Returning the Ultra? [MERGED]

[PatrickNSF]

This is totally just my opinion, but the AWU is a bit too chunky

I think there's something to that. I could never get the Ultra to maintain HR readings during an entire run, but I could with the Epix (though I ultimately landed with the Forerunner 965/955).

I had random HR dropouts with older AWs, but not as consistently as I did with the Ultra.

 

[CyberDavis]

I think there's something to that. I could never get the Ultra to maintain HR readings during an entire run, but I could with the Epix (though I ultimately landed with the Forerunner 965/955).

I had random HR dropouts with older AWs, but not as consistently as I did with the Ultra.

Initially I used to get some drop outs of my HR during runs with my Ultra and had seen it with my older AW.
But I isolated it down to my watch strap.
I had seen similar with my Garmin I used before I got my AW.

I was using a Nike Sport Band, but the fit with my Ultra was not idea and was either a fraction too tight or loose depending on the hole I used.
I changed to using a Nike Sport Loop and the issue went away, I get reliable HR readings.
The caveat on that is that for running I need to ensure I tighten it a bit more than wearing it overnight for sleep tracking and also just check I have it in right location on my wrist, i.e. not too far forward.

I appreciate that may not be the same for everyone as we are all different physically, but for me changing to Sport Loop was a game changer.

Finally I would add that during the day I wear various straps such as Alpine Loop, Trail Loop but for exercise I always wear a Sport Loop now.

 

[Runaway Train]

Purchased last week, swapped out the trail for an extra Nike band and go. Brightness, battery life, readability. Banged out a 10k yesterday and a 20k today, two apps simultaneously pulling from the GPS (Nike Run Club and Workoutdoors) - day two and still have battery to spare. Killer watch faces. Have had the Series 2,4,7 (45mm) - none can rival the AWU, IMHO.

After reading all of the negativity, mostly here - I visited the local Apple Store and was very pleasantly surprisedly how good it looked, how light it was (titanium vs steel) - and it honestly it does not seem too bulky. It's a sports watch for god's sake, not a Patek Philippe. I'm a daily runner - half's, marathons, trail. Everything I need. Not a chance it is going back. Of course, of course....YMMV, horses for courses.

 

[BlackBun]

Initially I used to get some drop outs of my HR during runs with my Ultra and had seen it with my older AW.
But I isolated it down to my watch strap.
I had seen similar with my Garmin I used before I got my AW.

I was using a Nike Sport Band, but the fit with my Ultra was not idea and was either a fraction too tight or loose depending on the hole I used.
I changed to using a Nike Sport Loop and the issue went away, I get reliable HR readings.
The caveat on that is that for running I need to ensure I tighten it a bit more than wearing it overnight for sleep tracking and also just check I have it in right location on my wrist, i.e. not too far forward.

I appreciate that may not be the same for everyone as we are all different physically, but for me changing to Sport Loop was a game changer.

Finally I would add that during the day I wear various straps such as Alpine Loop, Trail Loop but for exercise I always wear a Sport Loop now.

Interesting. I’ve only ever used sports loops and still have them on my Ultra. I’ve had hr dropped readings on AW 6,7,8 and now with the Ultra. Tried everything tightness, position on wrist, flattening the hairs on my arm 🙄.

 

[tivoboy]

Interesting. I’ve only ever used sports loops and still have them on my Ultra. I’ve had hr dropped readings on AW 6,7,8 and now with the Ultra. Tried everything tightness, position on wrist, flattening the hairs on my arm 🙄.

What I have found seems to produce the most uptick in irregularity is SWEAT between the watch and the skin. A quick wipe down every 20-30 mins seems to help.

 

[xDKP]

Interesting. I’ve only ever used sports loops and still have them on my Ultra. I’ve had hr dropped readings on AW 6,7,8 and now with the Ultra. Tried everything tightness, position on wrist, flattening the hairs on my arm 🙄.

Cold temperature have been an issue for my HR on the different AW's

 

[sifpilsen]

The way I tighten my straps seems to have an impact during workouts. I tend to need a tighter fit for physical activity.

 

[Dguitarnut]

People who abuse return privileges should be banned from stores…..
This contributes to higher price for all of us…..

 

[AnthroMatt]

People who abuse return privileges should be banned from stores…..
This contributes to higher price for all of us…..

Wah. If I ever get banned for too many returns, that’s fine. But until I do, I will make use of policy.

ATT has banned me from post pay service because I have had “too many accounts.” They don’t want my money, that’s no skin off my back.

