Apple Watch Ultra

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Apple Watch Ultra
Apple Watch Ultra (logo).svg
Apple Watch Ultra 2.jpg
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Developer Apple Inc.
Manufacturer
Type Smartwatch
Release dateUltra: September 23, 2022;23 months ago (2022-09-23)
Ultra 2: September 22, 2023;11 months ago (2023-09-22)
Operating system watchOS
Website apple.com/watch

Apple Watch Ultra is a line of sport smartwatches produced by Apple Inc. as part of the Apple Watch product line. Introduced in September 2022, they are marketed towards endurance athletes and outdoor recreation, and carry a rugged form factor with a wider band, a larger, brighter display, multi-band GPS, a larger battery, water temperature sensor, and additional functionality for diving.

Contents

Hardware

The Apple Watch Ultra hardware is generally similar to the main Apple Watch line (with the first-generation model based on Apple Watch Series 8), but is differentiated by their rugged titanium casing, a larger 49 mm band, and a larger display with a flat crystal and higher brightness of up to 2,000 nits. It supports multi-band GPS on L1 and L5. [3] The Ultra includes a new, orange-colored "Action" button, which can be mapped to different functions, as well as an emergency siren feature. [3] Apple Watch Ultra contains a battery 76% larger than that of Series 8, which Apple rated at 36 hours of usage without using power saving modes (as opposed to Apple's rating of 18 hours on the main line). A power saving mode which reduces the amount of heart rate readings and GPS polling can extend its battery life to around 60 hours. [3] All Apple Watch Ultra models include cellular connectivity. [3]

Apple Watch Ultra has a water temperature sensor, and carries WR100 and EN13319 certification. Apple rates the device for diving to depths of up to 40 metres (130 ft); a new "Depth" app is included for displaying depth and water temperature information, while Apple partnered with Oceanic Worldwide to release the subscription-based "Oceanic Plus" app for more advanced dive computer functionality. [4]

Models

The first-generation Apple Watch Ultra was unveiled September 7, 2022 alongside Apple Watch Series 8, and began shipping September 23, 2022. [5]

Apple Watch Ultra 2 was unveiled on September 22, 2023, alongside Apple Watch Series 9; alongside the updated hardware inherited from Series 9, its screen brightness was further increased to 3,000 nits. [6] [7] [8] In December 2023, Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 were temporarily pulled from the U.S. market due to patent litigation by Masimo. They returned to sale on January 18, 2024, with models sold after this date having blood oxygen monitoring features disabled. [9] On September 9, 2024 Apple unveiled a black colour option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, as well as a sleep apnea detection feature. [10]

Reception

Victoria Song of The Verge felt that the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra was "a great first attempt at a rugged smartwatch" and "legitimately good for weekend warriors and intermediate athletes", noting features such as the Action button (which she believed should be added to the main Apple Watch line as well) and multi-band GPS, and the larger screen being easier to read. She felt that the Ultra benefitted from the new mapping and compass features (such as BackTrack) introduced by watchOS 9. She noted that Apple's battery life estimations were conservative in comparison to real-world use, where she regularly got closer to 48 hours of battery life during regular exercise use without using power saving modes, and another Verge staff member reported 56 hours via general, non-fitness use at home. However, she noted that the Apple Watch line still lacked certain features (including longer battery life, offline maps and trail navigation, and transflective displays) and fitness metrics in comparison to competitors such as Garmin and Polar, but that watchOS still "runs circles around fitness watches in terms of connectivity and simplicity". [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart rate monitor</span> Personal monitoring device

A heart rate monitor (HRM) is a personal monitoring device that allows one to measure/display heart rate in real time or record the heart rate for later study. It is largely used to gather heart rate data while performing various types of physical exercise. Measuring electrical heart information is referred to as electrocardiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toughbook</span> Line of rugged laptop computers made by Panasonic.

