If you watch Apple’s presentation of the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Series 8, you can only draw one conclusion after watching the marketing videos: the Apple Watch Series 8 is for people who don’t don’t want to die, which Apple Watch Ultra is for those who “want”.
The presentation was for people who play (extreme) sports or are otherwise very active, not “normal” users. Because: You can do a (half) marathon and other sports with a normal Apple Watch without any problems. Of course, it’s different when you’re diving or alone in nature. You might need more battery and other little things. We’ve already recorded for you what the Apple Watch Ultra should be able to do – we’ve linked what select early testers have to say about it below.
Some come to the conclusion that the purchase is worth it for sportsmen, but for the rest it is an unnecessary expense. On the other hand, there is a large watch with the typical advantages of the Apple ecosystem and a large battery. We can also read that some users of Garmin and other solutions can certainly be charmed – but there is also the fact that there are solutions with even longer autonomy – which then also do not require an iPhone. Nonetheless, the Apple Watch Ultra is an extremely successful start for Apple in this new product category – and anyone who knows Apple knows that this fitness and health segment will be worked extremely hard to keep up with the competition.
CNBC: If you’re an adventurer, hiker, serious runner, or diver and don’t mind a big face on your wrist, the Ultra is a great wearable. The Ultra offers features that are also found in a dive computer, such as B. depth, water temperature and dive time measurement as well as an underwater compass. Accurate measurements on a run or access to emergency services on an off-road ride could be worth the money.
Mens Health: While many of the Ultra’s features are impressive, the estimated 36 hours of battery life (and 60 hours on low power), a big leap for an Apple Watch, is still low. Many comparable devices have much longer battery estimates. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of those people (who use Garmin, etc.) tried the Ultra. Apple went to the trouble of getting the certifications and the Ultra is easy to use. While other brands have their followers, they can’t say they have an Apple Watch. And it’s not like Apple is coming out as the most expensive adventure watch; Garmin and Suunto have watches in the $799+ price range.
cnet: The Ultra might not be able to match the sports and mapping capabilities of a high-end Garmin, Coros or Polar watch, but the tight integration with the iPhone might be worth more to you. Mobile payments, a wide range of third-party apps, a speaker, microphone and LTE connectivity make the Ultra a watch that can be used for everyday life and adventures – unless you need a battery that lasts a week or more.
Wall Street Journal: Marketing suggests the Apple Watch Ultra is for people who run desert marathons, climb mountain peaks, and regularly scuba dive. I think it’s great for active athletes but not the most extreme. Sure, it’s useful on long hikes, but it can also unlock your Mac. The Ultra is for people looking for a smartwatch that can do both.
Rafael Zeier has no real conclusion, but he has some good ideas.
FAZ’s Michael Spehr also has something to say: Overall Apple doesn’t become a sports watch maker with the Ultra, but with a small change in strategy it still attacks Garmin in the area of its core competence . The new watch is also a great smartwatch for less athletic people who want to read their push notifications on the watch and can even write emails using a mini keyboard or voice recognition. The large screen, the many safety functions, the detection of heart problems and the high quality finish make the purchase decision easier. The fact that the Ultra costs 1,000 euros in Germany and only 850 francs in Switzerland shows how the euro is doing.
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Tech1 year ago
