So far, Apple has explored various directions in search of a luxury model for the Apple Watch.

Although the collaboration model with Hermès was a great success, the model that aimed for luxury with materials such as gold and ceramics was able to create a certain amount of demand, but it may not have been a success.

However, now that I've come here, I feel like I've finally found the true answer I was looking for.

The Apple Watch Ultra has the performance to withstand the ultimate outdoor experience, but also fits naturally as a fashion item in urban areas. It looks like the ultimate Apple Watch. The photo shows a combination of a titanium case and an orange alpine loop.


  • The pinnacle of Apple Watch that inspires you to be bolder and more active

That's the Apple Watch Ultra.

It can operate in a wide range of temperatures, from cold regions of -20 degrees to scorching deserts of 55 degrees, and functions as a diving computer that can be used up to a depth of 40m. Even if you go deep into a maze-like jungle, it will help you return to the route you came with accurate GPS.

Until now, when it comes to digital equipment, it has been one of the objects to be desperately protected so that even if the owner gets soaked, only the machine will not get wet, as it will break if it gets wet. You can't hit it or drop it. But the Apple Watch Ultra is different.

In addition, conventional digital devices were tools that used "convenience" as a selling point to make people lazy, stay in one place, and become more inactive, but the Apple Watch Ultra is the opposite.

In case of emergency, no matter how harsh the place is, it won't be a hindrance. Or rather, if you go bolder and get lost, the long-lasting battery (up to 36 hours, or up to 60 hours on low power settings) will help you find your way back, and just in case something goes wrong. You can also send an SOS signal or send a request for help.

　Even though I've been sitting at home for a long time, I'll call out, "I'm sitting. Let's stand up." I think the Apple Watch Ultra announced by Apple this time is the ultimate in machines that make people more active.

A new formative beauty built on the foundation of existing products

The Apple Watch Ultra first fascinates people with its beauty.

A titanium frame with a width of about 1 mm surrounds the flat display. The middle part of the thick body draws a smooth curve and bulges evenly vertically and horizontally, but there is a further raised part on the right side that covers the Digital Crown and side buttons.

A titanium case is raised to cover the Digital Crown and side buttons on the right side. However, the side buttons protrude just a little so that you can only feel it when you touch it, so it's not difficult to press even with gloves on.

At the top left is a large speaker grill that symbolizes a speaker that emits an SOS signal with a loud sound of 86 decibels that you wouldn't believe is coming from a watch in the event of an accident. There is a newly added orange action button. There is also a large microphone hole that seems to pick up your voice even in a snowstorm.

On the left side is a speaker grille, siren speaker, GPS antenna, and an orange action button. You can add only one frequently used action to this action button, such as adding a waypoint or launching a water depth app (during diving, you can call multiple functions in combination with the Digital Crown).

The shape of the sturdiness as it is creates an exquisite combination with the included alpine loop band and the ocean band (sold separately), but it also blends seamlessly with existing leather and silicon bands.

The design is designed to blend in with both the harsh nature and the urban scenery between skyscrapers. The Apple Watch is now the product where Apple's hardware design power is most demonstrated, but this Ultra feels that its true nature is fully demonstrated.

The fact that while creating a new highlight, it faithfully adheres to the basics of the past is also a point that makes you feel that.

Just like the skeleton of humans that evolved from monkeys has a tail, when you look at the Apple Watch Ultra from the side, you can see the remnants of the previous Apple Watch.

Or rather, when viewed from the side, the Ultra looks like a conventional Apple Watch with a vertical titanium frame attached. At the bottom of the frame is the Digital Crown, side buttons, and Apple's unique band attachment/detachment mechanism (compatible with 44mm/45mm models) that can be easily replaced according to the mood of the day. is inherited as is.

"With this new design, what kind of differences will you feel when using it?"

The flat display is probably the first difference that people who have used the recent Apple Watch will notice. The recent Apple Watch has evolved in the direction of eliminating the frame and curving the edge of the display to blend in with the main body, but the Ultra emphasizes the edge in the exact opposite way, and there is a flat display with unevenness. It fits perfectly without letting you feel it.

