Apple Watch Ultra Review: Worth It Or Nah?

Aug 11, 2023

Apple Watch Ultra Review: Worth It Or Nah?

The Apple Watch Ultra is $800, which makes it worth it only for a certain set of people…

Grab an MKBHD x Moment Apple Watch leather strap: https://mkbhd.com

Waveform podcast interviews: • iPhone 14 Recap and Pixel 7 Predictions!

Check out the Apple Watch Ultra at https://geni.us/BslguaO
Check out the Apple Watch Series 8 at https://geni.us/lBcRAy

Tech I’m using right now: https://www.amazon.com/shop/MKBHD

Dive computers: https://www.divein.com/diving/dive-co…

Intro Track: / 20syl
Playlist of MKBHD Intro music: https://goo.gl/B3AWV5

Watch provided by Apple for review.

~
http://twitter.com/MKBHD
http://instagram.com/MKBHD
http://facebook.com/MKBHD

Content

0 -> so on saturday morning i woke up with

1.52 -> the apple watch ultra charged up to 100

3.52 -> battery drove to practice i had ultimate

5.359 -> frisbee practice out in new york a lot

7.12 -> of people don't realize how many

8.32 -> calories you burned during a three-hour

10.16 -> practice but there you go finished that

13.04 -> drove home and then went about the rest

14.559 -> of my day i ended that day going to

16.16 -> sleep with about 69 battery nice then

19.039 -> slept with the watch on for sleep

20.48 -> tracking then woke up on sunday morning

22.8 -> with 60 drove into new york city again

25.6 -> had another practice this one a little

27.68 -> hotter sun's baking a little more three

30.24 -> more hours and 2 000 calories later that

32.48 -> was over drove home went about the rest

34.8 -> of my day again

36.32 -> and then again i slept with the watch on

37.92 -> for sleep tracking woke up on monday

40.16 -> morning drove to the studio now it's

42 -> monday morning 11am at the studio and i

44.32 -> currently have 20 battery lift

47.2 -> it's pretty good that's two days and two

49.68 -> nights and into the third day which is

52.399 -> far better than i've ever been able to

54.16 -> get out of any other apple watch period

57.6 -> but

58.8 -> let's rewind for a second

60.64 -> [Music]