The Panasonic Toughbook is a line of rugged computers produced and marketed by Panasonic. The first model, the CF-25, was introduced in 1996. The Toughbook brand mainly competes with other lines of rugged computers, such as Dell's Rugged Extreme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GPS watch</span> Watch with integrated GPS receiver

A GPS watch is a device with integrated GPS receiver that is worn as a single unit strapped onto a wrist, in the manner of a bracelet. The watch can have other features and capabilities depending on its intended purpose and be a smartwatch. GPS watches are most often used for sports and fitness purposes. Many can connect to external sensors by the wireless ANT+ protocol, and/or to a computer by USB to transfer data and configuration. Common sensors used are heart rate monitors and footpods. A footpod can be used to supplement or replace GPS data, such as providing treadmill speed and distance for the watch to log and share. Recharging by USB is commonplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smartwatch</span> Wearable computer in the form of a watch

A smartwatch is a portable wearable computer that resembles a wristwatch. Most modern smartwatches are operated via a touchscreen, and rely on mobile apps that run on a connected device in order to provide core functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misfit (company)</span> American consumer electronics company

Misfit, Inc. was a Redwood City, California-based consumer electronics company founded on 14 October 2011 by Sonny Vu, Sridhar Iyengar and John Sculley. It specialized in wearable technology that utilizes sensors and home automation products. Misfit's wearable activity trackers and count sleep, calories, and basic steps that can be synced to a mobile app on a compatible smartphone. Vu and Iyengar previously co-founded AgaMatrix, a company that made the iBGStar, the first FDA approved Smartphone medical device.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Watch</span> Line of smartwatch

The Apple Watch is a brand of smartwatch products produced by Apple. It incorporates fitness tracking, health-oriented capabilities, and wireless telecommunication, and integrates with watchOS and other Apple products and services. The Apple Watch was released in April 2015, and quickly became the world's best-selling wearable device: 4.2 million were sold in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, and more than 115 million people were estimated to use an Apple Watch as of December 2022. Apple has introduced a new generation of the Apple Watch with improved internal components each September – each labeled by Apple as a 'Series', with certain exceptions.

watchOS Apple Watch operating system

watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple Inc. It is based on iOS, the operating system used by the iPhone, and has many similar features. It was released on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch, the only device that runs watchOS. watchOS exposes an API called WatchKit for developer use.

iPhone 11 Pro Thirteenth-generation Apple smartphone

The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are smartphones designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. Serving as Apple's flagship models of the 13th generation of iPhones, they succeeded the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, respectively, upon their release. Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the devices alongside the standard model, the iPhone 11, on September 10, 2019 at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. Pre-orders began on September 13, 2019, and the phones went on sale on September 20. They were discontinued on October 13, 2020, following the announcement of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.

iPhone 12 14th-generation smartphone by Apple Inc.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the fourteenth-generation iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 11. They were unveiled at a virtually held Apple Special Event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on October 13, 2020, alongside the "premium flagship" iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max and HomePod Mini. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 started on October 16, 2020, and the phone was released in most countries on October 23, 2020, alongside the iPhone 12 Pro and fourth-generation iPad Air. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 Mini began on November 6, 2020, and the phone was released on November 13, 2020, alongside the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garmin Fenix</span> Series of GPS sport smartwatches

The Garmin Fenix is a series of multisport GPS watches produced by Garmin. First introduced in 2012, the Garmin Fenix caters to outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers, and athletes seeking advanced performance metrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Galaxy S21</span> 2021 flagship smartphones by Samsung Electronics

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a series of high-end Android-based smartphones designed, developed, marketed, and manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of its Galaxy S series. They collectively serve as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. The first three smartphones were unveiled at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on 14 January 2021, while the Fan Edition model was unveiled at Samsung's CES on 3 January 2022.

iPhone 13 15th-generation smartphone by Apple Inc.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini are smartphones designed, developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. They are the fifteenth generation of iPhones. They were unveiled at an Apple Event in Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 14, 2021, alongside the higher-priced iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max flagships. Pre-orders for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini began on September 17, 2021. They were officially released on September 24, 2021.

