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imaginex20

macrumors 68000
Jun 17, 2009
1,513
720
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.
We get it. You own a Rolex. You mention BLNR in every damn post.
 

bruinsrme

macrumors 604
Oct 26, 2008
7,197
3,063
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.
Wait what? You weren’t worried about resale?
It took me a long time to live by that. One of my professors mentioned your exact point.
Since then I have enjoyed my things so much more.not the next person.
 
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NickYanakiev

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2016
423
289
Sent my Ultra back to go back to using my Garmin.

The Ultra is the same old tried and tested design with a fresh coat of paint. I also found the GPS and HR accuracy to be worse than my old Series 6.

No mapping, turn by turn on-wrist guidance or ease of use with route generation make this watch a no-no. Only tangible improvement for me was battery life.
 

Shadowbech

macrumors G3
Oct 18, 2011
9,038
5,894
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!
on top of that, better to wait till the extended holiday return period to start. Should be coming soon. This way you have til 1/8/2023 to initiate the return if purchased online and then get additional 14 days to ship it back.
 
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Shadowbech

macrumors G3
Oct 18, 2011
9,038
5,894
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
Pretty much yes, just sign out of icloud, initiate the return and then once passed that sign back in. Also i responded above. should wait till Apple begins their extended holiday return period that way you have till 1/8/23 to initiate the return and get additional 14 days. lol
 
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IT Provisor

macrumors regular
Sep 23, 2022
103
128
California, USA
Sent my Ultra back to go back to using my Garmin.

The Ultra is the same old tried and tested design with a fresh coat of paint. I also found the GPS and HR accuracy to be worse than my old Series 6.

No mapping, turn by turn on-wrist guidance or ease of use with route generation make this watch a no-no. Only tangible improvement for me was battery life.
It’s interesting that you mentioned that you didn’t get as accurate of health readings as your Series 6: I noticed the same discrepancy with my Series 7 and Ultra! Specifically, I would notice LESS calories burned for doing the same workout with my Ultra than with my Series 7. One more reason I’m glad I’m sticking with my Series 7 for another year…
 
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alongdingdong

macrumors regular
Jul 16, 2014
223
224
I am still debating, i ordered a AW Ultra but after 5 weeks of waiting there was a issue with the cellular company i am getting it from, so i had to cancel the order, i placed another order for a AW Ultra but it will take another 5 weeks before it arrives.

I slowly start debating if i am not just better off getting a garmin Fenix 7.

The AW is very nice, and my main motivation is to use it as a dumbphone, but a actual dumb phone is way cheaper and has long battery life, and use the fenix 7 connected to my pc to upload data instead.

The benefit is the upfront costs 40 bucks a month for the Ultra including LTE vs 800~ euro for the Fenix 7, which in the end is still a garmin product and i feel they are a bit buggy/messy.
 
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sjperformance

macrumors 68010
Oct 7, 2013
2,002
2,155
Miami 305
Wait what? You weren’t worried about resale?
It took me a long time to live by that. One of my professors mentioned your exact point.
Since then I have enjoyed my things so much more.not the next person.
It just has normal wear and tear. Due to inflation and how much so many things cost today I can resale for almost 3 times what I paid for. I used to worry about material stuff more when I was younger. I was really anal about it. After my divorce 8 years ago. Joint custody of my kids etc. Life changed me. I now worry about the bigger things in life and don't sweat the small stuff. I remarried. Had another son...he is 13 months now. Business is good. I have health. Now I just wear and enjoy my stuff to the fullest. When you die you don't take nothing to the grave. Just memories. I'm past my return window for the ultra watch. I'm content with it. Its a keeper. I haven't used an apple watch since series 1.
 

PatrickNSF

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2011
765
448
It’s interesting that you mentioned that you didn’t get as accurate of health readings as your Series 6: I noticed the same discrepancy with my Series 7 and Ultra! Specifically, I would notice LESS calories burned for doing the same workout with my Ultra than with my Series 7. One more reason I’m glad I’m sticking with my Series 7 for another year…
I’ve had HR dropouts while running with the Ultra, but it seems to be a band issue for me. I get more accurate readings with the Ocean Band than the Trial Loop. GPS has been terrific compared to my S7/S6 and my Garmin 955.

In fact, the Precision Start feature makes the Ultra more usable to me for running for me than any previous AW did.
 
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NickYanakiev

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2016
423
289
I’ve had HR dropouts while running with the Ultra, but it seems to be a band issue for me. I get more accurate readings with the Ocean Band than the Trial Loop. GPS has been terrific compared to my S7/S6 and my Garmin 955.

In fact, the Precision Start feature makes the Ultra more usable to me for running for me than any previous AW did.
More accurate than the 955? Did you have multi band enabled?

