- $799 for an Apple Watch Ultra
that fundamentally does everything
that the $249 Apple Watch SE does.
Do I have regrets?
Yes and no.
Now Apple does a great job of making you think you need
whatever it is that they're selling,
and it doesn't help that the cinematography nerd in me
loves watching their keynotes,
because there is always an amazing transition,
or some really cool set design to look at.
But the Apple Watch is really one product
that I never really get FOMO with,
because I only ever use it one way.
Normally I upgrade every two to three years
and I started with the first Apple Watch
and then I upgraded to the Series 3
for cellular connectivity and then I went to the Series 6,
because my Series 3 was actually feeling really slow
and the battery life wasn't lasting a day.
And now I have the Ultra.
I guess the same can really be said about the phone.
There's really small upgrades every year,
but if the phone's camera and hardware's improved
then I can really see myself benefiting from that.
But not really so much from a new watch color
or a slightly faster processor just to tell the time.
But this year there were a few things that really sold me.
The design is completely subjective
and I'll admit when I first saw the leaks
I was kind of turned off by the side knob
but it quickly grew on me after seeing the hands on videos.
And unlike everyone else out there in the world,
I was actually not turned off by the size of the Ultra,
because if you don't know by now
I'm 6' 8" with a matching man-size wrist.
And I was actually excited
because it felt like there would be a new Apple Watch
that would look normal on me.
It wouldn't look small or dinky.
It actually would match me.
It also doesn't hurt that it's a little more recognized.
I mean, in the past
I would always go with the stainless steel version
of the Apple Watch,
because it has the Sapphire display
and I never really had any issues
with scratches or cracks on the front glass.
But after a beach day, I would notice
that the digital crown felt a little more gritty
because of the sand
getting in between the seams of the button.
And I don't know if that will hold up the same
with the Ultra.
I mean, I hope so after looking at all their advertising,
and you know, them climbing up mountains
and then you know, Dubai and desert storms.
I hope that it can withstand a simple beach day
with my daughter.
Up until now every Apple watch that I've owned
is honestly had the same exact design, you know,
rounded screen, rounded corners, just slightly bigger.
And just having something that looks different
actually feels good.
I will say that none
of my current Apple Watch bands truly fit.
I'm able to slide them into the Ultra
and they click in place,
but there is a slight gap on either side
where the band meets the watch
and it's nitpicky, but I can't deal with it.
The OCD in me doesn't like it.
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One feature that may not be as prominent to you
if you're coming from one of the newer watches
like the Series 7,
is the larger, flat display and emphasis on flat.
It's only a little added screen real estate
from the Series 7 Apple Watch.
But since I'm coming from the Series 6
it's something that really jumped out to me.
Having a bigger screen really benefits me
for text messages and having access
to that full screen keyboard.
Swipe is really good.
Typing on the keyboard is really nice
and it inspires real confidence
for leaving my phone at home.
And it feels more like it could be a standalone device,
if that makes sense.
The other big factor that really improves the experience
is the flat display,
And I'm a fan of flat displays on watches and phones
and thinking back,
curve displays have always really been
just for vanity and aesthetics.
I even remember using old Samsung phones like the Note Edge
and really never ever used in the screen features.
I hope more and more manufacturers really start to realize
that curve displays are dated
and they don't really offer too much functionality.
The flat edge on the Apple Watch paired with the raised lip
also gives you a little bit more durability.
Now, like I said, I'm not doing anything
too crazy that requires more durability,
but when I have the occasional hit against the doorframe,
I'm less concerned about it cracking my screen.
Aesthetically the flat display just looks better
in my opinion as well.
And to be honest, I've never really been a fan
of the Apple Watch designs in the past,
like especially the shape of the screen.
I've always thought that round screens look better
like on the Galaxy watches,
they just look like traditional time pieces.
But now when I look down at my Apple Watch
I'm pleased with what I see.
Like it's not round,
but the flat screen makes it look a lot better.
Better battery life.
Now this is one feature
that really setting you over over the edge
and made me pure to the Apple Watch Ultra.
Better battery life is always promised every single year,
but this year I've actually noticed the gains
with the Apple Watch Ultra.
In the past I could go probably one day comfortably
with my Series 6,
but sleep tracking overnight was kinda out of the question.
Either the watch would be dead in the middle of the night
and stop tracking my sleep
or it'll be on life support by the time I woke up
and I had to charge it right away.
Now I can go two to three days
without worrying about my watch dying.
Now to be honest, typically I charge it
halfway through day two,
when I'm in the shower or editing a video.
But not having battery anxiety is something
that I honestly need and want on more of my devices.
Apple's also gonna be released in a new low battery mode
that's gonna extend the battery life even further.
But who really knows what sensors that's gonna deactivate
and what limitations that's gonna bring.