74.56 -> so we knew something like this was

75.68 -> coming we knew there was going to be an

76.96 -> upgraded ruggedized apple watch in some

79.28 -> way and i think a lot of people sort of

80.96 -> assumed it would be called the apple

82.32 -> watch pro but instead we got this thing

85.68 -> and it's called the apple watch ultra

88.24 -> the thing is though it would have

90 -> actually been totally reasonable and

92.24 -> probably kind of perfect if they'd also

94.479 -> call this the watch pro and that's just

96.799 -> because of the way apple treats the word

98.56 -> pro nowadays like apples toss the name

100.479 -> pro around the highest end versions of

102.56 -> almost all of their products iphone pro

105.759 -> macbook pro

107.439 -> airpods pro ipad pro pro display and

111.439 -> each of these expensive devices has some

113.68 -> set of features that a smaller fraction

116.24 -> of the population can actually take

118.24 -> advantage of and use now whether that

120 -> makes you a pro or a hardcore user or an

124.399 -> enthusiast or a wannabe pro like what is

127.6 -> a pro airpods user anyway that's a

130.239 -> debate for another day but it's the same

132.16 -> thing with this apple watch ultra i've

134.239 -> been using it for about a week now and

136.239 -> the way i think about it is there's a

138.4 -> core group of people for which the apple

141.04 -> watch se actually covers all their needs

144 -> and that's like most of the population

146.08 -> but then there's an additional group a

147.52 -> little bigger than that for which the

149.04 -> standard apple watch which is now series

151.12 -> 8 covers all of their possible uses so

153.92 -> you know it adds the always-on display

155.68 -> the different sizes etc it's already a

158.08 -> really versatile smartwatch but there's

159.76 -> still some people around the outskirts

161.92 -> for whom the regular apple watch still

164.16 -> wasn't enough and apple naturally still

167.04 -> wants those people so this is an 800

169.68 -> watch that has some extra premium

171.92 -> features and specs that are amazing and

174.319 -> definitely overkill for most people like

176.4 -> the ones in the middle of my

177.36 -> illustration but it's attractive for the

179.92 -> most extreme users the adventurers who

182.239 -> go on serious hikes or go diving or run

185.599 -> marathons or do triathlons so there's

188.159 -> really three main things that they added

189.519 -> to this watch over the regular one which

191.519 -> are ruggedness

193.28 -> features and battery and they all kind

195.92 -> of go hand in hand for ruggedness well

198.08 -> it's pretty obvious they just beefed

199.76 -> this thing up so it's now much bigger 49

202.48 -> millimeters diagonally but it has the

204.8 -> shapes and materials now of a watch that

206.879 -> should be much harder to break it's a

209.04 -> titanium case with a ceramic back it has

211.92 -> much bigger buttons that don't have

214.08 -> quite as much travel as i expected but

215.76 -> they are easier to press with gloves

217.84 -> there's the bigger crown and then the

219.599 -> crown guard on the side here it's a very

221.76 -> distinct look and then the display at

224 -> the top here is a flat sapphire crystal

226.4 -> instead of the normal curving over the

228.08 -> edges with this slightly raised lip all

230.799 -> the way around the screen so it's

232.159 -> protected from corner impacts to me

235.519 -> it's pretty huge like this is a pretty

237.68 -> massive watch i will say it is not

239.28 -> nearly as heavy as it looks which is

241.599 -> pretty nice uh but it does visually

244.159 -> stand out for a couple of reasons one

246.159 -> this is the only color so this is the

247.84 -> exposed titanium it looks very silver i

251.28 -> wish it came in black because black is

253.68 -> slimming like you can make a black watch

255.36 -> look smaller with a black band but that

257.12 -> would admittedly require black paint

259.04 -> which would probably get like scratched

261.199 -> and then the silver would show through

262.639 -> and then it would look pretty gnarly

263.919 -> after a while so i get it maybe they

265.919 -> could anodize it i don't know but yeah

268.4 -> big silver watch on skinny wrist looks

271.36 -> big but then also two this shape

274.8 -> see like this is a big watch to me

276.88 -> someone who wears pretty much only smart

279.28 -> watches right and smart watches are kind

281.759 -> of weird shapes sometimes like

284 -> it's a computer on the wrist type of a

285.919 -> look it's sort of just a block but in

287.52 -> the overall watch world the apple watch

290.479 -> ultra is actually nowhere near the

