I questioned whether the Apple Watch Ultra could be worn as an everyday smartwatch without looking a bit silly. Now I've worn it myself, I have the answer.
I’ve been wearing the Apple Watch Ultra for a few days, and I haven’t been near a mountain, a desolate trail, or deep under the water. When I first saw the Watch Ultra, I pondered that you may have to do these things in order to then casually wear the smartwatch without looking a bit silly. Now that the Watch Ultra is on my wrist, I think I may have been wrong about it. After all, even Indiana Jones had to spend time in the classroom. Here’s what has started to change my mind.
What if you wear something more modest? Next to the 39mm Seiko Speedtimer, the Watch Ultra’s size is obvious, but if you look at the full lug-to-lug size of the Speedtimer and the total size of the Watch Ultra, there isn’t that much between them again. It’s the shape and screen that gives the Watch Ultra authority on your wrist, and I think more people will be able to carry the look than perhaps expected.
Too heavy for sleep tracking Wearing the Apple Watch Ultra during the day, whether you’re out exploring the wilderness or not, is manageable. The only annoyance I’ve found is the strap gets caught on the edge of my laptop when I’m typing, and avoiding it is hard as I also find it uncomfortable to rest on top of the case. This isn’t unique to the Apple Watch Ultra, and it happens with many solid watch straps. I’m wearing the Watch Ultra with the elastomer Ocean Band.
Battery for days It’s unfortunate I haven’t found the Apple Watch Ultra light enough to wear when sleeping, because — unlike the Series 8 or Watch SE 2 — the Ultra’s battery doesn’t need recharging every day under normal use. My first charge lasted three full days, including all the usual daily notifications and use, plus a pair of tracked workouts. Although I abandoned sleep tracking on each of those nights, I still left the watch switched on.