 

[Bruno de Malaisie]

I've got my Watch Ultra in October 2022 and it was the Watch I was hoping to have since 2015!!!

 

[CyberDavis]

I've got my Watch Ultra in October 2022 and it was the Watch I was hoping to have since 2015!!!

I got my Ultra when pre-orders opened.
And after many months of use I am still pleased with it, as much as I liked my AW6 I definitely prefer the Ultra.
The size and style work well for me.
Glad you like yours.

 

[CyberDavis]

People who abuse return privileges should be banned from stores…..
This contributes to higher price for all of us…..

I guess if people are just using the system that exists and not doing anything wrong then it is hard to criticise.

My only comment would be that unless I am dead certain I'll be happy with something I do a lot of research before ordering something in order to minimise returns.
That goes for any product not just Apple.
I personally would not order something just to see if I like it then return it.

But as I say, if people are using the system legitimately then it is ok.
I guess the ultimate test will be to see if Apple changes it strategy and policies based on the returns volume they see.
For every return mentioned here there are most likely many happy purchases, so the posts here may provide a skewed view.

 

[surfzen21]

People who abuse return privileges should be banned from stores…..
This contributes to higher price for all of us…..

So all the tech YouTubers who order all new Apple stuff usually in the 10s or even 100s of thousands of dollars worth of gear, to test, make videos about and then return.

I highly doubt the occasional person being slightly indecisive about a product is an issue.

 

[Howard2k]

The way I tighten my straps seems to have an impact during workouts. I tend to need a tighter fit for physical activity.

Ditto. Cranking it tighter for exercise seems crucial. Not foolproof, but it seems to make a significant difference in my experience.

 

[dblissmn]

No way. Ordered it May 28; decided I'd give it a full workout and risk the restocking fee; and after using it at my college reunion and seeing the new hardware announcements from Garmin and the new software announcements from Apple, I think it's a keeper. It's very comfortable to wear what with the slightly wider straps than on Garmin, it works well, I can sleep with it on without distraction, the software is a hot mess but it seems like Apple is really working hard on making it both more powerful and less complex, and it plays almost too nicely with my phone. The main challenge will be whittling notifications down to high priority stuff; I'd like it to be easier to distinguish between high priority and everything else.

One issue I do see is the buttons. First, they are too easy to press. Apple should enable a software catch for this, perhaps letting you set an option for a longer button press (let's say, half a second, make it really intentional). And there are too few of them, but again there's a software solution (let's say, setting up combinations to simulate Garmin's five buttons that enable you to manage a complete workout with gloves on without resorting to the touchscreen). Another possibility here is making more use of the pressure touch support on the display.

Other than that, I'd suggest Apple acquire Athlytic and use that to replace their fitness app and integrate their health app. At that point you'd really have a killer product. Alternatively opening up the API to let apps like Athlytic operate a bit more deeply will help too although it looks like Athlytic is already quite efficient with battery.

 

[Dieu]

I think it’s a great watch, and I love the action button and the titanium body. However I was disappointed that the screen size seems to be only slightly (and I’m talking less than a mm) larger than my series 7. Hoping next year they’ll actually make the screen larger. At least it saved me $800

As stated in another thread, my wife purchased two Ultra 2’s yesterday. Aside from the low-light display defect, I am struggling to understand this product. Simple tasks as sending a text, reading the news, viewing a picture within a text, are almost impossible.

Not owning a former Apple Watch product, I was shocked to learn that there is no reasonable way to access the Internet. I envisioned an optimized version of Safari. My default options for news are either CNN or NPR. Don’t have a Pandora account, you are reserved to an handful of obscure third-party apps. Nothing is optimized for this platform and everything requires some type of third-party app to initiate a modicum of functionality.

I’ve had this for just over 24-hours and the depth of my use of this device is fiddling within the Face Gallery. Can’t see it at night, so I shut it off until the next morning.

There are a few observations with this product:

1. This product is entirely dependent on the iPhone.

2. Things that can be done effortlessly on the iPhone are either impossible or cumbersome to reproduce on the watch.

3. The novelty of this product appears to be data gathering, i.e., heart, breathing, standing, etc.

This watch reminds me of the iPad. The iPad is not a tool for productivity. It’s a vehicle of insatiable financial consumption, i.e., movies, music, magazines, apps, and games.

Although, the niche cardiovascular bells & whistles are cute, when all the superficiality and excitement subsides, we bought a watch for $800 bucks.