292.4 -> biggest watch you'll see like some

294.08 -> people are very used to much larger

296.32 -> watches on their wrists actually and

298.08 -> especially those people on the outskirts

299.919 -> i was talking about earlier they're

301.44 -> fairly used to wearing some of these

303.199 -> massive garmins or suuntos or even

305.919 -> specialized activity specific equipment

307.919 -> like dive computers that'll make the

309.919 -> apple watch ultra look compact so the

312.24 -> whole like this watch is huge thing is

315.28 -> very much up to context but the thing is

318.4 -> like a lot of these watches here are

320.96 -> bigger than the apple watch but they are

323.12 -> watch shaped they're circular up front

326.16 -> and then they have this taper around the

329.12 -> wrist at the top and the bottom so they

330.639 -> don't look like they stick out nearly as

332.96 -> much even though they do

334.96 -> where the apple watch just

337.52 -> doesn't taper at all it's just like a

339.52 -> block so yeah the computer on the wrist

341.6 -> thing

342.4 -> i don't know i actually don't mind the

343.919 -> aesthetic like i said i just wish it

345.44 -> came in black that would have been nice

347.36 -> i wonder if

348.639 -> colorware is going to be able to paint

350.16 -> these things anyway that's the build

351.52 -> quality but the other two things that

352.8 -> make the ultra ultra are battery and

356 -> capability

357.44 -> battery being pretty simple it's a much

359.28 -> bigger watch and it has room for more

361.28 -> battery inside but we'll get to that in

363.12 -> a second but the capabilities just come

365.36 -> in the form of extra features so the

367.52 -> extra microphone and extra speakers for

369.84 -> better audio quality in windy

371.28 -> environments the dual frequency gps for

373.44 -> more accurate and reliable gps and

375.28 -> tougher settings like forests or in

377.44 -> cities between skyscrapers the wr-100

380.24 -> water resistance rating for submersion

382.16 -> up to a hundred meters the new 2000 nits

384.8 -> max brightness for this display which

386.639 -> means it's the most visible outdoors

388.72 -> that i've seen a smartwatch oled plus it

390.96 -> makes for a nice flashlight if you need

392.4 -> it and most importantly the new extra

394.88 -> button so that bright international

396.8 -> orange colored button is called the

399.199 -> action button and it can be mapped to

402.08 -> right now any one of these eight things

404.8 -> so i currently have mine to just open

406.4 -> the new workout selector i pick the type

408.72 -> of workout and then hit the action

409.84 -> button again to get it started and then

411.919 -> once you're in an activity there's again

414.16 -> a layer of customization to what this

416.08 -> action button can do so maybe marking

418.319 -> segments or laps inside a track workout

420.8 -> or marking when you switch from the bike

423.039 -> to the run in a triathlon all kinds of

425.28 -> stuff like that i really like having it

427.28 -> i did feel like i accidentally pressed

428.639 -> it a lot just because of the way i

429.919 -> grabbed the watch and adjust the crown

432.08 -> but i pretty quickly got used to that

433.599 -> too i think the most noticeable thing

435.36 -> that this apple watch has over other

438 -> apple watches is gonna be the battery

440.24 -> life so this like i said from the

442.08 -> beginning two full days and two full

444.639 -> nights with plenty of room to spare

447.039 -> that's easily better than it's roughly

449.44 -> double what i was able to get out of my

451.599 -> apple watch series 7. the thing is while

453.44 -> it is a massive improvement for an apple

455.52 -> watch

456.8 -> it's still nowhere near the other

458.56 -> highest end watches which many of them

461.039 -> are expected to go weeks months

463.759 -> even years without even thinking about

466 -> charging this one right here this casio

467.84 -> watch it's a casio right casio pro trek

470.8 -> uh which has solar charging

472.96 -> has

473.759 -> never been charged it is virtually

475.68 -> infinite battery life it didn't even

477.039 -> come with a charger in this watch world

479.759 -> a two-day battery life is not that

481.52 -> impressive but really that that brings

482.96 -> me to the ultimate question with this

485.039 -> ultra which is

486.56 -> how are you going to be using this watch

488.16 -> like if you're one of these people on

489.44 -> the outside here that doesn't use an

491.039 -> apple watch apple was trying to find a

493.28 -> reason you didn't use it and add the

495.599 -> features or capabilities to make you

497.199 -> actually want to use it now because of

