Apple Watch Ultra

I have been wearing an Apple Watch for ages.. back to the Series 3. Then a 4, 7 Ultra and Ultra2. At the same time, I have rotated in a few Garmin devices. I am not a hardcore athlete. I, like the OP, just insight into how my body response to the life I live. I have difficulty taking AW intel seriously. Maybe because it's scattered all over the place. Maybe it's info overload. Maybe it's the flamboyant colors. The Garmin, by contrast, speaks to you in your face. No fanfare. The Body Battery is amazing. Visual connection, but a single digit to quantify to the impact of what I eat & drink, how I move and sleep and how my body is responding. I have Athlytic app which is much like Garmin's delivery of data, but way too much of it for me. I'll take a look at Bevel. Maybe that is more my speed.

Coming from a Series 3, 4, 7, Ultra and now an Ultra2…. But I also use a Garmin Epix Pro which has a battery that lasts a month. Battery life with Ultra is about 2.5 days. I use wrist gesture so no AOD. That alone would be enough of a reason. The other AW series needed to be charged daily and couldn’t make it through anything more than a short day hike when in AOD and recording. That said, the Ultra does bring a big more bulk so it’s not as sleek under a dress shirt.

And will the watch measure more accurately just because of the longer battery life? Doesn’t seem like it. Garmin’s hardware is truly outstanding, but the accuracy of some health monitoring agents and the entire software package, which feels 20 years outdated, really needs to be improved — not a justification for charging more money. At least the AW/AWU delivers industry-leading accuracy consistently.

That was my issue with the AWU1. I *loved* that it allowed me to not bring my phone on runs but I didn't like the weight of it on my wrist and it felt way too thick. My Forerunner 265 has been perfect. If Apple made a watch that was 265 size, a legit fitness device, and had cell connection I'd be all over it. EDIT: Looking a the spec the AWU3 is 1.6mm thinner but 0.4g heavier than the AWU1.

I did a 13:47 Ironman on my Apple Watch Ultra v1. Used it to track everything. It died on mile 18 of the run. I bought a bike computer for the ride on my next one. I don’t think they’ve improved the battery life for the v3 enough to have it be your one device to do it all, unless you are going under 10 hours.

I don’t like wearing watches at home because the notifications get annoying. For me, 42 hours of battery life is more than enough unless I’m traveling to a mountain or somewhere without electricity for an extended period. I mainly stick to running and cycling, and, even the AWU1 handled those activities perfectly. Ended up selling my Garmin LTE version because longer battery is pointless for me.

Using Apple Pay in most stores means the Apple Watch cellular model lets you leave your phone behind. Perfect for activities like running. If you have a phone with garmin, why do you need a garmin? lol just get the heart beat sensor.

I love my ultra. I had the first generation and got the third generation last year. No worries about battery life ever along with cell coverage and all that other gizmos. I use it all the time.

Bought the AWU1 day one and loved everything about it, except the battery life. Bought a Fenix 8 as I started doing long distance running, and while I love the insane battery life, flashlight, and look, it’s just not enough of a smart watch for me. I miss IOS integration, texting/calling, LTE, and ease of use. I’ve preordered the AWU3 and will be putting my Fenix up for sale. It’s a great watch, but there’s just something missing for me. I’ll miss that battery and flashlight though.