I still prefer my GMT Master.

 

[Howard2k]

As stated in another thread, my wife purchased two Ultra 2’s yesterday. Aside from the low-light display defect, I am struggling to understand this product. Simple tasks as sending a text, reading the news, viewing a picture within a text, are almost impossible.

Not owning a former Apple Watch product, I was shocked to learn that there is no reasonable way to access the Internet. I envisioned an optimized version of Safari. My default options for news are either CNN or NPR. Don’t have a Pandora account, you are reserved to an handful of obscure third-party apps. Nothing is optimized for this platform and everything requires some type of third-party app to initiate a modicum of functionality.

I’ve had this for just over 24-hours and the depth of my use of this device is fiddling within the Face Gallery. Can’t see it at night, so I shut it off until the next morning.

There are a few observations with this product:

1. This product is entirely dependent on the iPhone.

2. Things that can be done effortlessly on the iPhone are either impossible or cumbersome to reproduce on the watch.

3. The novelty of this product appears to be data gathering, i.e., heart, breathing, standing, etc.

This watch reminds me of the iPad. The iPad is not a tool for productivity. It’s a vehicle of insatiable financial consumption, i.e., movies, music, magazines, apps, and games.

Although, the niche cardiovascular bells & whistles are cute, when all the superficiality and excitement subsides, we bought a watch for $800 bucks.

I still prefer my GMT Master.

You didn't think about reading up on the watch before purchasing it? It does seem like you materially misunderstood the product.

You actually CAN browse the 'net if you want to. You can text yourself a URL, then open that. But that's a tiny screen... Not recommended.

Sending a text should be easy enough. Same with opening images inside a text, but obviously the screen is tiny, and so the image itself will also be tiny. It's well and truly an iPhone companion product, even though it can operate with some level or autonomy.

 

[jz0309]

As stated in another thread, my wife purchased two Ultra 2’s yesterday. Aside from the low-light display defect, I am struggling to understand this product. Simple tasks as sending a text, reading the news, viewing a picture within a text, are almost impossible.

Not owning a former Apple Watch product, I was shocked to learn that there is no reasonable way to access the Internet. I envisioned an optimized version of Safari. My default options for news are either CNN or NPR. Don’t have a Pandora account, you are reserved to an handful of obscure third-party apps. Nothing is optimized for this platform and everything requires some type of third-party app to initiate a modicum of functionality.

I’ve had this for just over 24-hours and the depth of my use of this device is fiddling within the Face Gallery. Can’t see it at night, so I shut it off until the next morning.

There are a few observations with this product:

1. This product is entirely dependent on the iPhone.

2. Things that can be done effortlessly on the iPhone are either impossible or cumbersome to reproduce on the watch.

3. The novelty of this product appears to be data gathering, i.e., heart, breathing, standing, etc.

This watch reminds me of the iPad. The iPad is not a tool for productivity. It’s a vehicle of insatiable financial consumption, i.e., movies, music, magazines, apps, and games.

Although, the niche cardiovascular bells & whistles are cute, when all the superficiality and excitement subsides, we bought a watch for $800 bucks.

I still prefer my GMT Master.

you didn't educate yourself before buying 2 AWs? I'm sorry, but that's entirely on you ...

 

[blen]

Browsing the web on your wrist is a ridiculous expectation

 

[snerkler]

As stated in another thread, my wife purchased two Ultra 2’s yesterday. Aside from the low-light display defect, I am struggling to understand this product. Simple tasks as sending a text, reading the news, viewing a picture within a text, are almost impossible.

Not owning a former Apple Watch product, I was shocked to learn that there is no reasonable way to access the Internet. I envisioned an optimized version of Safari. My default options for news are either CNN or NPR. Don’t have a Pandora account, you are reserved to an handful of obscure third-party apps. Nothing is optimized for this platform and everything requires some type of third-party app to initiate a modicum of functionality.

I’ve had this for just over 24-hours and the depth of my use of this device is fiddling within the Face Gallery. Can’t see it at night, so I shut it off until the next morning.

There are a few observations with this product:

1. This product is entirely dependent on the iPhone.

2. Things that can be done effortlessly on the iPhone are either impossible or cumbersome to reproduce on the watch.

3. The novelty of this product appears to be data gathering, i.e., heart, breathing, standing, etc.

This watch reminds me of the iPad. The iPad is not a tool for productivity. It’s a vehicle of insatiable financial consumption, i.e., movies, music, magazines, apps, and games.

