Apple launches new Apple Watch Ultra

[Frosty]

44 minutes ago, edgarblount said:

Wonder if the Discovery Apple watch benefit will cover only the Series 8 or maybe, just maybe the Ultra as well.  

35 minutes ago, edgarblount said:

Now you can choose to Apple Watch Series SE GPS Aluminium Case Sport 40mm or Apple Watch Series 8 GPS Aluminium Case Sport 41mm and use it to achieve your weekly Vitality Active Rewards goals.

 

Ah well...

Maybe in the new year (their new FY starts in July).

[Jbr]

But the native app doesn’t connect to a power meter.

My question was more to run workouts, auto lap for hard/recovery intervals, show target power, that kind of stuff

[2fly]

For 18k Apple can voetsek.

[BigDL]

A few days of using the watch ultra and it is incredible. Battery life after 47 hours was still 21%, which, compared to my previous apple watches, is brilliant. Screen clarity is off the charts and it works seamlessly.  
 

I’ve been unwell these past few weeks, so haven’t exercised at all, but I’m confident that it’ll do the business there as well. Battery life won’t allow me to trek through the alps for ten days without a charge, but I’m unlikely to do that, so it fits my purpose perfectly. Only criticism for me is inability to link power meter to the native cycling app, but there are plenty of apps that can do that seamlessly on the watch. 

[dave303e]

9 minutes ago, BigDL said:

A few days of using the watch ultra and it is incredible. Battery life after 47 hours was still 21%, which, compared to my previous apple watches, is brilliant. Screen clarity is off the charts and it works seamlessly.  
 

I’ve been unwell these past few weeks, so haven’t exercised at all, but I’m confident that it’ll do the business there as well. Battery life won’t allow me to trek through the alps for ten days without a charge, but I’m unlikely to do that, so it fits my purpose perfectly. Only criticism for me is inability to link power meter to the native cycling app, but there are plenty of apps that can do that seamlessly on the watch. 

47hours since charge, or 47 hours of gps logging training?

[BigDL]

2 hours ago, dave303e said:

47hours since charge, or 47 hours of gps logging training?

As I said, haven’t been exercising. Even if I was, I wouldn’t be training for 47 hours 

[dave303e]

So essentially it is a great upgrade to an Apple watch to give it a good battery life and make it a lot more practical. But calling it an ultra is a little bit of a stretch when compared to proper ultra watches.

There is definitely a place for it and a lot of advantages though, especially if you are an apple sloot...

 

[BigDL]

1 hour ago, dave303e said:

So essentially it is a great upgrade to an Apple watch to give it a good battery life and make it a lot more practical. But calling it an ultra is a little bit of a stretch when compared to proper ultra watches.

There is definitely a place for it and a lot of advantages though, especially if you are an apple sloot...

 

What battery life would you consider to qualify as an “Ultra” watch? Not arguing, just genuinely interested. 

[pedal menace]

I struggle to follow some logic (and willing to take the punishment if I offend anyone)...

Apple Ultra watch - just normal wear - 2 days 79% used. No training - but nice brilliant clear display (AMOLED quality). Semi OK training apps - does not support many sensors but does the basics. When used with training battery life likely 1 day. R18k
 

Garmin Epix 2 with AMOLED crystal clear display - after 4 days 42% used with 3 x  1hr+ training sessions with all sensors (power, HR, cadence and speed). Battery with more training easily lasts 7 days. 12-14 days without training. And because I wear it 24x7 I get proper sleep, stress and many other analysis done. R18k

So why oh why would anyone buy an Apple watch? I struggle to understand this logic. But hey..THIS IS JUST MY OPINION

Edited September 29, 2022 by pedal menace

[dave303e]

6 minutes ago, BigDL said:

What battery life would you consider to qualify as an “Ultra” watch? Not arguing, just genuinely interested. 

I would say 30-59 hours of gps tracking.

My frame of reference is a 100mile trail run- a proper ultra event. Leaders in 14-20 hours, cutoff usually around 36 hours. You want something to track heartrate, gps, navigate you and help you pace. 

When you compare to something like a fenix pro or an epix. You realise it is well out gunned.

I charge my fenix every 2-3 weeks, currently 8-15 hours a week training

[edgarblount]

30 minutes ago, pedal menace said:

I struggle to follow some logic (and willing to take the punishment if I offend anyone)...

Apple Ultra watch - just normal wear - 2 days 79% used. No training - but nice brilliant clear display (AMOLED quality). Semi OK training apps - does not support many sensors but does the basics. When used with training battery life likely 1 day. R18k
 

Garmin Epix 2 with AMOLED crystal clear display - after 4 days 42% used with 3 x  1hr+ training sessions with all sensors (power, HR, cadence and speed). Battery with more training easily lasts 7 days. 12-14 days without training. And because I wear it 24x7 I get proper sleep, stress and many other analysis done. R18k

So why oh why would anyone buy an Apple watch? I struggle to understand this logic. But hey..THIS IS JUST MY OPINION

I struggle to follow some logic (and willing to take the punishment if I offend anyone)...

Why would you pay R18k for an Apple Watch Ultra or Garmin Epix 2 if you can pay R3250.95 for a Garmin Edge 530?