I felt that the sharpness of this sturdy and flat display matched the modern dial and urban landscape more than I expected. I thought that the bumps on the main unit that guard the Digital Crown and side buttons might make it difficult to operate them, but that was also a useless worry. The crown is easy to turn, and the side buttons, which are difficult to see with the naked eye, protrude out in an exquisite way that can be clearly seen when touched with a finger, so you can press them firmly without visually checking where they are.

You can feel the true value of Apple's design studio, including the beauty of the outline that the raised frame reflects the light and the more you dig into the details of the design, the more attractive it becomes. I feel that it is attractive enough not only for use but also as a fashion item for urban lifestyle.

If you think about it, even if it's just a diver's watch, even people who don't dive can wear it as a fashion item in the world of wristwatches. I would like to emphasize again that the Apple Watch Ultra, which has performance as a dive computer that exceeds a diver's watch, is a watch that can be used in a wide range of situations, from outdoor activities to urban scenes.

Yet another attractive point is that the price starts at 124,800 yen including tax, which is considerably more affordable than many diver's watches. In terms of functionality and performance, it is more like a dive computer than a diver's watch.

It's not just the case that's well made, it's also the two new bands announced alongside the product this time around. The alpine band, which holds a hook like a key firmly, has an exquisite design that is both sturdy enough to withstand tough use and fashionable.

Ocean band that doubles the watch by attaching a clip to prevent the band from coming off once it is attached.

  • Firm support for both land and sea adventures
What can this Apple Watch Ultra do that the previous Apple Watch couldn't do? In fact, the difference in functionality is not that great.

One is a function called "Siren", when you are in a situation where you are unable to move due to an accident or a fall, you can make an emergency call on behalf of the user and make a loud sound to inform the surroundings of your whereabouts. .

Even if it's loud, there's a limit to the sound that can be produced from a small Apple Watch, but even so, in a quiet place, after trial and error, Apple found an easy-to-distinguish 86 decibel sound that can be heard up to about 180m away. When you launch the app, it shows you how much battery you have left so you can plan when to go off the siren.

If you run it on that, first you will hear some loud sounds, and after confirming how loud and how they will sound, a small rescue request sound (Morse code SOS sound) will start, and then gradually becomes larger.

Another big feature unique to the Ultra is the function for diving. The moment the main unit is submerged in water, an application called "Water Depth" automatically starts up, and displays the current water depth, water temperature, underwater time, and maximum reach depth (up to 40m).

This time, Huish Outdoors, which handles diving solutions, has collaborated to develop an app called "Oceanic+" for Apple Watch Ultra (scheduled to be released in the second half of the fall of 2022). You can attach diving plans and diving logs for recreational diving such as scuba diving.

This app allows you to check various information such as "No Decompression Time" during a dive, variometer data, water temperature, maximum depth and rate of ascent, remaining battery power, compass, conservatism, gas, etc. It can be operated using the easy-to-operate Digital Crown rotation and action buttons.

There is also a function that displays a Safety Stop warning in a conspicuous color when the maximum depth is reached, the water temperature is too cold, or the rising speed is too fast.

The app "Oceanic+" jointly developed by Apple and Huish Outdoors. The iPhone can also tell you the local conditions such as tides, water temperature, visibility and ocean currents.

However, this is actually the only Ultra feature that other Apple Watch does not have. Certainly, the goodness of the Apple Watch Ultra is the traceback function that allows you to navigate with the Apple Watch alone by placing waypoints, which appeared in the Ultra promotional video, and to return to the way you came. It is a function that is useful in situations such as hiking and mountain climbing, but in fact, if you update to watchOS 9, which was released the other day, you can also use it on the previous Apple Watch.

The differentiation point of Apple Watch Ultra is not there. Rather than an easy-to-understand functional difference, the difference in quality that only those who have examined really good things can understand is the Ultra's differentiating point.

For example, the compass app mentioned above also supports two GPS frequencies. In addition to L1 GPS, it supports high-precision positioning called satellite Michibiki L5, that is, GPS positioning that determines positions with higher accuracy (GPS accuracy increases even in urban areas with many skyscrapers).

