I’m in the same boat. Waiting for my 2nd Ultra to arrive. I got the Alpine Loop again (but also have a trail loop coming).
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Returning the Ultra? [MERGED]
- Thread starter durangojim
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I bought a series 8, returned it for an Ultra and ended up with both 😇. I prefer to wear the Ultra during the day but found it a bit uncomfortable during nighttime because of the thickness and sharp edges. If I had to choose I would probably keep the Ultra, but both are nice and can be the better choice depending on your preferences.
I've had my Ultra about a week now. I've had a 4,5 and 7 all stainless. I was going to trade in my SB 7 but decided to keep it as the trade in was not worth it. I absolutely love this Ultra. The look, weight and bands are very cool IMO. Different enough from the regular watch to make it a worthwhile change. I like having both watch options to wear. So far though the Ultra has not left my wrist. The flat screen makes the text more readable to me even if the screen is not that much bigger.
Do you find the Ultra screen easier to read than the S7? I know the ultra is only a few pixels bigger than the S7 (~3%). I have seen some say that even though the test size on complications are the same size, the flat screen makes them easier to read. Can you share your thoughts on this?
The screen is easier to read specially when using maps……while driving
Yes, I'm really enjoying using my Ultra too! Whereas before I would never use my Watch to listen to audio while running (because of bad battery life), I have no issues doing that with the Ultra. It's wonderful! I can do that and still record my various other workouts throughout the day and still do sleep tracking without having to charge. Loving it!
I'd agree that such technology items are ephemeral, but I wouldn't consider them necessarily "toys" because of that. If the quality of being ephemeral makes them toys, then so are laptops and desktop computers, and clearly they are not necessarily "toys".
One could argue that smartwatches don't hold heirloom value the same way a mechanical watch would, although a singular specific smartwatch might (e.g., an original Apple Watch unopened in a pristine box. Didn't that recently receive a $39k purchase price?).
I actually work out for ~2.5 hours/day, so probably wouldn't get two or three full days, either - I haven't kept track of real runtime on any of my AWs because I can almost always put them on a "slow" charger for short periods during the day. I haven't done any workouts with the GPS running, but indoor workouts pound the battery so I'm sure that if you were running the GPS on the watch (as opposed to an iPhone you're carrying) the battery impact would be significant.
To me, the big choice is what you said: Excellent connected multi-use device or excellent dedicated athletic device.
Short chuckle from me there. Yes, I noticed both the thickness and that sharp bezel edge at night. I was surprised that they were different enough from my S7 that I'd notice.
With a big qualification that there's no way to provide a quantitative, objective, scientific answer, my answer is yes to all of those.
For whatever reason, even if it's only in my mind (which I doubt), it does seem both bigger and easier to read. It might be the slightly larger display, or the flat crystal, or a combination...or perhaps there are other things going on, too. I think that it's easier to read and work with outdoors, which would be the up-to-2x brighter display brightness.
As a more general answer, I didn't replace the one I returned because there was one single feature that I had to have. It was more that there were quite a few improvements that were nice to have and together they tipped me toward replacing it.
As far as brightness is concerned, I did a quick outdoor test while I still had my Ultra and compared it to my Series 7 in direct sunlight. The results were actually surprising:
I also wrote about it here too.
Have had it for a few days now and I love it. I love the way it looks, the battery, and most importantly it hasn't locked on me once. I have tattoos on my wrist and all my previous AWs would lock throughout the day. So far not a single lock on the Ultra. I assume the sensors are in a different spot that my tattoo doesn't cover. That alone is worth price of admission.
I ’ve had it since yesterday and I have already seen a scratch on the ring around the display. Didn’t do anything in particular. Stayed home all day. I had the Series 4 SS for 4 years and never had such a problem for all this time. I’m a hiker and adventurer and I don’t know how this watch is going to survive to scratches. I’m thinking of returning it
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I have had mine since release day…no marks on it so you mush have hit it against something
I’m the kind of person who is very careful. Today is my first day of wearing it, If I smashed it somewhere I would have realized. I guess Titanium is very prone to scratches.
But you must’ve hit it again something as scratches won’t appear by themselves
I would exchange it if you are within your window. It could have been scratched on delivery.
When I had mine, I got some kind of ding on the top middle of the bezel from pretty much doing nothing but VERY lightly bumping it. Again, this watch’s durability is in the screen, not the case…
may never know. I've gotten few apple products scratched right out of the box. Basially I unwrap it and bam scratches or something is there, must have happened at the plant. If these scratches that isn't caused by me, it's definitely a return and rebuy. But if it's a scartch/damage that is done by me then I live with it.
That very thin lip with its very crisp right angle edge is a pretty soft target, especially with a metal like titanium that's extremely strong relative to its weight but typically not as hard as many steel alloys.
With that said, I have Rolex and Omega watches with stainless steel cases that not only have scratches all over and dings on edges, but also have actual dents in flat surfaces.
My AW S7 doesn't have any dents (though i haven't looked carefully recently), but it's got fine scratches all over. I think some of the expectations expressed in this thread are very unrealistic.
You should see my BLNR today. Scratches dents all over the place. Oyster bracelet has taken a beaten. I babied this watch back in 2015 when I first bought it. After 1-2 months that stopped. I’ve traveled with it and enjoy it in good health. My hulk and submariner have taken a good beating too. Yet today they still look new. Gotta enjoy our watches to the fullest and stop worrying about scratches dents etc. Its normal wear and tear. At least I know the ultra was designed for that reason exactly.
If you have ANY doubts whatsoever, return it! If anything, you could revisit with another purchase to take it for another test drive! Also, if you bought from Apple and you are approaching your 14th day, if you bought it online, just set up a return and you’ll automatically get another 14 days to ship it back! In this way, your trial period has been extended!
That's a great option. I started the process but it said I needed to sign out of iCloud on my Ultra before I can start the return. I also have a Cellular plan.
So if I sign out of iCloud and finish the return requirements will I be able to sign back into iCloud and use the Cell plan until I ship off or just decide to keep it? Thanks
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Yep! Just turn off you Ultra, remove it from Find My, and then complete the return setup. Then, after your return has been successfully initiated, turn your Ultra back on and then it’ll automatically be re-added as if nothing ever happened! This applies for ALL Apple products that use iCloud and Find My, by the way! 😉