oxygen diving and even high-performance sports, the Apple Watch Ultra can also be a great option for those who do nothing. from that.

Quite simply, the watch calmly caters to two very different audiences.

First, those who are really looking for a robust watch capable of withstanding more challenging situations. Second, ordinary users, who even do some exercise, but who are just looking for an Apple Watch with twice the battery life and a more robust and resistant finish, who will not need a case.

But despite all the positive points that the new smartwatch brings, it still cannot be considered a unanimous choice.

It surpasses other sports watches by having LTE by default, fluid integration with the iPhone and bringing all the features we already know from the Apple Watch, but it still “fails” in a very important aspect: autonomy.

Despite extending the battery capacity of common models, the model is still a little far from the eventual expectation of having a watch with enough autonomy to last a week or more, as happens in some models from Garmin, Polar or Coros.

But none of that detracts from the work done by Apple on the model. Even because the price is perhaps the main responsible for something like that.

Here in Brazil, Ultra was launched for a value that exceeds R$ 10 thousand reais. An exorbitant price, but that, incredible as it may seem, can be relativized.

That’s because if you were thinking of buying a Series 8 with a stainless steel case, the values ​​are almost equivalent, with the Ultra’s proposal and features being better.

Now, if your budget isn’t that big, you weren’t so interested in the Ultra’s features and you don’t have the possibility of buying the model outside the country – where even with the current value of the dollar, almost everything from Apple is half the price, perhaps it is more advantageous, in fact, to resort to the Series 8 – or who knows, even the Series 7 – with an aluminum case.

Anyway, we can’t help but say that the Apple Watch Ultra is the most exciting watch announced by Apple in recent years. We even hope that some of its features, such as the extra side button and greater autonomy, reach “common” models in the next generations.

Strengths and weaknesses

But what about you, what did you think of Apple’s new smartwatch? Tell us here in the comments! As always, you can find the best prices for the model on the cards below! I’ll stop here, a hug and see you next time!