On September 7th, at the ‘Fall Out’ event, the Apple Watch Ultra was launched alongside iPhone 14 series, AirPods Pro 2nd Gen, Watch 8 and the Watch SE 2nd Gen. This overview highlights the Apple Watch Ultra specifications from the Far Out event.
In this article:
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple started to diversify its Watch offerings in 2020 when it announced the 1st Gen Watch SE, an entry-level smartwatch targeting iPhone users that had not yet made a move to smart wearables or family members who may not yet own an iPhone. A move that has proved successful, as the SE 2nd Gen has just been released.
Watch Ultra is Apple’s move into the other end of the smartwatch market. As you can see in a side-by-side comparison of all current Apple Watches, the Ultra has gone big in every area to justify the price tag… and to deliver a very premium experience, but with a purpose. The Ultra has been created for adventurers and explorers.
During the announcement at the Far Out event, Apple made it clear that the Ultra is not an expensive no toy but was seriously “built for endurance, exploration, and adventure”. Something the likes of Garmin has been doing for some time.
Features //Apple Watch Ultra
The slightly rectangular face tells you it’s an Apple Watch, but the new Natural Titanium 49mm case lets you know Ultra is different from its smaller siblings. A more rugged appearance is created by a bulkier protective mount around the digital crown dial and, now fully customisable, Action Button.
Ultra boasts the biggest Retina display on any Apple Watch so far, which is protected by a Sapphire Crystal screen and surrounded by raised edges from the lightweight Titanium casing that is also corrosion-resistant.
The bigger case has gifted Apple additional space to include more hardware, such as two speakers and three microphones to capture your voice and deliver the best possible audio, no matter your environment. And, most importantly, a bigger battery.
Ultra, Apple says, can deliver up to 36 hours of use, that’s double the performance of Watch 8, with a bigger display and more technology!
During the event, Apple hinted at a future update to the Watch OS called low power mode, which will push the battery performance up to 60 hours at the expense of switching off the sensors and tools you may not need for the activity you are in.
Unlike Watch 8 and SE, the Ultra will come as a Wi-Fi + Cellular model only and have just one casing size.
Digital Tools for Survival
To mark the release of the Watch Ultra, Apple showed off the new Wayfinder watch face that has been designed specifically for the Ultra It has a real-time compass in the dial and eight customisable complications. This new face brings one of my favourite new features to Ultra, Night Mode.
Push the Digital Crown upwards, and Apple Watch tones the screen light down to a black display with a red watch face to preserve your night vision.
Inspired by explorers and athletes from around the world, we created an entirely new category of Apple Watch designed for new and extreme environments — it’s the most rugged and capable Apple Watch yet
Apple
Watch Ultra will offer Apple’s most precise GPS readings with dual-frequency L1 and the latest frequency, L5, along with new positioning algorithms and a new 86-decibel siren to alert others up to 180 m away should you manage to get lost.
Thanks to Watch OS 9, Apple has brought Crash detection to Watch Ultra along with a full array of health monitoring sensors for when you’re pushing your body to its limits.
As with the Watch 8, Ultra has the same IP6X dust-resistant rating and then, as you’d expect from a go-anywhere watch, steps it up a gear with MIL-STD 810H test rating and up to 100m Water-resistant with EN13319 certification. For divers wishing to make use of Watch Ultra, a new app, Oceanic+, is soon to be released, transforming the smartwatch into a dive computer.
Apple has created three new bands to mark the Ultra’s launch; Trail, Alpine and Ocean.
Specifications //Apple Watch Ultra
| Watch SE (2022) | Series 8 | Ultra | |
| Dimensions | 40 x 34 x 11mm 44 x 38 x 11mm | 41 x 35 x 11mm 45 x 38 x 11mm | 49 x 44 x 14mm |
| Weight | from 26g | from 32g | 61g |
| Colour Options | Midnight Starlight Silver | Midnight Starlight Silver Graphite Gold Product (RED) | Natural Titanium |
| Display | 40mm 44mm Retina OLED | 41mm 45mm Always-On Retina OLED | 49mm Always-On Retina OLED |
| Chip | W3 Apple | W3 Apple U1 ulUltraideband | W3 Apple U1 Ultra wideband |
| Capacity | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Charging | USB‑C magnetic | USB‑C magnetic fast charging | USB‑C magnetic fast-charging |
| Power | up to 18 hours | up to 18 hours | up to 36 hours |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi GPS only 4G LTE GPS + Cell Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi GPS only 4G LTE GPS + Cell Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi + 4G LTE Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Control | Digital Crown Haptic Feedback Touchscreen | Digital Crown Haptic Feedback Touchscreen | Digital Crown Haptic Feedback Touchscreen Customizable Action Button |
| Sensors | Optical Heart 2nd Gen | Blood oxygen Electrical heart Optical Heart 3rd Gen Temperature | Blood oxygen Electrical heart Optical Heart 3rd Gen Temperature |
| Microphone | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Speaker | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Waterproof | to 50m | to 50m | to 100m Dive Ready to 40m |
| In the Box | Watch SE USB-C to Charging Puck Manuals | Watch Series 8 USB-C to Charging Puck Manuals | Watch Ultra USB-C to Charging Puck Manuals |
| Website | apple.com | apple.com | apple.com |
Pricing //Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Watch Ultra is $799/£849 with 3 free months of Apple Fitness+ access at apple.com and will have three strap colour options; Green, Orange, Starlight, each of which will be available in small, medium and large wrist sizes.
