The Apple Watch Ultra was designed & built with someone like me in mind. I am an iPhone 14 Pro MaxA 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook ProWith a Studio Display?, Three Apple TV 4K boxes, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro equipped with a Magic Keyboard. n other words, I’m deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem—but on my wrist I alternate between two Garmin smartwatches—an older Tactix DeltaAnd an Epix Gen. 2.
I tried the Apple Watch back when it launched in 2015 but haven’t worn one in many years, mainly because I wanted something larger that lasts longer and is more fitness focused. Whenever a new Apple Watch model arrives I debate the pros and cons, but Garmin always wins—in a nutshell, I like big and clunky watches, and to me, even the 45mm Apple Watch Series 7 always felt a little too delicate and small, more of a fashion statement than a fitness tool.
Garmin watches, unlike previous Apple Watches are built for dedicated athletes. They are built to last and have a high quality design. They last for years.
The 51mm Tactix Tactix Delta has been to the gym with us every day, been on walks and hikes, and it is so tough I could probably use that as a hammer. The battery can last for days and the information really helps me track my fitness. When I’m not at the gym, I wear the Epix Gen. 2, which has a gorgeous AMOLED display and feels like more of a casual smartwatch but is still big, rugged, and lasts for weeks in battery saver mode.
As with the rest my Apple gear, my Garmin watches weren’t cheap. The Epix starts at $900 and the Delta was even costlier when new — both more than the $799 Apple Watch Ultra. So Apple introduced the rugged, larger Apple Watch Ultra in September. at a lower price than either of my Garmin watches, I was instantly intrigued. I ordered the Ultra as soon as it was announced.
The pros outweigh the cons
Garmin has long used transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) displays that are excellent outdoors but less so inside — though the backlight works well enough to easily see what’s on the screen. To my eyes, MIP doesn’t compare to the Apple Watch’s LTPO OLED screen, which is where the newer Epix comes in. The Epix Gen. 2 brings the best of both worlds to Garmin’s lineup—fitness, tech, and fashion—and even with the always-on display always on, you can easily get about a week between charges.
Garmin Tactix’s large and rugged design is perfect for my wrist.
IDG
Garmin’s iPhone compatibility is another problem. In general, the Garmin Connect and Garmin ConnectIQ apps play well between the two ecosystems, but you can’t do as many things with a Garmin watch as you can with an Apple Watch. You can’t make phone calls or responding to messages directly from the watch, you don’t get access to Apple’s deep library of apps, and it doesn’t integrate quite so seamlessly with Apple Health. You have many more options for watch faces because third-party developers are able to make them for Garmin watches. This is a huge plus for me.
The Ultra is more than a mere device. few instant debates broke out online about whether the it goes far enough to even Garmin devices are also considered to be the same thing. Garmin even joined in the discussion Tweet it! soon after the Ultra was unveiled that boasted: “We measure battery life in months. Not hours.”
If features like super-long battery life and built-in maps are what you’re looking for, the Apple Watch Ultra won’t be for you. The Ultra doesn’t quite match the array of outdoor features offered by the Tactix and Epix —though given how quickly Apple iterates its products, my hunch is that it will rapidly close the gap.
Apple is the way
I’ve quickly found out that Apple has come a Long way in terms of the fitness and health data it now delivers with watchOS. It delivers data that’s nearly as comprehensive as I get from Garmin, so much so that it’s going to take me a while to figure out how best to use it. Setting up my new Apple Watch was a bit more complicated than it used to be, largely because there’s so much more it does now. Apple deserves credit for recognizing quickly that fitness and healthy living were the right direction to take and then moving in that direction.
Although the Apple Watch Ultra looks just like an Apple Watch, its large screen and rugged exterior make it stand out.
IDG
To be clear, I won’t be using my Apple Watch Ultra for cross-desert races or diving 20,000 leagues under sea. Compared to those athletes, I’m a poseur. We’re talking about daily gym visits, daily dog walks, weekend hikes, and occasional bike rides. Because I can now do sleep monitoring with ease, I have the promised 36-hour battery life. I actually got more than 36 hours of battery life in real-world usage. Even with several workouts over the past couple of days, I blew past 48 hours—and that’s without low-power mode and before the Ultra’s battery optimization feature arrives.
The Ultra’s raw-titanium design and the criticism it has received for being too homely are well-known, but I disagree. It’s different, yes, but in a good way. It’s big and rectangular, and doesn’t hide easily under long sleeves, but its rugged, industrial aesthetic is clearly aimed at Garmin users and should appeal to Apple fans. It’s still an Apple Watch, but it feels like a tough wearable rather than a dainty smartwatch.
But where Garmin can’t compete is the Apple ecosystem. I’ve only had my Ultra for a few days now, but I can say it’s definitely good to have an Apple Watch back on my wrist. As usual, it’s little things Apple does that matter, like when my MacBook Pro locks when I walk away and unlocks when I return. Or simply the ease of replying to a message, without me having to reach into my pocket for my Pro Max.
While the Apple Watch Series 8 wasn’t my favorite watch, the Ultra is.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
For the foreseeable future, I’ll be rocking the Ultra. But I’m keeping my Garmins, too. They’re still incredibly well-built, rugged devices that—mainly for the aesthetics of changing things up once in a while—I may well slap in my wrist for a day (or several).
If Apple ever comes out with a 52mm Apple Watch Ultra Max with seven days of battery life, I’ll be the first person in line. But for now, it’s going to be hard to pry the Ultra from my wrist. It’s big enough, featured enough, and lasts long enough to check all the boxes that my Garmin did. And I don’t think I’m the only one.
