The Apple Watch Pro is called Watch Ultra and is intended for extreme sports

Rather conservative in the design of its watches again this year with the Watch Series 8, Apple is daring to make a real change with its Watch Ultra, which inaugurates a new sports segment in its range. The Californian firm did not go with the back of the spoon, designing not a simple variation of its Watch Series 8, but a real new watch, with a different design and impressive features.

Reinforced watch dedicated to outdoor sports

Designed to withstand the most extreme conditions, the Apple Watch Ultra opts for a titanium case. A very resistant material that we have already come across on very high-end versions of the Apple Watch, but which takes on its full meaning here in terms of resisting external aggressions, common when you practice trail running or even nautical sports. Apple Watch Ultra also meets military standard MIL-STD-810H.

In 49 mm format, this case is topped with a sapphire crystal, also designed to better resist scratches and shocks. It protects a large 2-inch AMOLED screen, capable of a record brightness of 2000 nits – twice as bright as the screen of previous Apple Watch Series.

Tough enough to venture into the ocean depths

Resistant, this Apple Watch Ultra is also resistant to pressure, since it is suitable for scuba diving. Apple has not done things by halves, because its watch is thus certified WR100 (10 ATM) and meets the EN13319 diving standard. Enough to practice water sports and scuba diving.

A Huish Outdoors app specifically designed for Apple Watch Ultra provides specific data and settings for this practice, including managing decompression stops.

Autonomy of up to 60 hours

Who says outdoor sports watch necessarily says sufficient autonomy to indulge in practices that can last several hours. Small disappointment on this point, since the Ultra would only offer 36 hours of operation in normal use. It can nevertheless reach 60 hours in economy mode, which will be enough to indulge in triathlon, for example, specifies Apple.

An ultra-precise dual-band GPS

GPS precision is also an important criterion for such a watch, and on this point Apple does not disappoint, announcing a dual-band GPS chip (L1 + L5) working with an in-house algorithm that would make the Watch Series 8 Ultra “the most accurate sports watch”, nothing less. In terms of navigation, the watch incorporates a compass mode and also manages the marking of waypoints, as well as the return to the starting point. A watch face specific for the trail is also offered, with a night mode switching the entire display to red so as not to dazzle.

Extra button, speaker and microphones

Characteristic of Apple Watch, the rotating crown is also present on the Watch Ultra. It is however larger and is housed in a protuberance of the right edge to be easier to reach and usable with gloves, just like the home button which remains positioned lower.

A new action button makes its appearance on the left edge, to serve in the heat of the moment. Similarly, there is now a second speaker to take advantage of more audible voice instructions and manage phone calls in difficult conditions. Three microphones are also placed all around the watch to ensure better voice capture and cancel out ambient noise, such as the breath of the wind.

Fall detection is on the program, associated here with an audible alarm emitting a specific noise with an intensity of 86 dB, audible up to 180 m, according to Apple.

To each practice his bracelet

Apple obviously does not just provide a basic strap with this watch, by offering three adapted to different practices: a Velcro textile for trail running, a metal hook fastening textile for the mountains and a rubberized one for diving.

This impressive display of technology comes at a price. It will indeed spend no less than 999 € to afford the Apple Watch Ultra from September 23. A plump price, but in line with that of other high-end outdoor sports watches, such as the Garmin Fēnix and Epix Gen 2, for example (~1000 €).