498.879 -> course they want to bring you into the

500.08 -> ecosystem so some of these people over

502.56 -> here like these are frequent scuba

504.72 -> divers and they've been using dedicated

506.319 -> dive computers ranging from giant watch

508.8 -> to tablet on the wrist to track depth

511.599 -> and directions and a bunch of other

513.44 -> safety metrics underwater

515.519 -> now the apple watch ultra has added that

517.76 -> wr-100 water resistance up to 100 meters

520.719 -> there's a new dive app to track some

522.64 -> pretty basic stuff like depth and give

524.56 -> you times for safety stops on your way

526.64 -> back up for recreational diving things

528.56 -> like that but then apple also partnered

530.959 -> with a third-party company for this

532.64 -> oceanic plus app that's coming later

534.56 -> this year that seems to do basically

537.279 -> everything that the pro dive computers

538.88 -> do including air integration pretty much

540.72 -> the only thing it doesn't do that some

542.72 -> extreme technical divers might want is

545.2 -> tank pressure monitoring and depth

547.44 -> monitoring past 40 meters now some of

549.6 -> these people way over here these people

551.92 -> are really adventurous hikers like not

554 -> the normal beaten path casuals finding

556.399 -> popular hikes on google i mean these

558.24 -> people are going off and carving their

560.16 -> own path for miles and miles in the

562.48 -> middle of nowhere sometimes for days at

564.399 -> a time so the watch ultra has got now a

566.399 -> bunch of navigation related features

568.32 -> there's dual frequency gps for more

570.32 -> accurate pinpointed gps even in

572.24 -> challenging locations but then the new

574.72 -> compass app is pretty impressive it lets

576.88 -> you set unlimited waypoints so that you

579.12 -> can navigate back to them at any time

581.36 -> and you can track your exact walking

583.2 -> path with a backtrack feature in case

585.12 -> visibility is difficult or you need the

586.64 -> watch to guide you back where you came

588.32 -> from there's also a super loud 86

590.72 -> decibel siren that can play from the new

592.8 -> speaker system if you find yourself

594.64 -> completely lost with no one around and

596.959 -> yes it is actually impressively loud and

598.8 -> you can hear it from probably a quarter

600.32 -> mile away and there's a new wayfinder

602.399 -> watch face by default that sort of puts

604.8 -> all the stuff right at your fingertips

606.399 -> including a live compass that's super

608.64 -> smooth i think a lot of people just

610 -> leave this face on all the time even if

611.68 -> they don't need it but then some of the

612.88 -> other people up over here are ultra

615.519 -> endurance athletes and of course the

617.6 -> name sort of speaks for itself here

619.279 -> honestly the apple watch just didn't

621.92 -> last long enough for these people's iron

624.399 -> man races and ultra marathons and

626.959 -> spartan races

628.48 -> so

629.36 -> the new watch ultras got the dual

630.8 -> frequency gps which is huge and the

632.8 -> action button is nice too but the

634.88 -> significantly improved battery life is

637.279 -> huge for these now it's not going to

638.64 -> last a week or a year like some of the

641.04 -> stop watches or simpler ones do but now

643.92 -> it's just about double the battery life

645.6 -> of the standard apple watch and it's

647.44 -> finally up to the task of some of the

649.2 -> most extreme gps heavy endurance

652.32 -> athletes and even if it isn't apple has

654.399 -> mentioned that there's this

656 -> battery optimization setting feature

658.079 -> coming later this year

659.76 -> that it's not the low power mode that's

661.279 -> already existed in the watch but it's an

662.88 -> extra setting within workouts to ping

666.399 -> gps and heart rate less often so in a

669.12 -> normal workout for me which is it's a

671.04 -> disc sports workout for an ultimate

672.64 -> practice basically it's just it's

674.24 -> measuring heart rate constantly like

676.079 -> every few seconds which is super helpful

678.399 -> you can see how quickly you recover you

680.48 -> can see when you're in certain heart

681.839 -> rate zones during the course of a

683.44 -> practice but if you're running like a

685.2 -> hundred miles or something ridiculous

687.44 -> you don't need multiple pings every

689.279 -> minute you just need a broader sense of

691.2 -> how it's going so that's a helpful

693.279 -> feature for these people and when you

694.88 -> turn that on it should essentially

696.8 -> triple the life of the apple watch apple

699.68 -> says up to 60 hours i don't have it yet