The Ultra is noticeably worse compared to the Epix Gen 2.
 

leebroath

macrumors 65816
Jul 26, 2010
1,357
950
Scotland
I‘m also still thinking about the return, but because I swapped my watch for the one I wanted, the return refreshed.

I have now until the 1st of Nov to start a return, which gives me more time to ponder.

I know people are finding the weight fine after wearing it for some time, but I’m at the point during the day when I want to take it off, and my wrist actually relaxes.

I still have my Series 4 and actually I could go back to it now quite easily.

Don‘t get me wrong, its Apples best product of the year by far, but the honeymoon period has now wore off.
 

PatrickNSF

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2011
765
448
More accurate than the 955? Did you have multi band enabled?

The Ultra is noticeably worse compared to the Epix Gen 2.
Yes. I‘ve kept multiband on with my former Epix and now with the 955.

I think GPS and HR performance (but for the HR drops) is better than the 955 in my experience. That being said, I’m only doing easy runs at the moment. I don‘t resume marathon training (Boston 2 Big Sur) until early next year.
 

bruinsrme

macrumors 604
Oct 26, 2008
7,197
3,063
It just has normal wear and tear. Due to inflation and how much so many things cost today I can resale for almost 3 times what I paid for. I used to worry about material stuff more when I was younger. I was really anal about it. After my divorce 8 years ago. Joint custody of my kids etc. Life changed me. I now worry about the bigger things in life and don't sweat the small stuff. I remarried. Had another son...he is 13 months now. Business is good. I have health. Now I just wear and enjoy my stuff to the fullest. When you die you don't take nothing to the grave. Just memories. I'm past my return window for the ultra watch. I'm content with it. Its a keeper. I haven't used an apple watch since series 1.
Spot on post.
I have the Series 5 ceramic. Up until the Ultra, I wore it while mountain biking. We stopped and there was another group. A woman came up to me and inquired if it was the ceramic or a cover. She worked for Apple and was shocked to see one on the trail, let alone in the wild. Oddly enough it still looks pristine.
I had a similar awakening. The serenity of it all makes so many aspects of live that much more enjoyable.

Enjoy
 

Kitkat52

macrumors regular
Oct 1, 2015
104
246
I loved my Apple Watch Ultra but as a woman with a size 4 wrist (measured at the Apple Store for a loop band), it was just too bulky. I also didn’t like the crown, it was not smooth to rotate. The battery life and brightness was wonderful, but not enough for me to keep it. I went with a 45mm Apple Watch 8, which is probably too much watch for me, but I compromised some. I had a series 7, but with 41mm.

I hate to bring this perhaps sexist topic up, but does anyone feel that this is more of a ‘man’s’ watch, not really geared for the size of a women’s wrist and aesthetic? I know there are many women who love it, but unfortunately it was not for me. Don’t bash me. 😎
 

fdw777

macrumors regular
Mar 7, 2012
238
179
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! 😉
Thanks for all the information. Im now all set up for another 14 days (trial) before I have to mail back to Apple for a refund.

This morning I charged up my wife's old (not so old) AW7 and used it for a few hours. I really missed how the AW(7) feels on the wrist compared to the Ultra. I thought ok I'll just order a AW8SS or Al and ship back the Ultra.

Then I realized it's like kicking out the beautiful girlfriend that just farted for the first time for a new cheaper one that will eventually fart...The point is this,,,just because I had some anxiety because the 14 day return deadline had arrived is no reason to throw her to the gutter and get another.

Does that make sense??? 🤔
 
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Kitkat52

macrumors regular
Oct 1, 2015
104
246
Thanks for all the information. Im now all set up for another 14 days (trial) before I have to mail back to Apple for a refund.

This morning I charged up my wife's old (not so old) AW7 and used it for a few hours. I really missed how the AW(7) feels on the wrist compared to the Ultra. I thought ok I'll just order a AW8SS or Al and ship back the Ultra.

Then I realized it's like kicking out the beautiful girlfriend that just farted for the first time for a new cheaper one that will eventually fart...The point is this,,,just because I had some anxiety because the 14 day return deadline had arrived is no reason to throw her to the gutter and get another.

Does that make sense??? 🤔
It makes sense that you are conflicted. I felt the same way, but did not regret the decision. I used the watch for a week before I made the final move. Wear it and do some more soul searching, eventually you’ll do what’s right for you.
 
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Dguitarnut

macrumors regular
Dec 3, 2018
220
550
St Petersburg Fl.
The litmus test is wear the Ultra for a week or more, then try wearing your series 6 or 7……….i just did that………couldn’t wait till the end of the day to switch back. Nope no way in hades I could be content with the non ultra models now. ………but as another poster inquired I think it’s more of a man’s style Watch without sounding sexist.
 

