You Don’t Need an Apple Watch Ultra
Apple has officially announced the next generation of its premium wearables, the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. Both models have a lot of new features, but the dirty little secret of the wearable world is that most people don’t really need or use them. If you’re looking for the best smartwatch to pair with your iPhone, just buy the cheaper Apple Watch SE.
What does the Apple Watch Ultra even offer?
Apple Watch battery life has never been a selling point, especially for power users. Although most people need to charge their watch once a day, this can be a problem for some users, such as endurance athletes. Whether you run ultramarathons or triathlons, you want a watch that doesn’t run out of juice halfway through your workout.
The Apple Watch Ultra is just such a product. Apple claims the watch has a battery life of up to 36 hours with normal use and up to 60 hours with a new “battery optimization” setting. In addition to great battery life, the Ultra has the largest display ever seen on an Apple Watch and offers a unique, rugged weatherproof design. For example, if you need a smartwatch underwater, you can wear it while doing recreational snorkeling at depths up to 40 meters.
With a larger battery, weight is added. The Apple Watch Ultra weighs almost twice as much as the Apple Watch SE, which is important for a product you wear on your wrist all day. Of course, most people would be willing to use a heavier product in exchange for better battery life. The real question is whether you have to pay $799 for it.
As good as it sounds on paper, most of Ultra’s features are niche-focused. If you are not into endurance sports or scuba diving, you can safely choose another (cheaper) model.
What about the Apple Watch Series 8?
This is where things get interesting. The Series 8 starts at $399 for the GPS option and $499 for the cellular model. That’s about $100-$150 more than the Apple Watch SE.
With the Series 8, you get ECG readings, blood oxygen measurement, a temperature sensor for fertility tracking, a large always-on display, and dust protection. This variant also supports fast charging and has a stainless steel finish option, which the SE does not.
Yes, these features are nice and may cost you extra money. But if you don’t need them, pocket the extra cash and get an Apple Watch SE because it’s the best Apple Watch for the money.
Why the Apple Watch SE is the best choice for most people
This year, Apple updated the Apple Watch SE with an updated processor – and it’s the same dual-core S8 SiP found in the Series 8 and Ultra. This ensures the SE is faster than ever and doesn’t soon become unusable like the Series 3. You still get a swim-proof watch that supports most of the fitness activities you’re likely to log on to. and they will need to be charged once. day.
The Apple Watch SE does not have an always-on display, which means the watch face will be blank when the screen goes to sleep. However, you’ll still be able to see it the moment you lift your wrist, and the lack of an always-on display does add to the watch’s battery life.
Some of the most interesting new Apple Watch features, including Crash Detection, which can alert emergency services if you’re in a major collision, and the watchOS 9 feature set, are available on the Apple Watch SE, so that’s not the case. like you’re missing out on every new feature. With a starting price of $249 for the GPS model and $299 for cellular, this price is hard to beat. And with those savings, you can buy some useful accessories (like a brighter watch band) and/or cover the cost of AppleCare+ (never a bad option for a device you’ll wear on your wrist every day).
In short, the SE is the best value Apple Watch right now. The Series 8 does offer some tantalizing benefits, and the Ultra is perfect for its audience. But for most of us, the SE is the right choice.