The Apple Watch Ultra is more similar to a Series 7 Edition than you might think

The Apple Watch Ultra is a very good smartwatch. It has a wealth of features, a very long battery life, a titanium shell and a unique design. You can read all about how good it is in my colleague Victoria Song’s review earlier this fall, in a recently published feature-length video review that delves deeper into Apple’s unique claim to Ultra. Please be sure to check

But as good as the Apple Watch Ultra is, it’s not the Apple Watch for me. I’m not an adventurous athlete and have no aspirations, but I’m also a smartwatch devotee and an admirer of fine mechanical watches (to tell you the truth, I can never afford ).Ultra should do it After all, no one dives with a Rolex Submariner on their wrist, even though the Rolex Submariner is considered a “diving” watch in the mechanical world. The Ultra’s premium status, larger-than-normal design, and larger-than-life features speak for many of the same factors that make big, flashy diver’s watches popular.

This fall, I had the opportunity to do a long-term Ultra demo. There are definitely some things I like about it, but a month on his wrist wasn’t enough to convince him to buy it. As a result, I found a used Series 7 Edition and bought it instead. Here’s why:

There are three things I love about the Ultra. It has a large screen, a titanium frame, and a long-lasting battery. Even when I wore the watch overnight to wake up to the silent alarm feature while wearing the watch, it easily took two and a half days to charge. The larger, knurled Digital Crown is fun to turn and click, and I know others have run into it, so I had no problem accidentally pressing other buttons when I bent my wrist. The titanium frame’s matte finish looks better than the glossy finish on Apple’s stainless steel models, and it’s nicer and stronger than the standard Apple Watch’s aluminum. It’s a balance between his two other metals used by Apple.

What I didn’t like about the Ultra was how big it fit on my wrist. This watch cannot be hidden. Big, thick and prominent. It’s lighter than I thought it would be, but it’s not a watch you’ll half forget you’re wearing. It doesn’t fit easily under the cuffs of shirts and jackets, and there is always the fear that it will hit the door frame when worn. Also, it is impossible to dress up Ultra. Even with a leather band or metal bracelet, it looks like a rugged action sports watch.

Also, I’m not a big fan of flat displays. It’s not as good to swipe and interact with as the standard Apple Watch’s curved glass, and the way it lays flat on the watch seems disconnected from the rest of the design.

The Ultra’s other features weren’t enough for my daily use either. It would be nice to have another button on the side of the watch. It’s a shame how little I can actually do with it. (As my colleague Vjeran Pavic said in his video review of the Ultra, it would be nice to have this watch’s functionality change based on the focus mode, just like the watch face changes automatically. 🙂 I don’t receive calls from my wrist. So the louder speakers didn’t work either.

So the Apple Watch Ultra just wasn’t for me. But that led me to find something, and I found it in the 45mm Series 7 Edition. The watch has a screen that’s about the same size as the Ultra, but it’s easy to swipe and maintains curved sides that look great on your wrist. It’s nothing like the Ultra’s bead-blasted finish, but it has a titanium frame that’s close enough to my eye. increase.

The main thing I gave up on is the Ultra’s battery life. The Series 7 is the device you charge every day, no matter what. But my personal routine has adapted in a way that’s not too much of an issue for me. I charge it for an hour or so every night before I go to bed, then put it back on the charger when I wake up and take a shower. The day is off. I’ve yet to run into an issue with the S7’s battery dying before I’m ready to charge it.

Now you might be wondering why Apple is referring to the Series 7 model, a watch released over a year ago, and not the new Series 8, which shares its design and features. . The problem is that Apple discontinued his Edition version of the Series model when it launched the Ultra. The advantage of this is that he had to buy one used to get the Series 7 edition. He was able to get one in excellent condition for less than half the price of an Ultra (and half the price of an edition at the time). new).

After wearing the Series 7 instead of the Ultra for about a month, I’m very happy with where it landed. I have a “nice” Apple Watch that has many of the same characteristics that the Ultra offers, but without the drawbacks that come with it.

I know I’m at over 1,000 words, but please bring back the Apple edition watches.