Apple Watch Ultra: 10 new features

Apple on Wednesday unveiled the new Apple Watch Ultra, a larger, more advanced smartwatch aimed at athletes, hikers and swimmers. The Apple Watch Ultra has the same features as the new Apple Watch Series 8 , but there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. The article collected the most notable changes and features of the new Apple Watch Ultra, which you should know about.

Operation at extreme temperatures

If iPhones can overheat in hot weather or shut down in cold weather, the Apple Watch Ultra is unlikely to, even in the harshest climates. Apple says the watch has been designed for the most extreme outdoor touring conditions, with wrist operating temperatures ranging from -20° to 55°C (-4° to 131°F).

Bigger display, more metrics

Apple has created a new Wayfinder watch face that was designed specifically for the large Apple Watch Ultra display. It includes a compass and space for eight additional indicators. The Wayfinder dial can also be customized for mountain, ocean or tropical expeditions.

Custom action button

While previous Apple Watch models had only two physical controls, the Apple Watch Ultra has an additional third control on the left side of the screen, the so-called Action button, which is in international orange color and can trigger various functions.

Because it’s customizable, the actions performed when you press the Action button are user-specific, so with a single tap you can track segments of a race during a workout, call back when using Backtrack, leave waypoints in the compass, or start your dive computer, depending on your needs.

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Brighter screen

Beneath the flat sapphire glass front is the Retina display, which is not only the largest on an Apple Watch, but can display up to 2,000 nits of brightness, twice as bright as any other Apple Watch display.

Night mode

To optimize the display of the Wayfinder watch face at night, you can turn on night mode, which turns the interface red and removes blue tints from the display to reduce eye strain in the dark.

Emergency siren

If you ever get lost, injured, or in any other emergency and want to draw attention to your location, the Apple Watch Ultra includes an 86 decibel siren that you can turn on by holding down the Action button.

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Apple says the siren uses a unique sound signature that includes two different alternating pathers that can repeat for hours. The first model assumes distress, while the second simulates the generally accepted SOS signal. This siren can be heard up to 600 feet or 180 meters away.

Best in class GPS positioning

Apple Watch Ultra uses accurate dual-frequency GPS that integrates L1 and the latest L5 frequency. Combined with new custom positioning algorithms, Apple says it’s the most accurate GPS of any smartwatch on the market and should help trail runners and other athletes who often find themselves among dense trees or tall buildings.

Updated Compass app

In watchOS 9, the compass has been redesigned for the Apple Watch Ultra and now has three different views. The app displays a new hybrid view that shows both the analog compass face and a digital view at the same time, while turning the Digital Crown shows an additional view that includes latitude, longitude, altitude and tilt, as well as an orientation view showing waypoints compass and backtrack.

Marking Waypoints and Backtrack

In the Compass app, you can press the Action button or the Compass Waypoint icon to add a waypoint and mark the location where you are. Waypoints can be edited by clicking on the icon, and a dedicated area on the watch face will update the information from the Compass Waypoint automatically in real time, showing both the direction of the waypoint and its approximate distance.

Meanwhile, with the help of GPS, the new Backtrack feature creates a path showing you where you’ve been, similar to the breadcrumbs you can use if you’re lost or disoriented and want to track your steps.

Water temperature sensor and depth gauge

Apple Watch Ultra is certified to EN 13319, which is the internationally recognized standard for diving accessories, including depth gauges. The Apple Watch Ultra has a depth gauge integrated into the new Depth app that can display the time, current depth up to 40 meters, water temperature, underwater duration, and maximum depth reached.

Under water, Apple Watch Ultra automatically opens the Depth app, making it quick and easy to get important information without having to open it manually. In addition, you can assign the Depth application call to an Action button to launch it when needed.

Price and release date

The Apple Watch Ultra costs $799 and was available for pre-order right after Wednesday’s “Far Out” presentation. They come in a silver titanium case and are available with three different straps: Trail, Alpine and Ocean. The Apple Watch Ultra will begin shipping to customers on Friday, September 23rd.