iPhone 13 Pro 15th-generation smartphone by Apple Inc.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are smartphones designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. They were the flagship smartphones in the fifteenth generation of the iPhone, succeeding the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max respectively. The devices were unveiled alongside the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini at an Apple Special Event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California on September 14, 2021, and became available ten days later, on September 24. They were discontinued on September 7, 2022, as well as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 mini, following the announcement of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixel Watch</span> 2022 smartwatch developed by Google

The Pixel Watch is a Wear OS smartwatch designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. First previewed in May 2022 during the Google I/O keynote, it features a round dome-shaped display as well as deep integration with Fitbit, which Google acquired in 2021. Two Pixel-branded smartwatches had been in development at Google by July 2016, but were canceled ahead of their release due to hardware chief Rick Osterloh's concerns that they did not fit well with other Pixel devices. Development on a new Pixel-branded watch began shortly after Google's acquisition of Fitbit.

iPhone 14 2022 smartphone by Apple

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the sixteenth-generation iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini, and were announced during Apple Event, Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 7, 2022, alongside the higher-priced iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max flagships. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus feature a 6.1-inch (15 cm) and 6.7-inch (17 cm) display, improvements to the rear-facing camera, and satellite connectivity for contacting emergency services when a user in trouble is beyond the range of Wi-Fi or cellular networks. The iPhone 14 was made available on September 16, 2022, and iPhone 14 Plus was made available on October 7, 2022, priced at $799 and $899 respectively and was launched with iOS 16. Pre-orders for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus began on September 9, 2022. Along with the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus are the last iPhones to feature the Lightning port, as their successors, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, use a USB-C port instead, per European Commission regulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Studio Display</span> Computer monitor manufactured by Apple Inc.

The Apple Studio Display is a 27-inch flat panel computer monitor developed and sold by Apple Inc. It was announced on March 8, 2022, alongside the Mac Studio desktop, and was released on March 18, 2022. It is Apple's consumer display, sitting below its Pro Display XDR intended for professional users.

iPhone 14 Pro 2022 smartphone by Apple

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the sixteenth-generation flagship iPhones, succeeding the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The devices were unveiled alongside the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus during the Apple Event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 7, 2022. Pre-orders for the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max began on September 9, 2022, and were made available on September 16, 2022. Being, along with the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, the last iPhones to use a Lightning port, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max were discontinued on September 12, 2023, following the announcement of their successors, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, which replaces the Lightning port with USB-C to comply with European Commission regulations.

iPad Pro (6th generation) 2022 Apple tablet computer

The sixth-generation iPad Pro, is a line of iPad tablet computers developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on October 18, 2022, and was released on October 26, 2022. It is available with the same screen size options as its predecessor: 11-inch and 12.9-inch.

References

  1. Eva Dou (June 20, 2014). "Who Is Apple's Watch Maker?". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  2. Joe Rossignol (September 26, 2018). "Apple Watch Series 4 Expected to Gain Second Manufacturer Following 'Much Better Than Expected' Demand". MacRumors . Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Song, Victoria (September 21, 2022). "Apple Watch Ultra review: an aspirational debut". The Verge. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  4. Song, Victoria (November 28, 2022). "Now the Apple Watch Ultra can actually be your diving computer". The Verge. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  5. Stein, Scott (September 9, 2022). "Apple Watch Ultra Hands-On: Everything You Need to Know". CNET. Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  6. Peters, Jay (September 12, 2023). "Apple announces Apple Watch Series 9, and it has a handy double-tap feature". The Verge . Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  7. "Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2: These are the top new features". Macworld. September 12, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  8. Peters, Jay (September 12, 2023). "Hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9". The Verge. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  9. Peters, Jay (January 18, 2024). "Apple Watches without banned blood oxygen features are now on sale". The Verge. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  10. Davis, Wes (September 9, 2024). "The Apple Watch Ultra 2 now comes in black". The Verge. Retrieved September 9, 2024.