The Apple Watch just leveled up.
At its big iPhone 14 launch event on Wednesday, Sept. 7, Apple showed off the latest addition to the Apple Watch family: the Apple Watch Ultra. It has a larger 49mm case than the 41mm and 45mm regular Series 8 watches, and comes with titanium casing to withstand all your outdoor adventures. It can last 36 hours on a single charge, too.
The Apple Watch Ultra will launch on Sept. 23 for $799.
The new Wayfinder watch face has a detailed compass.
Credit: Apple
When I say Apple is aiming this watch at people who love nature, I mean it. It’s got the same temperature and blood oxygen sensors as the regular Apple Watch Series 8, but it can do so much more. For instance, it will automatically bring up a water depth and temperature sensor when you dive, with Apple demonstrating the ability to dive up to 40 meters underwater.
It has more precise GPS than other Apple Watches and a new Wayfinder watch face that displays a bunch of vital information for activities like hiking. Wayfinder’s detailed compass will show latitude, longitude, and a host of other details to keep you on track. On the hardware side, a new “action button” can be customized to do whatever you need, with one example being that it can play a loud siren noise to alert others to your presence.
Three different types of watch bands for different activities.
Credit: Apple
Apple is also selling different watch bands for different kinds of activities. There’s a thin Trail Loop band for runners, a strong Alpine Loop band for hikers, and an Ocean band that’s meant to be worn over a wetsuit. Apple also says the device can endure external temperatures ranging from -4 degrees to 131 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s all very intense, but so are the kinds of lifestyles lived by the target audience for the Apple Watch Ultra. If the marketing is to be believed, this may be a dream companion device for the adventurers out there.