IT Provisor

macrumors regular
Sep 23, 2022
103
128
California, USA
I’ve had HR dropouts while running with the Ultra, but it seems to be a band issue for me. I get more accurate readings with the Ocean Band than the Trial Loop. GPS has been terrific compared to my S7/S6 and my Garmin 955.

In fact, the Precision Start feature makes the Ultra more usable to me for running for me than any previous AW did.
The thing for me was, though, that I had the Ocean Band…
 

NickYanakiev

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2016
423
289
The litmus test is wear the Ultra for a week or more, then try wearing your series 6 or 7……….i just did that………couldn’t wait till the end of the day to switch back. Nope no way in hades I could be content with the non ultra models now. ………but as another poster inquired I think it’s more of a man’s style Watch without sounding sexist.
As someone who has owned 2 Apple watches, 168 multiple Garmins and 2 Rolex watches I think that the Ultra looks horrible.

That crown guard is a proper eye sore, not to mention the orange elements on every configuration of the watch.

Main advantage for me was the screen size and longer battery life.

What I find the most frustrating with Apple is that the only big feature adds happen annually.

Compare that to Garmin and their much more agile software development method.
 
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CyberDavis

macrumors 6502
Sep 26, 2022
262
442
As someone who has owned 2 Apple watches, 168 multiple Garmins and 2 Rolex watches I think that the Ultra looks horrible.

That crown guard is a proper eye sore, not to mention the orange elements on every configuration of the watch.

Main advantage for me was the screen size and longer battery life.

What I find the most frustrating with Apple is that the only big feature adds happen annually.

Compare that to Garmin and their much more agile software development method.
It is all subjective and personal opinion.
I like the Ultra design, and the orange doesn't bother me at all.

Yes Apple work on an annual cycle for major operating system releases, and then update releases for patches etc.
I am sure Apple could release major updates more frequently, but the reality is this would add to development costs and probably push hardware costs upwards. And the likelihood is quality could suffer.
I work for a large multinational tech company and I have seen development cycles from the other side, it is not easy and doing things too fast can lead to problems.

I had a Garmin before I got my first Apple Watch (series 6) and whilst it worked fine for running I did find the menus frustrating and not very intuitive. I also found the styling a bit naff, although I will say the Fenix looks ok, and before getting an Apple watch I would have considered that as an upgrade.

But to be fair I think the Apple Watch and garmin are two very different devices.
The Garmin watches are undoubtedly sports watches and that is their key feature, but yes they do have other functions.
The Apple watch is a smartwatch providing links/interfaces to many parts of the Apple eco-system as well as providing fitness features.
Some people will prefer Garmin and its offering, others will prefer Apple Watch and its offering.
 
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NickYanakiev

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2016
423
289
Here is the review that really made me rethink which watch to keep:

As an athlete and hiker I am far more interested in sports and navigation features than in smart features and integration with my iPhone.

I still find the lack of any form of support for Messenger/Viber and WhatsApp on the watch (talking about the ability to speak to people);

As for releases- watch OS updates lately are really scarce in what they deliver. Look at iOS/iPadOS/MacOS for much of the same.

 
Last edited:
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PatrickNSF

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2011
765
448
Here is the review that really made me rethink which watch to keep:

As an athlete and hiker I am far more interested in sports and navigation features than in smart features and integration with my iPhone.

I still find the lack of any form of support for Messenger/Viber and WhatsApp on the watch (talking about the ability to speak to people);

As for releases- watch OS updates lately are really scarce in what they deliver. Look at iOS/iPadOS/MacOS for much of the same.

I enjoy his reviews. Connect The Watts has a follow-up to their Ultra review which pretty much mirrors where I’ve landed (for now) – Garmin (955 in my case) when I’m marathon training, and the Ultra when I’m just generally staying fit.

 

NickYanakiev

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2016
423
289
I enjoy his reviews. Connect The Watts has a follow-up to their Ultra review which pretty much mirrors where I’ve landed (for now) – Garmin (955 in my case) when I’m marathon training, and the Ultra when I’m just generally staying fit.

Interesting website, the comparison was pretty good (if a little superficial);

I found the rest of the website a little strange though with news and deals on Peloton in every other article!
 

PatrickNSF

macrumors 6502a
Jan 24, 2011
765
448
Interesting website, the comparison was pretty good (if a little superficial);

I found the rest of the website a little strange though with news and deals on Peloton in every other article!
I think it’s primarily a Peloton-focused site (at least, that‘s how I found it), though some of the reviews show up on 9to5Mac as well. The original Ultra review was good in that it highlighted all the things the Ultra doesn’t do that a proper sports watch does – not that I didn’t know any of these already, but it was a more realistic view of the Ultra’s limitations than many of the other reviews were presenting.

 
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