My hope is that it can still track sleep
and just sip on the battery life
letting me go maybe three to four days
on one charge, but who knows.
Right now if you put your watch into low power mode,
the watch turns off heart rate
and blood oxygen tracking in the background.
So you lose that comprehensive data that you need
for REM deep and core sleep tracking.
But hopefully this new power mode doesn't do that.
Now, although I don't plan on going crazy with my activities
like skydiving and base jumping,
it is nice knowing that my watch
is able to keep up with me
if I decide to expand my horizons.
You know I'm getting outdoorsy now, you never know.
I may want to get scuba certified one day
or at least go snorkeling or something.
And it's cool to know that my watch has a higher ceiling.
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Now, like I said earlier, I normally go
with the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch.
So price isn't really where my regrets lie
because I end up spending like pretty close to that
and get significantly less features.
My regret creeps in when it comes to the Watchband options
and how long this watch will be considered ultra.
Now I'm not the biggest fan
of any of the watch bands that come
with the Apple Watch Ultra.
I only got this Alpine Loop or whatever they call this
because it was the quickest shipping option.
I'm not mad at the color and the material
but I don't really like how it fastens.
And again, it's probably meant for some dude
that's freehand climbing the face of a mountain.
But for me it's a little clunky to take on and off.
Also, I like to have a nice little metal band
to dress up the watch,
but none of my current bands really fit seamlessly
like I said earlier.
And many of the titanium band options online
are either back ordered
or the colors don't match completely.
So, hopefully there's more band manufacturers out there
that make really good titanium bands
that aren't a arm and a leg
because most of the ones I've seen are gonna be like
200 bucks and higher for true titanium bands.
And you may be saying to yourself
while watching this video,
"Hey this is a piece of technology,
you should be thinking of function over form."
But I would say, "You're wrong.
This is jewelry and it needs to look like it.
Like I need to be able to dress this up.
It needs to have options.
I need to be able to put a suit on with this
go to a wedding and I need to work out with it.
And I want it to evolve and move with me
throughout my life."
Now the other side of this regret coin
is that there is a new Apple Watch every single year.
And like I said, I typically don't get FOMO
when it comes to these watches,
but if they keep bringing major quality of life enhancements
to the Ultra line exclusively,
like better battery life gains,
like serious battery life gains
or a new sensor that's gonna track
like some cool health feature
and reserving it only for the Ultra line,
that may change my mind in the future.
And I'm not gonna be paying $800 every single year
for an Apple Watch.
And I don't think people that are truly in this demographic
for the Apple Watch Ultra,
upgrade their Garmins every year.
So Apple needs to make more advancements through software
and not so much through hardware.
Literally right before filming this video,
I just dropped off my Series 6 for trade in.
I took it to UPS and shipped it back to Apple
for the meager 150, $125 trade-in value
that they gave me which we gotta...
That's all another video. We gotta talk about that.
Like, these Apple watches do not hold their value
back to Apple.
I feel like they give great trade-in value for the phones,
but not so much for the watches.
But I'm an Ultra boy for now.
And to be honest, I'm really happy with my purchase.
The Apple Watch Ultra has finally delivered on everything
that I've always wanted the Apple Watch to be
since the Series Zero that I had back in the day
Better Battery Life, larger flat display
were the two biggest features that pushed me over the edge.
And this may be my favorite Apple product in recent years.
The other one up there probably is the new iPad Pro
that came out last year.
But yeah, I'd recommend the Apple Watch Ultra
if you want a watch that'll last you a few days
and that looks way better than the normal Apple Watch.
But that's about it for me guys, I appreciate you as usual.
If you made it this far into the video, salute!
You guys are the best.
Thank you for commenting, like and subscribing
and all the good stuff.
If you liked this video and you wanna see many more like it,
feel free to hit that subscribe button, notification bell,
personalized to all notifications.
I need you to know whenever I upload a video
because I wanna talk to you guys about this.
I'll be down in the comments section
replying to all your comments.
Let me know what you guys are seeing
about the Apple Watch Ultra if you have one pre-ordered
when they come back in stock.
If you have one, if you like it,
what are some of the things that you've done with it?
If you aren't just a regular guy
and you actually do all that crazy stuff,
I wanna hear from you especially.
But if you are a regular guy, or a regular woman
and you have an Apple Watch Ultra, especially women!
How do you guys feel about the Apple Watch Ultra?
Because on me it looks normal, but on a woman's wrist
I can imagine it looks pretty crazy.
I haven't put this on my wife but I might,
just to see how crazy it looks.
But yeah, do you want a smaller
Apple Watch Ultra in the future?
I would really like different colors.
Maybe like a black titanium.
That would be awesome.
But yeah, it's been a pleasure as usual, guys
thank you for watching and until next time, stay fresh.
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