Apple Watch Ultra review: Blazing a trail

The Apple Watch Ultra is undoubtedly the best smartwatch Apple has come up with, bar none. Its overall feature set is truly impressive, and despite being geared towards active people that would take it to the bottom of the bay or hike up the mountains with it, I could very well see it gracing the wrists of regular everyday people that scoff at the thought of muddying up their shoes. Arguably, it's the best smartwatch that will both track your dive in the reef and let you pay for your margaritas afterwards.

It comes with a posh rugged design that not only looks snazzy but also makes sure the watch will survive a close encounter with Mother Nature and come on top unscathed. It also dials things up to 11 with the new customizable Action button and a better battery life than regular Apple Watches. Finally, there are some rather unique features that put it on the map for those extreme users who have a very specific and demanding set of requirements.

However, even for regular smartwatch users like myself, the Apple Watch Ultra is a perfect fit that shines with its battery life and sturdiness on top of all the software goodies. It's easily the best smartwatch I've used, and unlike some competitors, like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, feels like a finished product.

That said, at $799, the Apple Watch Ultra is definitely on the expensive side. Are its exclusive features over the Apple Watch Series 8 worth the few hundred bucks extra? I'm not exactly convinced. I generally feel that this is by far the best wearable Apple has come up with so far, but it surely lacks enough differentiating features over the Apple Watch Series 8 and even 7 to warrant an upgrade. 

The Apple Watch Ultra comes in a packaging that's slightly different from your regular Apple Watch. The box is wider and shorter than regular, with some additional booklets inside that hint at the Apple Watch Ultra's rugged nature. Aside from the packaging, which is also made of recycled materials, the wearable comes with just a USB-C charging puck and the watch band of your choice. The charging cable is a braided one, a nice touch that complements the Watch Ultra rather well. 

Here's a full rundown of what's inside the Apple Watch Ultra box.

Specs aren't vital when dealing with wearables, but in any case, we've got to explore the nitty-gritty of what makes the Apple Watch Ultra click and tick. Here is the gist of the Apple Watch Ultra specs:

Designed with ruggedness in mind, the Apple Watch Ultra is easily Apple's manliest smartwatch so far. Sorry, ladies—this one puts the "M" back in masculinity. With its tall and large 49mm titanium case, the Apple Watch Ultra is certainly aimed with folks with thicker wrists, and even then it sticks out and could certainly be a conversation starter during your next office Christmas party. 

The Apple Watch Ultra is designed quite differently from the rest of the cookie-cutter Apple Watch models. For example, the Digital Crown is larger and has deeper, more pronounced grooves in comparison with, say, the Apple Watch Series 8 or Watch SE 2nd Gen. Both the crown and the side button are enclosed in a raised side bezel, in a move which aims to make them both more easily accessible when wearing gloves. Although the semi-enclosed nature of the Digital Crown required some getting used to on my part, I generally enjoyed the raised design of the hardware buttons in regular, mundane day-to-day usage. 

There's also a new Action Button on the left side of the case, which is customizable and can quickly start a workout, start backtracking your steps, turn on the flashlight, or enable the Apple Watch Ultra's super-loud emergency siren when double-pressed. The button is painted in International Orange, a color designed to be easily distinguishable from its immediate surroundings. Interestingly, a variation of said color graces San Francisco's Golden Gate bridge. 

And overall, the Apple Watch Ultra is just built different, with lots of additional sensor openings all around the case and exposed screws at the bottom for easier access to the internals of the watch. The titanium case and sapphire glass create a reassuring feel of sturdiness and endurance, and has a nice heft to it. While wearing a regular Apple Watch is way more care-free, you will certainly feel that you have the Watch Ultra on your wrist. In my experience, however, it's not overbearingly heavy or uncomfortable, and I didn't really have any issues wearing it in bed for that sweet sleep tracking. 

The display, now completely flat unlike other Apple Watch models, has been greatly improved. Aside from being protected by scratch-resistant sapphire, it can get super-bright, not to mention that thanks to its larger size, it fits so much content. Watch faces also look stunning on the OLED display and the viewing angles are satisfactory. Just like previous Apple wearables, the Apple Watch Ultra comes along with an always-on display functionality, which tones down the refresh rate of the display to 1Hz and goes easy on the wearable's battery.

The Apple Watch Ultra comes in a single 49mm size, and only with cellular and GPS on board; unlike regular Apple Watch models, there's no GPS-only version. Disappointingly, there's only one color option as well, the standard titanium one, and while it looks super classy, I'd have loved for additional color options, at least as far as the case is concerned. 

Apple has three new straps that match well with the Apple Watch Ultra: the Alpine Loop, a rugged canvas strap with secure G-hook fitting, the Ocean Band, which is suitable for divers, and finally, the Trail Loop, Apple's thinnest band yet. Rest assured that most wider bands compatible with Apple's other wearables also fit the Apple Watch Ultra. For example, I have a slew of custom straps for the Apple Watch Series 7 45mm that I normally use, and these match up perfectly with the Apple Watch Ultra. 

Still, it's a large wearable that you absolutely shouldn't blind-buy. You will definitely feel it on your wrist at all times due to its heft, and might not necessarily be suitable for your wrist. While I personally had no issues with it, I will most certainly go back to a regular Apple Watch as its more compact size is more practical. 

Another thing that irked me is the fact that the Apple Watch Ultra generally lacks enough features to get itself easily differentiated from the rest of Apple's smartwatch lineup. Don't get me wrong, having a larger battery and sturdier case is great, but a slightly more accurate GPS and a diving functionality that few would use aren't the best exclusive features of the wearable. I feel that the Apple Watch Ultra should have had more exclusive features that would better justify its $799 price tag.