Apple announced the 8th Apple Watch and a second-generation SE today, but the highlight of its annual product announcement event was the Apple Watch Ultra. This larger, more rugged watch is designed for extreme uses like mountaineering, Ironman triathlons, and deep sea diving. Those same features that make it suited for such excursions promise to make it the best GPS running watch from Apple yet.
We've long loved the Apple Watch for everyday jogs for a number of reasons, including:
The knock on the Watch has always been that all of the features in the smartwatch significantly drain the battery-with GPS, music, and heart rate tracking, it wouldn't make a full marathon for some runners.
The Ultra promises to go longer and be more durable. Let's look at the key features announced that excite us most. Take note: We haven't yet tested the watch, so look for more detailed insight into the watch after I've had a chance to take it on the roads and trails. The Apple Watch Ultra can be pre-ordered now and is available on September 23.
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During its announcement event, Apple claimed the watch battery lasts "up to 36 hours" on a single charge. There was no indication what functions can be used while eking out that 36 hours. For example, optical heart rate, GPS, and wireless music streaming all negatively impact battery life. Cellular connectivity imposes an even greater tax. In its press materials, Apple says only, "During normal use, Apple Watch Ultra can reach up to 36 hours of battery life with iPhone present."
That's pretty vague. I want to know how long it can go on its own if I'm not carrying a phone. Can a runner get through a 5-hour marathon while tracking with GPS and streaming tunes wirelessly from a cell phone network?
If it'll last 36 hours with most of those functions turned on, the Apple Watch will be squarely in "premium sports watch" territory with the likes of the Garmin Forerunner 955, Coros Apex Pro, and Polar Pacer Pro.
Apple also said there is a new optimization setting coming this fall that will allow you to extend the battery to 60 hours. This is a function we've seen on most sports watches, in which you can turn off power-intensive sensors and ping satellites less frequently to stretch out battery life.
In recent years, we saw GPS running watch innovation hit a plateau, but dual-frequency is truly a worthwhile advancement. Coros was the first to launch it in the Vertix 2 and Garmin quickly followed with the Fenix 7, Enduro 2, and Forerunner 955 and Forerunner 255 running watches. Dual-frequency allows the watch to receive two signals from a satellite at the same time, so it can determine if one of those was obscured or bounced off a building or tree. The watch can eliminate any errant waypoints to give you a more accurate track during your workout. The result is a more realistic distance and pace display.
During the product announcement event, Apple claimed its GPS is "the most accurate GPS of any sport watch in the market." We can't back that claim just yet, but I look forward to testing this against the Coros and Garmin watches previously mentioned to see how it stacks up.
The inclusion of dual-frequency in the Apple Watch is also exciting because it means the tech is being more widely adapted. So, look for the functionality to trickle down to even more affordable models with coming releases.
I've run with previous versions of the Apple Watch almost as much as any other GPS watch and I've never experienced any durability issues from regular use. Of course, my regular use means mileage on roads, mostly. But, if you're hitting technical singletrack or regularly find yourself in water for long stretches, you're going to dish out more abuse.
The Apple Watch Ultra has a titanium case that extends up the sides of the crystal watch face, so you won't chip the edges of the glass. It's the most rugged Apple Watch ever, the company said. It's also reported to withstand greater temperature ranges, whether you're on an expedition in sub-freezing temperatures or running in desert-like conditions up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Those are welcome reassurances when you're dropping $800 on a timekeeper.
When watchOS 9 was announced earlier this year, we learned that the Apple Watch lineup would be able to track some pretty sophisticated measurements about how your feet hit the ground, which would otherwise require external sensors. You can also set up custom workouts, race against a virtual partner, or track your running power-a measurement of effort that is continuing to proliferate in the running world.
The Ultra will get all of that, but also because of its larger display, it can show you up to six metrics on a single screen. We'll see how that fares, as my aging eyes are mostly limited to four metrics on a Garmin Fenix 7X without wearing glasses.
I love physical buttons on a running watch. There's nothing worse than grimy fingerprints on your watch face, or having to fumble through small menus when you're sweaty. With physical buttons, you can memorize the sequence of presses to get to your favorite features.
The Apple Watch Ultra gets a second side button that Apple is calling the Action button. It's bright orange and big enough to tap when you're wearing gloves. You can program it to do things like instantly start a workout or, if you're a triathlete, switch between displays when you transition from swim, bike, and run.
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Apple also announced two other versions of Apple Watch-Series 8 and the budget SE model. Series 8 is a minor upgrade to what existed already. It includes a wrist-based temperature sensor that women can use for a "retrospective estimate" of when they ovulated. Apple also has increased crash detection to include automobile collisions, monitoring for side-impact, rear-end, and rollover crashes.
And, of course, it will get all of the new watch OS9 features that were previously announced, including running power, triathlon mode, and advanced running metrics like stride length, ground contact time, and vertical oscillation.
Is that enough to upgrade from an Apple Watch Series 7? Probably not, to be honest. If you're coming from an even earlier generation, then the choice becomes much easier to make. Both watches can be pre-ordered now and are available September 16.