Crammed full of features, and with phenomenal app support, the Apple Watch Ultra is a highly competitive fitness watch – but only for iPhone users…
Check out our full roundup of the best fitness watches 2023
BEST WATCH FOR IPHONE USERS
Apple Watch Ultra
BUY IT NOW:
From $1030 / £830 / apple.com
Design: 4/5
Battery life: 3.5/5
Smart features: 5/5
Fitness insights: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Pros:
- Best-in-class app support
- Durable and feature-rich
Cons:
- High price will put most off
- Only works with iPhones
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We’ve owned a couple of Apple Watches in the past, and the one thing they’ve had in common (other than the fact they all look the same) is that their screens have been wrecked after less than a year of use. In fact, our Watch 3 and Watch 6 both ended up with gnarly little cracks – so the Apple Watch Ultra, with its titanium case and flat, sapphire crystal display, could be just the ticket if you’re an Apple Watch destroyer like us.
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Featuring military-grade toughness, the Apple Watch Ultra is IP6X dust and water resistant and can dive as deep as 100m. Just like the new iPhones, it packs crash detection, so can call emergency services if you’re in a collision, and with operating temperatures of between -20°C and 55°C, it will survive the most testing conditions.
The Ultra enjoys the best battery life of any Apple Watch to date. It lasts for up to three days with normal use, and if use it to work out that goes down to two days. This might pale compared to a Garmin or Huawei watch but it outclasses any Apple Watch on the market.
Apple app support
What the Ultra and all Apple Watches do better than anything else on test is smart stuff. App support is sensational, with everything from Audible to Spotify, Apple Pay to Fitness+ and so much more available through the WatchOS app store. Notifications are also super-interactive – you can reply to WhatsApp messages and control your smart home, and with Siri on your wrist, you’ve got a voice assistant too.
Health and fitness features are stellar – partly due to phenomenal third-party service integration. But even out of the box, you get a temperature sensor, SpO2 tracking, accurate heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, ECG and more.
Available with cellular connectivity as standard, up to 4G, you have more buying options than the competition, with the Apple Watch Ultra available either off-contract or on networks such as Vodafone for roughly £30 a month on a 36-month contract.
