I used to think that the accusations against early Apple product reviewers pulling their punches to stay in good graces with Apple were overblown. Now, I’m not so sure.
And I’m speaking mainly about YouTube reviewers because no one cares about the print media any more. But if you watched all the early YouTube videos about using the Apple Watch Ultra there was a constant message that the Ultra wasn’t really that big of a watch and was probably a better buy than the Series 8 Stainless steel due to the better battery life, brighter screen, and louder speakers.
If the reviewers were speaking from the standpoint of the watch should be judged by the standard of its intended use. They did ok. But where I fault them is that they should have did a better job of warning their audience that if you are not an adventure seeker and are just looking for the latest Apple gadget, don’t buy the Ultra. It has a lot of drawbacks that may not be worth that extra battery life.
The Size
I was more than taken aback when I received my Ultra yesterday and found the watch to be so chunky on the wrist. If you take a picture of the watch on your wrist from the top, it doesn’t look too big. The problem is how high it protrudes from your wrist.
When you wear long sleeve shirts, your sleeve on that arm is never going to go past the watch. Not only is the regular Apple Watch slimmer, it has a curved screen which facilitates your cuff moving over the top.
This is a big deal for cold weather runners. When you’re outside in zero degree weather, it’s quite annoying to have one of your sleeves ride up your arm exposing you to the wind. I’m not looking forward to that battle.
The Lip
I can’t believe not a single watch reviewer didn’t talk about how the lip impedes side swiping. And not only is it in the way, it is sharp and unpleasant to the touch.
I like to swipe back and forth between watch faces during my day. I have different sets of complications depending on what I’m doing. Swiping on the older bulbous screens is a joy. The curved glass on the edges invites your fingers to glide across them.
Now with the lip, you have to start your swipe further in so that you’re on the glass. I think this may be part of the reason why there is a surrounding bezel of black glass around the screen. It gives your finger a little more runway.
It’s not too big of a deal to start inside the screen but it does take more focus and more careful placement of your finger. It’s not as quick as the old watch. On the old watches, you could do it without even looking.
The Crown Guard
I use the crown a lot during my day which I never realized until I got my Ultra. Now my Ultra makes using the crown a pain in the butt. Why? Because of that huge hump, the crown guard. It gets in the way.
When you use the crown on the old watch, you kind of start from the side and move towards the top. Or vice versa. But with the Ultra, you can only turn the crown from the top. The guard is in the way on the sides of the crown. And it also feel sharp and unpleasant.
The Ugliness Factor
I don’t care what anyone says, this watch is NOT attractive. At best, it is utilitarian. That’s not a problem for a workout watch but it is if you buy this intending to make it your everyday watch. Here is the problem with the looks of the Ultra.
It’s not symmetrical. The huge crown guard is only on the right which makes the watch look unbalanced. As I’ve mentioned before, it makes me think of the hunchback of Notre Dame. Symmetry is considered a fundamental of beauty. And the Ultra does not have it.
There are too many holes. Again, this gives it a “rugged” look. Kind of like knobby tires on a big truck. But those holes are ugly. I much prefer the smooth case of the Apple Watch Stainless Steel. Or the unbroken brushed finish of the older Edition Titanium finishes. There’s a reason why the older watches used a long slot for the speaker. To allow the case finish to fully frame the screen and really pop. Imagine if your car had a bunch of holes in the hood to let hot air out? You’d say “what a stupid idea. Let the paint flow unbroken”.
And speaking of the earlier Titanium watches. The older Edition watches had a much more premium look to them with those brushed finishes. These new Ultra watches fall flat on two points. First, the finish looks like aluminum. It is not brushed. And second, the color is not silver like the earlier Titanium. It is almost Starlight in that it has a yellowish hue that clashes with my silver metal bands. I hate that color.
If the reviewers were speaking from the standpoint of the watch should be judged by the standard of its intended use. They did ok. But where I fault them is that they should have did a better job of warning their audience that if you are not an adventure seeker and are just looking for the latest Apple gadget, don’t buy the Ultra. It has a lot of drawbacks that may not be worth that extra battery life.
The Size
I was more than taken aback when I received my Ultra yesterday and found the watch to be so chunky on the wrist. If you take a picture of the watch on your wrist from the top, it doesn’t look too big. The problem is how high it protrudes from your wrist.
When you wear long sleeve shirts, your sleeve on that arm is never going to go past the watch. Not only is the regular Apple Watch slimmer, it has a curved screen which facilitates your cuff moving over the top.
This is a big deal for cold weather runners. When you’re outside in zero degree weather, it’s quite annoying to have one of your sleeves ride up your arm exposing you to the wind. I’m not looking forward to that battle.
