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With the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple finally has a watch designed for athletes. With very accurate multi-band GPS, a dedicated activity button, and extended battery life, it's an appealing watch for runners who like to wear a smartwatch. But how does it work day-to-day?
I've been using the Apple Watch Ultra as my daily running watch for a few months now. In short, it's been great. There are a few things I would like to change, but for me, they're minor annoyances, especially once you start using third-party apps on the watch.
In a running watch, I mostly care about two things: how my stats are displayed, and how accurate they are. So let's start by looking at how the Apple Watch Ultra performs in those two areas.
Most of us buy a GPS watch so we can track our runs. It's truly that simple, so any watch that costs hundreds of dollars needs to be very good at collecting and showing those all-important stats.
Initially, how the Apple Watch Ultra showed the data it collected was my biggest disappointment.
Apple's native Workout is awful. That sounds harsh, but for a watch that wants to compete with the best sport watches from Garmin and Coros, it's true. Here's a quick list of my biggest annoyances with the native app:
For the price of the watch and the target audience, Apple needs to do better.
Luckily, there is a great solution: WorkOutDoors. For $7, this app runs circles around the native Workout app. If you care about how your data is displayed, having downloaded maps to follow while you run, easily configuring workouts from your phone, pairing with outside sensors, customizing HR zones, and customizing button functions, just buy this app.
Once I started using WorkOutDoors for all my runs (and rides and hikes), I fell in love with the Apple Watch Ultra.
The multi-band GPS is extremely accurate: from the streets of Paris to the Cascade Mountains, the Apple Watch Ultra has kept up with (or outperformed) my Garmin Fenix. I've also found that the Apple Watch Ultra acquires GPS in new locations much faster than any watches I've had previously. Downloading easy to read and navigate maps makes running in new cities easy.
The wrist-based heart rate is surprisingly accurate (provided the strap is snug). I don't monitor heart rate much, but when I've compared the data from the watch to that of a strap, it has been impressively close.
Plus, while it's not running specific, the Apple Watch Ultra has cellular capabilities and a decent microphone. I've been using this on my long runs when I get bored, both with and without earbuds. It's niche, but a very nice feature.
With the help of a third-party app, the Apple Watch Ultra is a great watch for running. In daily life, it's equally solid.
I'm an Apple user for both work and personal life, so the Apple Watch Ultra is easy to integrate into my daily life. I can easily see my schedule, read emails, send texts, and check off to-do lists on my wrist without needing my phone, which has less to less screen time.
Battery life is solid, but not nearly what I've experienced with the Garmin Fenix. Running between 60-90 minutes per day, I typically charge once every 36-48 hours. When my training volume goes up, I have to charge more often.
The one drawback I've experienced is size related. This isn't a small watch. It takes up a lot of real estate on my wrist and can be a little clunky. It's durable, but can occasionally catch on things because of its size. If you have a larger wrist, you probably won't notice that.
If you like wearing a smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra is great.
The Apple Watch Ultra is a great watch. After using it for months, I still enjoy it and am impressed by the wide range of features it has.
As a running watch, it trails the competition until you download third-party apps. After you do, I'd argue it might be better if you value customization and mapping.
If you're just looking for an affordable watch to give you basic data, you're probably better off with a cheaper watch. Garmin makes some great watches that will cost much less and provide the same data. But if you want a watch that can integrate into your daily life, has the battery life for longer efforts and the ability to be used for multiple sports, the Apple Watch Ultra is worth considering.
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