Apple announced its rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 last Wednesday, and I’ve been testing it since then and asking myself: Should people buy it?
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A few compelling features arrive on both the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. These updates include a brand-new Readiness app that builds on Apple’s Sleep Scores it unveiled last year, Audio Intelligence features like Sound Recognition for those hard of hearing, faster Shazam, Siri Recap, and Live Rewind (the latter two will ship later this year), more accurate step tracking, and a more capable, AI-powered Siri.
When I saw Apple unveil the new features coming to the Apple Watch lineup this year, I became more interested in what’s available on the Series 12, Apple’s more general-purpose smartwatch, than in what was coming to the rugged and outdoorsy Ultra 4.
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Consider my perspective: I am a small-wristed, 27-year-old woman who lives in a city; I rarely need a smartwatch to communicate with satellites in an off-grid location; I have never gone scuba diving or run a Tough Mudder (conditions a rugged watch could survive in); and I hate a clunky, heavy smartwatch (see again: my small wrists).
There are still plenty of updates to this watch that will suit anyone who isn’t me. So, let’s get into them.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET1. Longer battery life
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 adds eight hours of battery capacity, so you’ll get 50 total hours of use between charges with always-on display enabled. The new S11 chip that powers the Ultra 4, alongside some software improvements, helps optimize battery life.
2. Smarter health tracking
Apple’s new Health Sensing System is legit, and isn’t available on the Ultra 3. The Ultra 3 takes heart rate readings every five minutes, and the Ultra 4 takes readings every five seconds. Heart rate variability readings jump from being taken every two to four hours on the Ultra 3 to every five minutes on the Ultra 4.
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This new system and faster data capture powers the Readiness score, the new Health Age feature arriving on the revamped Health app later this year, and the daytime and nighttime Vitals feature.
I tested the Health Sensing System’s heart rate accuracy against a gold-standard heart-rate monitoring chest strap. The new Health Sensing System delivers a .998 correlation to the Polar H10 strap I tested the watch against. That’s amazingly accurate, especially for a wrist-worn wearable.
3. Faster charging
Not only does the Ultra 4’s battery get eight more hours of use, but charging also gets a speed boost. You’ll get up to 18 hours of battery life after 15 minutes of charging.
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I don’t know if this feature alone is enough to sell you a new watch, but it’s one of those nice touches that make the device extra useful.
4. Better GPS
Apple claims the Ultra 4 has the most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch. I haven’t been able to test that capability yet, so stay tuned for my full review of the Apple Watch Ultra 4 when I put the Ultra 4 and the Pixel Watch 5, another advanced GPS smartwatch, to the test.
Should I upgrade from the Ultra 3?
Only if you want to try out the new Health Sensing System and get even more information about your heart and health conditions, in my opinion. You’ll also need to be willing to spend $799 on a new device.
If you like a bigger watch display and enough data to track your fitness and stay motivated, I’d say you’ll be happy with the Ultra 3. The Health Sensing System is the biggest draw to this next generation of Apple Watches. If you like that feature set and a larger-screened watch with advanced GPS, then I’d recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 4 over the Apple Watch Series 12.
Editor’s note: I’ll have a more comprehensive review of the Apple Watch Ultra 4 once I’ve had more than a few days to thoroughly test it.