Although, the niche cardiovascular bells & whistles are cute, when all the superficiality and excitement subsides, we bought a watch for $800 bucks.

I still prefer my GMT Master.

I think your expectations were a bit optimistic It's a watch at the end of the day, if you want the functionality of a phone use a phone, something with a screen this size is never going to be good for browsing the internet or composing emails/texts.

I disagree that the watch is a "novelty", I find the funcitonality very useful, and it goes way beyond data gathering. It tells the time (its primary function), I can check then weather, I can read and reply to texts (much easier with preset texts, which you cna customise by the way), I can read emails, get alerts from all different things such as my ring doorbell. I can use it for exercise, I use the timer function all the time plus so many other things.

A novelty it is not, you just have to have realistic expectations 👍🏻

 

[Zest28]

As stated in another thread, my wife purchased two Ultra 2’s yesterday. Aside from the low-light display defect, I am struggling to understand this product. Simple tasks as sending a text, reading the news, viewing a picture within a text, are almost impossible.

Not owning a former Apple Watch product, I was shocked to learn that there is no reasonable way to access the Internet. I envisioned an optimized version of Safari. My default options for news are either CNN or NPR. Don’t have a Pandora account, you are reserved to an handful of obscure third-party apps. Nothing is optimized for this platform and everything requires some type of third-party app to initiate a modicum of functionality.

I’ve had this for just over 24-hours and the depth of my use of this device is fiddling within the Face Gallery. Can’t see it at night, so I shut it off until the next morning.

There are a few observations with this product:

1. This product is entirely dependent on the iPhone.

2. Things that can be done effortlessly on the iPhone are either impossible or cumbersome to reproduce on the watch.

3. The novelty of this product appears to be data gathering, i.e., heart, breathing, standing, etc.

This watch reminds me of the iPad. The iPad is not a tool for productivity. It’s a vehicle of insatiable financial consumption, i.e., movies, music, magazines, apps, and games.

Although, the niche cardiovascular bells & whistles are cute, when all the superficiality and excitement subsides, we bought a watch for $800 bucks.

I still prefer my GMT Master.

It’s a sports watch that also replaces the iPhone.

That you cannot do Twitter, Instagram, FaceBook, …. , is actually a good thing.

I can be outside all day and leave my iPhone at home basically no problem with the AWU 2. People can still call or text me.

 

[surfzen21]

It’s a sports watch that also replaces the iPhone.

That you cannot do Twitter, Instagram, FaceBook, …. , is actually a good thing.

I can be outside all day and leave my iPhone at home basically no problem with the AWU 2. People can still call or text me.

The best thing about me getting the AWU was how much less I use my phone for BS things that dragged me down the socials wormhole. I specifically did not push social media notifications to my watch for that reason.

Now that I'm not constantly picking up my phone for notifications my mental health has skyrocketed. 🤣

 

[dotzero123]

Love my AWU2 - gonna wear it till the crown falls off (or we can beam our 3d texts from wrist implants)

 

[theaudiobully87]

It’s a sports watch that also replaces the iPhone.

That you cannot do Twitter, Instagram, FaceBook, …. , is actually a good thing.

I can be outside all day and leave my iPhone at home basically no problem with the AWU 2. People can still call or text me.

Not being able to check things like Twitter and IG on it is one of the reasons I love it so much. I love leaving my phone at home and just disconnecting. I can still wear my watch and listen to music, track a workout and can still be reached by people in case of an emergency.

The Apple Watch has propelled my fitness over the last few years. I love completeting the challenges, closing all rings etc. I'm in the best phyiscal shape of my life and I am almost certai nI wouldn't have the drive if it weren't for the fact that I have all of the cool metrics on my wrist.

 

[jetsam]

The Apple Watch has propelled my fitness over the last few years. I love completeting the challenges, closing all rings etc. I'm in the best phyiscal shape of my life and I am almost certai nI wouldn't have the drive if it weren't for the fact that I have all of the cool metrics on my wrist.

My Apple watch has helped me in this way, too. I frequently find myself at the end of the day walking up and down the stairs in my house because "I just need one more exercise minute to close my rings". That would never happen without an Apple watch.

Just yesterday, I was walking around in the local mall. After a while, my Ultra 2 popped up a message to the effect that "It looks like you've started an indoor walking workout. Do you want to track it?" I said yes, and walked for an extra ten minutes, just based on that prompt.

I loved my S6, and I love my Ultra 2 twice as much!