Despite the multitude of technological improvements, advancements, and new devices Apple unveiled in 2022, few could have made as much of a splash as the Apple Watch Ultra. Inspired by explorers and athletes from around the world, the watch features a design that betrays its inspiration: this is the perfect fusion of design and function; A timepiece that is both classic and elegant in its sophistication, but ultimately built for endurance and outdoor exploration. You don’t have to be Bear Grylls to wear this type of watch, but you’ll still feel like him.
If, like us, you were an avid Apple Watch fan, you should celebrate the upgrades presented by the Ultra. Sure, there’s everything you already love and have come to expect from the tech giant, but they’ve all now been lifted into a new stratosphere primed for exploration. You can feel it immediately: the packaging alone is a deeply emotional experience, sustainable materials reflect the vision of the watch itself. The box that houses the Ultra features a snowy mountain view surrounded by atmospheric clouds that appear to float above the landscape, intersecting into the inner packaging.
The environment is at the forefront of the Apple Watch Ultra, not only in terms of its use but also in its design. The watch features recycled gold in the plating of several circuit boards – a first for an Apple Watch – and also contains 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets and 100% recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine. To truly ensure they are working towards a sustainable future and protecting the planet for generations to come, Apple has also ensured that the display glass is arsenic-free and the watch is mercury-, BFR-, PVC- and beryllium-free. Coupled with the plastic-free packaging, the Apple Watch Ultra brings the company closer to its goal of completely eliminating plastic from its packaging by 2025.
If you open everything, you will feel the fascination of nature that cannot be resisted. And when you slip the watch onto your wrist, you’ll understand that you’re finally armed with the ultimate tool for your next adventure. With its 49 mm titanium case and flat sapphire crystal on the front, the Ultra presents the largest and brightest Apple Watch display to date. Visually, it’s eye-catching and draws attention, but it’s the action button that proves particularly notable, offering instant access to a range of useful functions.
Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, explains the release of the Ultra: “Inspired by explorers and athletes from around the world, we’ve created a whole new category of Apple Watch, designed for new and extreme environments – it’s the most rugged and… most powerful Apple Watch yet.”
“Apple Watch Ultra is a versatile tool that allows users to push their limits with adventure, endurance and exploration.”
Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer
It might be a tall order for the company, especially as the smartwatch market becomes more saturated, but after spending some time with the Apple Watch Ultra, it’s clear that this is a watch that lives up to the hype. With the Ultra offering 60 hours of battery life in sleep mode or 36 hours with normal use, there’s little this watch can’t do. With that in mind, here are just a few of the features that make it the best release for 2022.
A paradise for runners
Although it seems that endurance runners and serious athletes have long been heading towards devices from Garmin or Coros, the Apple Watch Ultra could transform them all. Powered by watchOS 9, it offers new running metrics to measure performance, such as: B. Stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation and running distance. Thanks to the new training views, you can also see segments, split times and elevations and other metrics at a glance.
It’s an incredible tool for those who not only want to push themselves harder in competition, but also want to make those improvements in their daily training. Now users can challenge their limits with features like heart rate zones, custom workouts and, later this year, Race Route. And in news that will delight triathletes and those used to transitioning from activities with any sequence of swimming, cycling or running, the new multisport workout includes automatic detection to easily switch between workouts.
An action button for athletes
With its high-contrast international orange that contrasts with the watch design, the action button is one you’ll be drawn to and celebrated for its functionality. It’s easy to customize and provides instant access to a variety of features like workouts, compass waypoints, backtrack and more.
It’s an incredibly important tool, especially for runners. While in the past you might have trembled with nervousness at the start line of a race, waiting for the starting gun only to be distracted by the need to swipe through various features to begin your workout, now you can on Open Running Customize Goal in the Workout app, you can instantly start tracking your movements by simply pressing the action button at the start of a run.
Impregnate the elements
Designed for water sports and activities like kitesurfing and wakeboarding, Apple Watch Ultra is certified to WR100 and EN13319, an internationally recognized standard for diving accessories, including depth gauges, that recreational divers rely on. With a new depth gauge and depth app feature with an intuitive interface, users can get information about time, current depth, water temperature, time underwater and maximum depth reached. You can also program the action button to instantly launch the Depth app.
Dual frequency GPS
In an exciting first for the Apple Watch, the Ultra combines precise dual-frequency GPS with L1 and L5 and new positioning algorithms. It’s the most accurate GPS of any Apple Watch to date, giving users precise distance, pace and route data to help them push themselves to new limits and explore new heights, whether racing or training.
Brighter and stronger display
While the Apple Watch Ultra has a large display, athletes can rejoice in the fact that it’s also incredibly light, yet built to last. The case rises to surround all edges of the flat sapphire front glass to protect the Retina display, which has up to 2000 nits, making it twice as bright as any Apple Watch display.
The Ultra also has three built-in microphones to improve sound quality on voice calls in all conditions. Thanks to a highly adaptive beamforming algorithm, these mics capture speech while reducing background noise, allowing you to speak with greater clarity, which is especially useful for those who are outdoors or in the elements and braving strong winds and adverse conditions make speaking difficult.
Outdoor oriented bands
In keeping with the incredible functionality offered by the Apple Watch Ultra while still being a watch of incredible style, Apple has unveiled three new straps specifically designed for endurance athletes, runners and outdoor enthusiasts.
For runners, the Trail Loop band is a must because it’s the thinnest band yet with a lightweight, woven textile that’s soft and flexible. You can adjust it to your wrist with ease, with a handy strap that allows for quick and easy adjustment.
Both stylish and practical for those looking to venture into more challenging natural conditions, the Alpine Loop features two integrated layers crafted from a continuous weaving process that eliminates the need for sewing. With top loops infused with high-tenacity yarn, it offers secure attachment thanks to a titanium G-hook closure.
For those who want to get in the water, the Ocean Band features a titanium buckle on a spring-loaded loop. Constructed from flexible fluoroelastomer, it stretches and utilizes tubular geometry for a secure fit and also has an optional extra long tail to allow it to be worn over a wetsuit.
exploration features
A redesigned compass app in watchOS 9 allows for more detailed information and three different views, showing both an analog compass reading and a digital view. Rotating the Digital Crown also reveals an additional view that includes latitude, longitude, elevation and tilt, as well as an orienteering view with compass waypoints and tracing. The former is a quick and convenient way for non-experts to mark a location or point of interest directly in the app.
Backtrack, on the other hand, is an incredible tool that will surely come in handy for any adventurer looking to explore new paths or trails. Using GPS data to create a path, it shows users where you’ve been, so the feature helps you retrace your steps if you get lost or lost. An 86 decibel siren is also available in emergencies when users become lost or injured and can help draw attention to a location.
The Apple Watch Ultra is available for $1,299 and will be available to order starting September 23. To learn more or to place an order, visit the official website here.