You see what I did there? People can keep on comparing and comparing till the cows come home, but, Each to his\her own. Just buy what you like and feel comfortable with. 

Disclaimer: I might be a bit over all these comparisons, from MacBook vs Dell, Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy n, Ford vs Toyota, The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones etc.

 

PS. I own Garmin, Apple, Samsung, Dell, HP, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones products.

Edited September 29, 2022 by edgarblount

[BigDL]

9 minutes ago, dave303e said:

I would say 30-59 hours of gps tracking.

My frame of reference is a 100mile trail run- a proper ultra event. Leaders in 14-20 hours, cutoff usually around 36 hours. You want something to track heartrate, gps, navigate you and help you pace. 

When you compare to something like a fenix pro or an epix. You realise it is well out gunned.

I charge my fenix every 2-3 weeks, currently 8-15 hours a week training

Fair enough. I suspect that the vast majority of Fenix pro or Epix owners, as well as Ultra owners, would not fall into the category of ultra runners that you describe. But, for that category, the Garmin is undoubtedly the watch to go for.  
 

End of the day, we mostly all love toys and gadgets and tend to buy far higher spec in most things than we would actually ever need, which is fine and had pretty much always been the case.
 

 

[NeverNotRolling]

1 minute ago, edgarblount said:

I struggle to follow some logic (and willing to take the punishment if I offend anyone)...

Why would you pay R18k for an Apple Watch Ultra or Garmin Epix 2 if you can pay R3250.95 for a Garmin Edge 530?

You see what I did there? People can keep on comparing and comparing till the cows come home, but, Each to his\her own. Just buy what you like and feel comfortable with. 

Disclaimer: I might be a bit over all these comparisons, from MacBook vs Dell, Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy n, Ford vs Toyota, The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones etc.

 

PS. I own Garmin, Apple, Samsung, Dell, HP, The Beatles, The Rolling Stone products.

Exactly, people will look at an argument from a certain viewpoint, battery life for example. If that was the case everyone would be driving around in small diesel cars getting 800km on a tank, but they're not are they?

[BigDL]

3 minutes ago, edgarblount said:

I struggle to follow some logic (and willing to take the punishment if I offend anyone)...

Why would you pay R18k for an Apple Watch Ultra or Garmin Epix 2 if you can pay R3250.95 for a Garmin Edge 530?

You see what I did there? People can keep on comparing and comparing till the cows come home, but, Each to his\her own. Just buy what you like and feel comfortable with. 

Disclaimer: I might be a bit over all these comparisons, from MacBook vs Dell, Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy n, Ford vs Toyota, The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones etc.

 

PS. I own Garmin, Apple, Samsung, Dell, HP, The Beatles, The Rolling Stone products.

😂 brilliant point. 

[pedal menace]

2 minutes ago, edgarblount said:

I struggle to follow some logic (and willing to take the punishment if I offend anyone)...

Why would you pay R18k for an Apple Watch Ultra or Garmin Epix 2 if you can pay R3250.95 for a Garmin Edge 530?

You see what I did there? People can keep on comparing and comparing till the cows come home, but, Each to his\her own. Just buy what you like and feel comfortable with. 

Disclaimer: I might be a bit over all these comparisons, from MacBook vs Dell, Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy n, Ford vs Toyota, The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones etc.

 

PS. I own Garmin, Apple, Samsung, Dell, HP, The Beatles, The Rolling Stone products.

Please please please do tell me where you bought an Edge 530 for R3250. Clearly you get MASSIVE discount so that is not a general statement. 

But yes I do agree - one can compare until the sun decides not to set. Buy what you like - that is the beauty of it. You have a choice. I am just the type of person to make sure what I buy for a price I budgeted for gives me the most value for my money. And that outcome, although I may share, is still only my personal view. 

[dave303e]

3 minutes ago, edgarblount said:

I struggle to follow some logic (and willing to take the punishment if I offend anyone)...

Why would you pay R18k for an Apple Watch Ultra or Garmin Epix 2 if you can pay R3250.95 for a Garmin Edge 530?

You see what I did there? People can keep on comparing and comparing till the cows come home, but, Each to his\her own. Just buy what you like and feel comfortable with. 

Disclaimer: I might be a bit over all these comparisons, from MacBook vs Dell, Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy n, Ford vs Toyota, The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones etc.

 

PS. I own Garmin, Apple, Samsung, Dell, HP, The Beatles, The Rolling Stone products.

Honestly had similar thoughts, my old Suunto 5 managed to track a full 100 miler with ease, they now retailing for under 5k and it does easily 80% of what the fenix or apple does as a smart watch

1 minute ago, BigDL said:

Fair enough. I suspect that the vast majority of Fenix pro or Epix owners, as well as Ultra owners, would not fall into the category of ultra runners that you describe. But, for that category, the Garmin is undoubtedly the watch to go for.  
 

End of the day, we mostly all love toys and gadgets and tend to buy far higher spec in most things than we would actually ever need, which is fine and had pretty much always been the case.
 

 

This is very true and to most ultra battery life is just convenience of only charging it once a month.
Personally Garmin is the only watch with Adventure racing mode allowed by ARWS so it limits choices quite well. But the Fenix has been flawless so far.