The Lip
I can’t believe not a single watch reviewer didn’t talk about how the lip impedes side swiping. And not only is it in the way, it is sharp and unpleasant to the touch.
I like to swipe back and forth between watch faces during my day. I have different sets of complications depending on what I’m doing. Swiping on the older bulbous screens is a joy. The curved glass on the edges invites your fingers to glide across them.
Now with the lip, you have to start your swipe further in so that you’re on the glass. I think this may be part of the reason why there is a surrounding bezel of black glass around the screen. It gives your finger a little more runway.
It’s not too big of a deal to start inside the screen but it does take more focus and more careful placement of your finger. It’s not as quick as the old watch. On the old watches, you could do it without even looking.
The Crown Guard
I use the crown a lot during my day which I never realized until I got my Ultra. Now my Ultra makes using the crown a pain in the butt. Why? Because of that huge hump, the crown guard. It gets in the way.
When you use the crown on the old watch, you kind of start from the side and move towards the top. Or vice versa. But with the Ultra, you can only turn the crown from the top. The guard is in the way on the sides of the crown. And it also feel sharp and unpleasant.
The Ugliness Factor
I don’t care what anyone says, this watch is NOT attractive. At best, it is utilitarian. That’s not a problem for a workout watch but it is if you buy this intending to make it your everyday watch. Here is the problem with the looks of the Ultra.
It’s not symmetrical. The huge crown guard is only on the right which makes the watch look unbalanced. As I’ve mentioned before, it makes me think of the hunchback of Notre Dame. Symmetry is considered a fundamental of beauty. And the Ultra does not have it.
There are too many holes. Again, this gives it a “rugged” look. Kind of like knobby tires on a big truck. But those holes are ugly. I much prefer the smooth case of the Apple Watch Stainless Steel. Or the unbroken brushed finish of the older Edition Titanium finishes. There’s a reason why the older watches used a long slot for the speaker. To allow the case finish to fully frame the screen and really pop. Imagine if your car had a bunch of holes in the hood to let hot air out? You’d say “what a stupid idea. Let the paint flow unbroken”.
And speaking of the earlier Titanium watches. The older Edition watches had a much more premium look to them with those brushed finishes. These new Ultra watches fall flat on two points. First, the finish looks like aluminum. It is not brushed. And second, the color is not silver like the earlier Titanium. It is almost Starlight in that it has a yellowish hue that clashes with my silver metal bands. I hate that color.
A picture is worth a thousand words. My stainless steel Series 7 looks so much nicer.
Putting my Ultra next to my Series 7 makes think of this.
The Action Button
Ok, this is the one thing that I really do like about the Ultra. It is cool to be able to start my stopwatch no matter what my watch is doing at the time. If I keep my Ultra, it’ll be because of this one feature.
But this physical button brings back the pain of losing the former Force Touch functionality. Every time I use the action button, I think “Couldn’t this have been done just as easily with Force Touch on any Apple Watch?”.
I’d rather have an unbroken case and use a Force Touch action. Or at the very least, a body colored button like the on/off button. I tried to use my silver Juuk Vitero with Ruby stripe band but the red and orange seemed to clash to my eye. That orange sucks.
Conclusion
I’ve come to really hate the Ultra in my short time with it. So much so, that I’ve put on my old Apple Watch today simply because it’s more comfortable to use. Swiping between faces is easier, the crown is more comfortable to turn, and it’s not so freakin’ high off my wrist. I’m going to use this for workouts for a month or so and if it doesn’t grow on me, I may just sell it. But if I keep it, it will be relegated to a tool for heavy workout days. To be fair, that is its intended mission. It’s too ugly and inconvenient for daily use.
Ok, this is the one thing that I really do like about the Ultra. It is cool to be able to start my stopwatch no matter what my watch is doing at the time. If I keep my Ultra, it’ll be because of this one feature.
But this physical button brings back the pain of losing the former Force Touch functionality. Every time I use the action button, I think “Couldn’t this have been done just as easily with Force Touch on any Apple Watch?”.
I’d rather have an unbroken case and use a Force Touch action. Or at the very least, a body colored button like the on/off button. I tried to use my silver Juuk Vitero with Ruby stripe band but the red and orange seemed to clash to my eye. That orange sucks.
Conclusion
I’ve come to really hate the Ultra in my short time with it. So much so, that I’ve put on my old Apple Watch today simply because it’s more comfortable to use. Swiping between faces is easier, the crown is more comfortable to turn, and it’s not so freakin’ high off my wrist. I’m going to use this for workouts for a month or so and if it doesn’t grow on me, I may just sell it. But if I keep it, it will be relegated to a tool for heavy workout days. To be fair, that is its intended mission. It’s too ugly and inconvenient for daily use.
There are too many holes in the Ultra and couldn’t the button be body colored?
RSS Feed