I’ve been using Apple Watch models since their debut in 2015, and I now feel a little bit uncomfortable not wearing one.
Still, since 2023 I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch Ultra. I’m not running any ridiculously impressive marathons or completing continent-spanning triathlons, but as someone with a heart condition that’s often more noticeable at night, I needed a watch that I wouldn’t have to charge every 18 hours.
It’s served me well, but after some soul-searching (and staring wistfully at my bank balance before Apple’s next event), I’m ready to send it off into the sunset with my best wishes.
A question of performance
If it’s not clear, I love my Apple Watch Ultra. It’s by far my favorite Apple wearable, and the size and weight never bothered me as I was coming from a Stainless Steel model.
It’s still kicking, too. I have no doubts that I could keep using it for a few years yet, but something is nagging at me: Apple Intelligence.
Apple Watch doesn’t have Apple Intelligence just yet (you could make an argument none of the company’s platforms do to the fullest extent, really), but it feels like it’s just a matter of time.
The evidence is piling up, too. Workout Buddy is one of this year’s headline features in watchOS 26, and it’s tied to Apple Intelligence on the iPhone. Could it run on Apple Watch one day? Don’t bet against it.
Then there’s the S9 SiP processor, which is considerably more powerful than the S8, and is likely to be replaced when the inevitable Ultra 3 comes. After all, the Apple Watch Series 10 already has an S10.
This is all on top of the more general battery drain that happens when a product has been in near-constant use for a couple of years, plus I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t keen on a new black version.
Are you interested in an Apple Watch Ultra 3? Let us know in the comments!