Even if you have an accurate GPS, you can't help but see the screen under the scorching sun. In this respect, the Ultra supports the same high-brightness display of 2000 nits as the iPhone 14 Pro, ensuring easy viewing. is doing.

The screen is easy to see in the rain as well as in sunny weather

As expected, I couldn't handle the product for review roughly, but in fact, the toughness was tested in harsh environments such as altitude, high temperature, low temperature, thermal shock, liquid immersion, freeze-thaw, hail and ice, shock and vibration. In the test for military equipment in the United States, it has achieved results equivalent to the standard "MIL-STD-810H", and the water resistance of "WR100" (water resistant to 10 atmospheres) is also certified as "EN13319" in the standard for dive computers and gauges. It has been certified as a tough device.

Enhanced flexibility is attractive

However, as I mentioned at the beginning, the most amazing part of the Apple Watch Ultra is that a tough watch with this much performance can swap dials and switch to a Mickey Mouse or Buzz Lightyear dial for parties. It can be a watch that displays the movements of the sun and the phases of the moon to connect with the mysteries of the universe, or it can be a business watch that displays stock price information and a world clock to read trends in the global economy. It's going to be

In addition, you can change the band to switch from the elegant Hermès to a Nike or Apple sports band to take the best of fashion and sportiness, or create a casual look. You will enjoy it.

There is no discomfort even if you attach a conventional Apple Watch band such as a leather band

The thing that surprised me most after wearing this Apple Watch Ultra for several days in the city of Tokyo was actually how long the battery lasted. I didn't make it in time for this review, but in order to try out the new skin temperature sensor, I kept it on all the time while I was sleeping for a while. Even after using it for two full days, there was about 20% remaining.

Until now, Apple Watch has been unusable once every few months due to charging failure, but Ultra's battery capacity is quite large, so you don't have to worry about the remaining battery level for a full two days. Attractive.

After that, when I waited until the remaining battery was reduced to about 3%, and then tested charging, it was able to recover to 50% after about 1 hour of charging. Even with this 50% charged state, I have the impression that it could be used for about the same amount of time as the previous Apple Watch.

Of course, the long battery life is only possible because the body is thick and heavy. The Apple Watch Ultra case weighs about 61.3g, which is about twice the Apple Watch SE's 44mm case (larger one) of about 33g, and about 10g heavier than the Series 8's 45mm case of about 51.5g. Until now, I'm not good at watches, even with Series 7 watches, to the extent that I would remove them when I got tired, but the reason I was able to wear Ultra for a full two days was because the alpine band I was trying on one was very light. (Previous Apple Watches used leather bands).

The Apple Watch Ultra case is a combination of titanium and ceramic, both of which have been considered high-end materials in Apple Watch so far. Ceramic is used for the bottom part of the main body

The Apple Watch is ideal for people who do not exercise at all but want to be aware of their physical movements in their daily lives, people who want to incorporate mindfulness meditation into their daily lives with awareness of breathing, casual runners, Active workoutrs (workout-related features have been significantly enhanced in watchOS 9, including the ability to determine your heart rate range and measure workout intensity), swimmers, cyclists, and more. has been compatible with athletes who perform strenuous exercise such as triathlons.

This time, while taking a step further and challenging the limits of physical strength, it responds to the needs of people who adventure in the sea and land, in a sense, the ultimate (just ultra), and other people who wear the same machine. It has evolved into a machine that motivates people to be “more active”.

On top of that, even though it is a function that most people will never use in their lifetime, it also provides a sense of security that it will save lives in the event of an emergency such as a fall, traffic accident, or accident.

"I think this is amazing."

The coronavirus crisis is coming to an end, and people around the world are becoming more conscious of their health, and the word “wellness” is being heard here and there. It seems to be a symbol of the times that the product has evolved into a product that acts as a driver of action rather than a hindrance.

The Apple Watch Ultra has a different package than the conventional Apple Watch
Apple Watch Ultra seems to put effort into its own booklet