702.48 -> because it doesn't exist so i can't tell

703.68 -> you exactly how well it does but that's

705.519 -> a useful feature they even have a trio

707.04 -> of new 99 bands for this watch for these

710.079 -> activities so there's a trail band which

712.24 -> looks kind of sick then the alpine loop

715.36 -> and the ocean band as a reviewer i want

717.68 -> to like i want to test all these

719.76 -> activities and like go okay i guess i

722 -> gotta run an ultra marathon now and like

724.079 -> scuba dive but i can't remember the last

725.92 -> time i was

727.12 -> 10 meters underwater let alone 40. so i

730 -> can't test all of this stuff but

732.24 -> actually reached out and heard directly

734.16 -> from these people on my podcast the

736.8 -> waveform podcast i'll link the episode

738.639 -> specifically below the like button so

740.079 -> you can listen to it but i had on a

742.56 -> diver

743.68 -> an ultra runner and an alpinist so we

746.16 -> asked them about the risk computers they

747.92 -> currently use and whether or not they

749.519 -> think this apple watch ultra is good

751.76 -> enough to replace them

753.44 -> and through those conversations one by

755.68 -> one they each came to the end with

757.279 -> basically the same conclusion which is

758.8 -> that yeah it looks like they kind of did

761.2 -> everything that they were looking for

762.639 -> out of an apple watch i'll link it below

764.48 -> so you can hear exactly what they said

766 -> and then there's me so you know

768.32 -> i'm a tech reviewer and an ultimate

770.399 -> frisbee player so turns out the normal

773.279 -> apple watch is actually enough for me

775.6 -> like i said a normal ultimate workout or

778.079 -> any sort of training we do is typically

780.079 -> just a ton of heart rate readings

781.76 -> there's not a bunch of gps pings or

783.92 -> elevation tracking or anything like that

785.92 -> so it's not super demanding but still on

788.32 -> the ultra i'd get to reap the benefits

790.56 -> of the battery only running down 20

793.12 -> during a practice instead of 40

796 -> and then the more accurate gps readings

797.76 -> and the brighter screen are kind of nice

799.279 -> to have on other activities maybe the

801.36 -> occasional bike ride or a hike or stuff

802.959 -> like that and it might be better for you

805.2 -> too it's one of those things where i

806.56 -> think generally if you have to ask you

808.639 -> probably don't need it but it really

810.48 -> reminds me of the rog phone like that

812.16 -> thing is complete complete overkill for

815.68 -> almost every human on the planet with

817.839 -> all its crazy gaming features and

820.399 -> absurdly high-end specs but also all

822.959 -> those features for gaming also happen to

826.079 -> make it better for media and regular use

828.8 -> and it's basically the same thing here

830.88 -> like this is technically speaking the

833.2 -> best apple watch they've ever made it's

835.6 -> got the longest battery life the biggest

837.839 -> brightest display the best microphones

840 -> and speakers and it's all in this most

842.32 -> accurate tracking package yet i mean if

844.639 -> your wrists are big enough

846.399 -> then yeah you can daily this too it's

848.399 -> kind of put itself in this unique

849.6 -> category where it's replacing some of

851.44 -> these extreme like dive computers or gps

855.279 -> watches that you'd normally take off

857.44 -> when you're done with your workout

859.279 -> uh but it's an apple watch through and

861.199 -> through at the end of the day you can

862.639 -> wear this thing every single day i just

864.639 -> don't know if you can like

866.32 -> dress this thing down as much as you

869.04 -> could a regular apple watch like fun

871.839 -> fact i wore the apple watch series seven

875.199 -> in midnight with my tux at the met gala

878.72 -> and it didn't look

880.16 -> insane to me anyway uh get a nice you

883.68 -> know watch band with it like the leather

885.6 -> one at shopdownitemphd.com

887.519 -> it all works out great but yeah this one

889.68 -> just because it's so

891.44 -> it just sticks out it's massive all the

893.519 -> time you can't really hide it as much

895.68 -> might have a little more trouble with

897.199 -> that but hey if you know what you're

898.16 -> getting into the rog phone is a pretty

900 -> good phone and if you know what you're

901.76 -> getting into

902.88 -> the apple watch ultra is a pretty good

905.68 -> apple watch

907.12 -> so that's been it

908.56 -> thanks for watching

910.24 -> catch you guys the next one peace

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjEqOWjTkHE