I do a lot of mountain biking and back country skiing and this is the first time I’ve been excited for a new iPhone since the X, and the first time I’ve ever been interested in getting an apple watch. Sat phone, wayfinding, crash, and fall detection would all be hugely valuable things to have in the backcountry, I’ve definitely had some close calls where each of these could have potentially saved me. It’ll be amazing to have all this without tons of extra expensive gear

“Clock work” 😏

Probably the most underrated (and overdue) "feature" is the fact that finally cellular versions are getting proper international roaming ie they can be used as standalone devices when travelling rather than being downgraded to a companion gadget as soon as they're out of country of purchase. Still dependant on carrier availability, but it's a start.

I am a mechanic so the durability of the Apple Watch ultra is a huge selling point to me. I feel like depending on what your job is, if you do a lot of hands on, this could be for you.

I like the Ultra. I’ll never buy it, I definitely don’t need it, but I am very happy to see companies investing into specialised versions of their products for those who would benefit from them under more niche circumstances. I find this way better than some of their past “Pro” lineups of products that had little to actually distinguish themselves.

Man I love Marques. He is always able to balance specs for the tech geeks and user experience for the average person in his review

Actually… One “major” thing noticed that Apple brought back a true silver in the series 8. The starlight was the only light option for the 7 but missing a true silver is fixed again in the 8… Good stuff!

The battery and durability is one of the reasons I haven't gotten one and now I'm certainly getting one

The low power mode is available now with the watchOS beta. I’ve tested it for the last 12 hours and I’m still at 81% on a s5. So definitely excited to see how much I get when my ultra arrives

The Ultra is super appealing to me. I do a lot of kitesurfing and been rocking and loving the SE but they usually die within 6- 8 months due to water damage. The beefed up waterproofing alone is a big plus!

Ive always always enjoyed chunky watches. So excited to be able to use the new features and push myself further with the Ultra. Look forward to seeing how the move forward with this line.

As a Garmin user and endurance athlete, I think you hit the nail on the head with the interrogating athletes. This is the first time I’m considering switching. It would be nice to not have to also carry my phone while I’m running and they are getting close to providing the features I want in a sport watch.

I really hope they implement the action button to know the difference between a push, double and triple push, and hold to allow the most flexibility for the new button.

10:38 You could always water-lock the watch to disable the touch screen. It's a workaround but you can do it. Still not a hard button and it would be cool with the action button, but yeah.

One thing that they mentioned for the new watches in passing that is exciting for lap/competitive swimmers was that the watch can now track kickboard intervals. This was something that previously was not available and the stats during kick sets just showed up as downtime. I'm curious if the non-freestyle strokes like butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke will also be more accurate. Previously the watch was able to capture these but not always reliably. But yeah the kickboard aspect is a game changer.

I wakeboard almost every week, snowboard (including backcountry split boarding), occasionally surf, and run. This watch is gonna be sooo good. I can see myself not having to worry, is my watch fully charged or almost fully charged before I go and do one of these activities. Currently on the S6 and generally when I go to my local wake park for a few hours I need to make sure its 80% minimum or more. Also the new button will be cool to answer calls while in water (how you mentioned sweat water etc. messes with the screen), I assume you will be able to answer calls with it, which, if you’re surfing wakeboarding etc. sometimes is almost impossible to do with a regular Apple Watch

I feel like Garmin needs more recognition. The fenix has had all these features for a while and has more honestly

Marques “I don’t need a Plaid” Brownlee is definitely getting an Ultra, lmao

As always, love the video - mostly how honest you seem in your reviews! Little side note, for my apple watch: I just turn on the 'underwater function' anytime I work out or do other things to turn off my touchscreen. Sure, it isn't as easy as a hard button, but you can still turn in off quite quickly if you tap the screen once the noise starts to eject the water, your apple watch is useable right away! Hope this helps some people that struggle with the annoying touchscreen while working out or in the rain etc.!

Love the size and features of the Apple Watch. I’m disappointed that it’s only available in one color way. Once/if Apple offers it in black I will be there to preorder that iteration.

Note: 100m water resistance doesn't mean you can dive to 100m depth with the watch, it means the watch can withstand the equivalent water pressure of *sitting perfectly still* at 100m depth. Obviously when you're swimming with a watch on your wrist it's not sitting perfectly still, and so the effective water pressure on the watch is higher. For this reason most divers wouldn't take a 100m water resistant watch anywhere near 100m depth. The general rule of thumb watch enthusiasts use for depth ratings is:

I'm not in the Apple ecosystem, but I always appreciate their hardware. Both Apple and Android OEM's take inspiration from each other and can only improve for all of us.

I just hiked across the Alps for two weeks this summer, while wearing the Series 7 with a regular sport band, same or similar to the one Marques has on in the video (me in the smaller 41mm case size). Battery life was just fine, only turning off some connectivity options during the day and using it mainly for time, alarms, GPS tracking with Strava, some weather, heart rate info, etc. And recharging it about every other day at a mountain hut. I only had to use power reserve on one particularly long section for the final two hours or so. And it didn’t get any noticeable scratches, or more than in everyday use at home. While it had some climbing sections my trip wasn’t on an extreme route, and the weather was rather too hot than featuring whiteout conditions, so not many scenes to show in an ad for a specialized outdoor watch. But in my experience that regular Apple Watch edition with the recent release versions can definitely take some rugged environments already.

I just got my open water diving cert and am moving into underwater photography. Tbh this watch looks perfect for me as the tech I’ll need for shallower depth diving. And it working with my iPhone (with decent underwater housing AND hopefully external strobes) will be the system I got with rather than even a mirror less DSLR and housing. Love the idea of having my entire underwater photog workflow happening on ALL apple devices. 😊

I think the ultra is appealing to those who do construction as well, a bright screen for when it's sunny or if the watch has dust on it. Larger buttons when gloves are on. As well as being ultra durable

The thing that has been holding me back from buying an Apple Watch is the battery life. The possibility of 36 to 72 hours between charges has me seriously considering the Ultra.

I am considering buying Ultra because of the flat screen design and the little protective edge. I've been using fitness trackers (wrongly named smart watches) and all end with scratches because of the convex shape of the glass. The battery life is also a solid selling point for me.

I probably won’t use most of the specialized functions but I like bigger watches and this thing is perfect for me. I already ordered it!

10:39 yes you can, even with the current models, just use the „Water Lock“ function. It has a water drop 💧 as a symbol and it works perfectly fine.

I’m a driver for UPS and this ultra is appealing to me. I had an S3 and it worked but I need something more rugged. Dealing with high temps and bumps and scrapes is really what I’m looking for so I’m excited to try it out!

I’ve decided to go with the S8 right now…checking out the pros and cons and may upgrade to an Ultra if there is a resonable need. Some of the new features are not quite geared to my moderate life style. Still, not knocking it. It’s gorgeous, stunning and impressive. Thank you for the great details

The reason I’m going to get an garmin fenix instead, is the brilliant work out tips that helps you improve your VO2-max. Once apple gets that covered, I’m sold.

Water mode addresses the "turn off touchscreen" thing. It has for ages too... My favourite watch before my Apple Watch is the Seiko Orange Monster that my wife bought me as an engagement gift. The Ultra seems to have that similar presence, so that's why I just preordered it. My series 5 is great, and while it being there hasn't forced me to close my rings and stuff, I've been on a streak for the last 8 weeks and it helps me keep that up. It's also way more useful than my regular watches are, except for the sentimental value the orange monster has.

I love this new watch!!! It's what I've been waiting for even though I'm not as athletic. But growing up wearing watches big watches were in and I still prefer a larger watch so the fact that it has a larger face and longer battery life is why I'm in.

I jump out of planes for a living and I love my Apple Watch but I’m always in fear that the screen would crack if I took a hard landing, therefore I always jumped with a garmin. But this changes things! To have a rugged cellular Apple Watch is game changer bc that also means I wouldn’t have to jump with my iPhone to make sure I have some type of cell service on the drop zone! This is gonna be awesome!

i'm so stoked about the ultra! i dirt bike a lot and lay new trails sometimes on private property and the backtrack, and waypoint functionality is huge. the ruggidness is going to be good, i managed to break a sapphire watch.

I wonder how long the battery lasts when using GPS for navigation although it's claimed 60 hours thats usually to boost impressions and the watch will be at absolute minimal power consumption. My fenix 6 pro can last about a day using constant tracking on a full charge. Expedition mode will be longer but haven't used it. Using the Garmin with standard stats gets me two weeks.

"sent the apple watch to the gym" LOL

Being able to set a waypoint and track your steps on the watch is mad cool😂

I would like the siren on all versions for personal safety reasons! I can't afford the Ultra, but maybe they'll add it to other versions in the future!

It’s very easy to disable the touch screen actually with a feature that’s been around for a little while now, water mode. just enable that and the display will stop responding and tell you the digital crown needs to be rotated first.

The current Apple Watch SE has been enough for me. I charge it while I’m in the shower everyday-ish and don’t often need to charge it outside of that. But for some reason my brain is like “but the ultra can do all these other things”. But I don’t do those other things.

I love it, I primarily use my watch for workouts, but I never take mine off. I currently have a series 5 and series 7 and swap them out when one dies. I have the titanium because I don’t want to put a case on it and want it to be durable. I’m glad they finally added more battery life and a more accurate GPS.

As always, I love your reviews and content. I’ve been wondering if the Ultra is the right watch for me. I currently have a Apple Watch 6. I do daily runs and workouts, but nothing extreme. My initial reasons for getting the watch are; double battery life, the programmable button to start my workouts, hack split times, etc. Also like that it’ll survive the cold here during Michigan winters and a larger screen for my older eyes. One of the problems with the analogy of “the GoPro of watches” is that unlike my GoPro, I will actually wear it and use it daily. Will i dive 100ft, no. Will I climb mountains and win Ironman contests, no. However, battery life is king, and for me, comparing them to other watches with higher battery life doesn’t work because of all the inter-functionality the Apple watch has with my phone, my iPad, etc which I use for work. I also like the idea of having better coverage since I spend a fair bit of time in city areas. Another reason I found this watch an interesting buy choice is that it’s rugged. I am retired military. I tend to bang-up my watches doing daily things I enjoy. I’ve always had to take off my watch, or constantly worry I will crack the screen, or buy protective covers, etc. Hopefully this watch will be less of a worry for me. Final thought; I tend to get the cheapest Apple watch that provides the functions I need as this technology has been made to constantly change. Why spend 800-900$ on a watch you’re going to replace every year (or three in my case). Yet, even with that concern, I am hoping this iteration of the watch might be “good-enough” for me for at least 5-6 years, which then would justify the cost.

Hey Marques! I love my Series 7 in dark Titanium. The Ultra seems to be a little bit too much for me... and it is not dark. By the way, great video! Your thoughts are very interesting and often helpful for me. Thanks a lot

Man that "GoPro of apple watches" applies to more than just this. Thanks for talking me out of buying more stuff I do not need. Just like the GoPro I never use...

Would’ve loved if they added native golf features like garmin golf watches. That would take this to true ultra level for me!

Great review as always. Keep up the amazing work.

For turning off the touch screen, just use the waterlock mode. It does exactly that

Trail run, mountain bike and snowboard. Definitely getting one.

Love the video! Thank you. I definitely want the watch for the battery and the gps and hiking benefits!

Comparing it to the GoPro was really helpful to decide between the 8 and ultra 👍 Thanks a lot and keep on doing what you do 😊

10:56 “for those with deep pockets” You already know a bunch of people with shallow pockets are gonna buy this just to have the latest and greatest thing 😂🤦🏾‍♂️

Really honest review. I have an Apple Watch and still spent most of my days sat on my backside. This kit won’t take you from fat gamer to ultra marathon runner but will be good if you’re already one

I recently bought one and i love ❤️ it

The setting waypoints and extra gps bands is amazing. Add the extra battery life and comps need to step it up

The right Garmin with the right band, totally can pull off a formal look. Probably not a tactix or enduro 2 but definitely an epix or a Fenix.

Nice video, you do cover all the great points. As a bike rider, swimmer (I lost my latest Apple Watch in a long swim with water damaged) and out door goer, this is definitely the watch for me. My old Apple Watch could not last the bike falls or accidentally scratched with the hard surface objects. I need something easy more durable so I won't need to keep buying a new one. For me, this watch is worth the $$$$$$.

As a diver, I was actually excited about it, especially since my dive computer died recently. Now I can replace my SE with a watch I can double as a dive computer, and have one less thing to worry about on vacation. This is the first time I’ve been impressed with Apple

I feel like I want to cry every time MKBHD video ends in a such a cool way

I've never owned an apple watch before. The apple watch ultra will be my first. Pretty excited to go free diving with it

I was waiting for you to cover the Apple Watch Ultra. Great video and straight to the point like always!

If I got the Ultra I would have to buy the SE to wear for everything else like going out at night and stuff. I love it as a dive computer. I would love to see a comparison between the new SE and and series 7 watches.

Thanks for the review of the Ultra. I'm a runner and I use a Garmin for long runs, but the Apple Watch 5 for most runs. The Apple Watch 5 makes it through a half marathon for me, but that's about it. I exercise 2 hours a day and it makes it through a day at most. So the Ultra is something I ordered primarily for the battery but also for it being a bit more rugged (hopefully) as I do bang the watch in other exercises/activities. I'm looking forward to trying it when it arrives in late October. You pointed out the biggest struggle I have with the Apple Watch in how sweat causes the screen to do things unintentionally. I've had runs where it stops and starts without me knowing. The only way I could stop that is to turn on the lock feature, which 100% has worked for me. However, then it makes it difficult for me to stop the run immediately when timing a run or race, track intervals, or even adjust the music/audiobook/or alerts. So I'm hoping this is something the Ultra does better with - but if not, I'll use the lock feature again. Thanks again!

The programmable button is my number one reason to get the Ultra over other models. This means I can activate a function without looking at my watch. Hopefully this action button gets implemented into the other Apple Watches in the future.

Awesome news, definitely on the right direction! I will stick to my Garmin until they can match the battery of it.

When I first heard about this watch being 800 dollars I thought this was Apple creeping up prices like they did with the iPhone but now I understand the value proposition. If you're risking your life doing something and this can track you, SOS and make you findable in case something happens, price is not really your biggest concern. Curious at why Apple used the Ultra moniker and not Pro, as this is actually one of their only professional-geared products

i like the music fade in at the end !¬

What a lot of people aren’t really bringing to light is how awesome this watch would be the industrial/blue-collar realm. Having a rugged watch with all these features could make the work space more manageable and safer.

been waiting on the dive computer. so glad about that! But just like many hobbies, it's one of those things that I only do once or twice a year but still would make the investment in the equipment.. I think the watch has an aesthetic that many will be drawn too because it seems a little less dainty / delicate in appearance to the non wearer or apple observer.

Love the windows background on the macbook

I've been scuba diving for 25 years and my wife and teenage daughter also dive. When the Series 7 came out (which I'm wearing now), I thought that with a few mods, this could be a genuine dive watch. And now I'm happy that Apple has actually built a real one. And this is within earshot of what I paid for the stainless steel Series 7 I already wear. The only feature I could see wanting to have with this watch would be air integration, that is being able to wirelessly read from a sensor attached to the 1st stage regulator that can tell how much air you have left. Not all dive computers have this feature but it would be a nice option. The issue is that radio frequencies don't travel well in water and I'm not sure what frequencies are typically used in dive computers for this accessory. Perhaps Oceanic has one in development but wasn't ready to announce it. Who knows? But I think that on it's own, it looks like a great dive computer that you could wear everyday.

For sure the watch ultra stole the show! The first time I’ve been excited during an Apple event in a few years

I'm a Garmin ecosystem user for GPS/InReach/Fenix. It appears Apple is aiming for this market, but this is definitely a first-attempt set of features. Health stats are a big deal - so with those you want a watch you can wear most of the time and gather data over time (as well as during activities obviously). I'll be interested in the sensor/data collection aspects and probably dig into those a little before making any switch.

Band backward compatibility - Great - Thanks for the info

I ordered mine and I don't do any of those rugged sports. I simply want the advanced tech and longer battery life. Very interested to see how it will feel on my wrist. I currently have the series 7 45mm.

Thank you for making all your content straight to the point, without 2/3 mins of fluff, that I would totally not scrub, but thanks again for giving us the business on JUST the Ultra. 🙏🏽🔥👊🏽

Thank for reviewing all the tech products for us.

Ima get the SE to hold me over until the next SOC. Im ready for better battery life.

I would buy this purely for the battery life. I don’t mind charging and I love the normal watch for the features day to day. So I think once we get some reviews out on this I’ll grab one if it is indeed 3 days, day to day with cellular.

Hi Maques- to prevent the watch from messing with your workout, you can use the in-water toggle off function for the screen! I use it at work and the watch is messing around a lot- using the in-water function stopped e.g. creating messages without me touching the watch during the day. Its just a hassle to unlock it every time, but for me its okay.

I walk around my building on my lunch break for 30 min so I definitely NEED the Ultra!!!

I sit on the toilet for “extreme” amounts of time. I feel that this watch will allow me to exceed time limits that are currently beyond my reach! Thanks Tim! Brilliant! Cheers mates!!

I first was pretty unexcited for the Ultra, but when they showed that is is a diving computer aswell, I put it on my "wanted" list. I am a hobbyist free diver, and measuring the depth is a big + for me. Also on vacation I don't need to bring my computer (which is quite old) with me all the time ... The watch would be enough .. so we will see what happens on my next birthday :)

I actually loved the refined design of the rectangular Apple Watch ultra thanks Marques for discussing this and expressing your intial thoughts

I sold my Garmin Forerunner watch as a sacrifice to get aggressive climbing shoes instead. Been wanting to replace it with an Apple Watch for a while since I don’t do running races over 5K anymore. I also do a lot of camping, backpacking, and hiking. This watch seems perfect to track my climbing, running, and all other outdoors stuff I do. So sick! Worth the money for me.

I’m very excited for the ultra. My dad is a BIG surfer, like stationed in Hawaii for 7 years surfing every chance he can get surfer and literally a week earlier we traveled to Hawaii and my mother was getting nervous when he went out surfing as the breaks in Hawaii are usually much further out than Long Island. I suggested he get an Apple Watch with cellular so we could contact him. The lady we talked to at the Apple Store said that the water seal would degrade over time and it wasn’t worth it. The ultra being a dive watch is perfect. Apple just made Christmas easy and expensive, but he did take me to Hawaii so…

For me the battery is a huge plus and I wish that was a feature they’d add to the normal version.

I’ve been wanting to get into nature more specifically freediving and swimming in the ocean so the ultra is super intriguing to me.

The best thing about this video is the MacBook in the background with the windows wallpaper, MKHBD is just too good at this stuff.

Will you please do a video about older used Apple watches water test? I feel that’s a really good video that a lot of people will watch.. like the series 2,3,4,5 that’s pretty scratched up and not in mint condition going through a water test would be amazing

2:05 14 pro spoted in the studio 🙂

For me it’s the louder speaker, better battery life and a more rugged watch less prone to scratches and breaks. Coming from the series 5 this could be worth it. The only downside is not available in space gray. I wouldn’t even mind the orange button with that. And I love all of the new watch bands ❤️

I use the water lock feature to lock the screen from outside touches. Works really well, keeps everything else working. From simply washing my car or riding my bike with a big jacket and not wanting to turn on complications by mistake.

Yes, his reviews are the best. Not excitable, just sensible and informative.

The ultra reminds of the action man watch I had as a kid, but damn is the ultra overkill for nearly all customers.

Gotta say, it would take a few generations of this before I’d trust it as a dive computer. Dive computers cannot crash or mess up, period, exclamation point. I might try it as a backup to my backup to verify operation but as a primary…not a chance right now. 😬

I scuba dive occasionally and don’t do any extreme sports. I ordered this watch because it’s brighter and easier for me to read.

I’m so happy that the watch bands on the ultra can fit other watches.

Apple has improved it's power saving algorithms significantly with recent watchOS updates. I get double the battery life because I don't use it that frequently. I think ultra would last 4-5 days easily without the need to recharge. It seems to be the logical amount of time for a smart watch to last.