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Apple Introduces Apple Watch Ultra

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Re: Apple Introduces Apple Watch Ultra

#161

Post by solardev »

lukeinator42 wrote: post #92
drewg123 wrote: post #16

How can they call 36 hours of battery life "long"? The $799 version Garmin Fenix 7 solar (which they seem to be targeting) has an 18-22 days of battery life.

I totally agree with you as well. I currently have a Garmin Fenix 6 pro and it lasts around 14 days. As someone who is into trail running and backpacking, a 36 hour battery life is untenable, and charging it every night seems like a pain. The irony is that AirPods have a really great battery life (especially the carrying case) despite the small form factor, and are my go-to for long runs.

Dumb question, if I may, having never used a GPS smartwatch: How easy to use are the Garmin watches on the trails? Can I download a certain route (like from Alltrails or Trailforks or Gaia) onto it and then have it position + route me in the woods, with just GPS and no cell signal?

I don't really want a smartwatch (ugh, slack on my wrist? no thanks), but a backpacking safety companion would be awesome!

Re: Apple Introduces Apple Watch Ultra

#163

Post by [deleted] »

brianwawok wrote: post #19
imchillyb wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple Watch is significantly more accurate than a Garmin or other handheld 'portable' GPS unit. Significantly so, especially when paired with a phone (which users already own).

Well, most runners do not run with a phone - so that isn't helpful. (Some do, but many of us specifically leave the phone at home, and run with our apple watches to save having a big clonkly phone)

[deleted]

Re: Apple Introduces Apple Watch Ultra

#164

Post by SOLAR_FIELDS »

secabeen wrote: post #141
underbluewaters wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Already preordered and am looking forward to using it for freediving. The UX on dive watches has long been a nightmare, they are expensive, and the replaceable batteries open them up to waterproofing issues. Most computers also treat freediving/spearfishing as an afterthought so I'll probably create my own software for it. Maybe a business opportunity here...

Interesting. Shearwater is the dominant player in both dive computers and freediving watches. They don't meet your needs?

As someone who just threw down $500 USD on a Peregrine, I’m curious about this as well. I think there is a real market for this kind of thing, as evidenced by Garmin’s presence with their high end watches and the Teric. I felt like when I paid for the Peregrine I was mostly paying for the screen though - which it still remains to be seen how well this device will perform in that category. I could definitely see myself using the Apple as a primary and the Peregrine as a secondary in 5 years or so as they iterate and make improvements - Shearwater has long been the king of this space but they don’t have the R&D money Apple does.

Re: Apple Introduces Apple Watch Ultra

#166

Post by freetime2 »

brundolf wrote: post #143
arberx wrote: post #21

Apple is missing the mark in this segment. Their competitors: Garmin, coros all offer weeks of battery life with tradeoffs people in this segment happily make. I get 20 days of battery life on my coros pace 2. Charging a apple watch every night or two would not be acceptable.

I got the feeling it's one of those products designed for regular people who like to roleplay as explorers

> I got the feeling it's one of those products designed for regular people who like to roleplay as explorers

This seems like an overly cynical take to me.

I agree that the marketing was a bit over the top, and most people who buy one will not be doing things like running ultra marathons in the Sahara. And for people who do those things, there are probably better watches out there from Garmin, etc.

But you don't need to be an explorer (or roleplay as one) to benefit from the longer battery life, larger and brighter display, improved GPS accuracy, improved audio and microphone quality, etc.

Re: Apple Introduces Apple Watch Ultra

#168

Post by chrsstrm »

speedgoose wrote: post #65

It's strange that they don't offer good outdoor maps. In the announcement video, they show how to find your way from your gps track displayed on a black background. It's not very helpful. I use a third party application, WorkOutDoors, to get vectorial outdoor maps from OSM data on the Apple Watch Series 3. So it should be possible to offer maps by default on the new watch ultra that makes you an adventurer.

Off-road maps are something I'm OK with using a third-party app for, but there's one thing I can't stand with the current mapping features - line of sight or "as the crow flies" distance and directions off-road. I use FindMy with other people in outdoor and off-road situations quite a bit. I can see where other people are on the map, but I can't be told the straight line distance to any of them. You also can't ask for directions to another person if that person isn't next to a road. It seems like such a huge oversight that you can't tap on another person in FindMy and ask for directions and then be told something like "Head 700m at a bearing of 187 degrees to [other user's] location." Freeform walking directions are such a basic thing that I can't believe this is overlooked.

Re: Apple Introduces Apple Watch Ultra

#169

Post by hedora »

nradov wrote: post #110
chrisseaton wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carry a small battery pack.

The latest Garmin devices have much longer battery life with equivalent functionality, and can extend battery life with solar charging. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/854515

It doesn’t look like they can make phone calls or auto-call 911 after a crash (absent a working phone).
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