The latest Apple Watch model, the Ultra, pushes things to the extreme with a rugged design, extra features, a bigger battery, and extreme durability.

Apple Watch Ultra is Apple's new smartwatch aimed at those who are most active. It sports a new rugged design with a larger 49mm screen, a bigger battery that'll last 36 hours, and a bunch of new features for those that take things to the extreme. It's also a nice smartwatch for everyday use. At the price point of $799 it matches most competitors and boasts the Apple functionality. It's not one to miss if you'll take advantage of the features.

This year's Apple Watch line-up saw an all-new model debut: Apple Watch Ultra–a rugged smartwatch with added features for the more adventurous among us.

In a new form factor, the Apple Watch Ultra offers a larger screen, bigger battery, and extra "Ultra" features. But with a price tag of $799, the new smartwatch is definitely a higher-priced option. Competing against other Apple Watch models and competitors, how does the Ultra compare?

For the first time, we've got a complete redesign. Sure, the Series 7 tweaked the classic formula with a rounder display, but the Ultra goes much further. While keeping the rounded sides with silver titanium, the face of the Apple Watch is flat. This Ultra watch is also larger at 49mm, rather than the largest 45mm of the standard series.

Turning over to the rear of the Apple Watch Ultra, you'll find a new ceramic back. This cream ceramic material replaces the metal from previous models. Not only does it give the Apple Watch a different look, it once again adds to the durability of this smartwatch (notice a trend here?). You'll also find four pentalobe screws which allow you to crack open this bad boy with ease.

The titanium sides extend slightly above the face to offer some protection. On the crown side of the watch, there's a new crown guard. This elevates the Digital Crown and side button above the side of the watch. It lets you press the buttons more easily with gloves on, and offers more rugged protection.

On the other side of the watch is a new customizable Action Button and redesigned speaker grill. You'll also find a microphone in each corner of the Apple Watch Ultra.

It's not just the Apple Watch Ultra itself that's been redesigned—the packaging has too. Apple has opted for a squarer box than the regular rectangular one. Opening the box up, and you'll see an image of a mountainscape printed on the packaging. On the top of the stack is a new set-up book, below which is the Apple Watch and strap.

Speaking of, there are three new types of straps for the Apple Watch Ultra: Ocean Band, Alpine Loop, and Trail Loop. These are also more rugged straps with secure fasteners that fit the larger 49mm frame.

There's no denying that the Apple Watch Ultra looks different, and we certainly like it. The rugged design makes this Apple Watch look more professional, especially with the surgical-grade titanium on the sides.

Heading to the front, the new flat face gives the watch a nicer feel straight on, and also offers some protection. The new Action Button and crown guard offer extra functionality and give the watch a more fleshed-out look. It is a great, polished design, and it's certainly a reason many people will look to pick up the Ultra.

Apple Watch Ultra's more rugged design looks somewhat familiar thanks to other rugged options from competitors. And the larger 49mm doesn't feel too big, which most renders and promos give the impression of. It might not fit everyone's wrists, but the extra 5mm doesn't take up much more space than the regular Series 8.

When it comes to features on the Apple Watch Ultra, we'll start with the shared features from the Series 8. You'll find the same GPS, cellular, and Bluetooth connectivity from before. The stock Apple apps such as Fitness, Walkie-Talkie, and Messages apps are also all there. And you'll also find the same ECG, heart-rate, and blood oxygen sensors from before.

New to both Apple Watch Ultra and the Series 8 is car crash detection, and a temperature sensor. Car crash detection uses an array of sensors (such as GPS, the accelerometer, gyroscope, and microphones) to detect when you're in a car accident. It can then call emergency services to get you help. The temperature sensors are used to measure the variability in your skin temperature in the Health app. Apple uses this to predict ovulation for women wearing the watch, but all users can see the temperature measurement.

Then, we come to the Ultra exclusive features. Besides a redesign, the new Retina Display is also brighter. It can get up to 2,000 nits—twice the brightness of the Series 8. Thanks to a more accurate dual-band GPS, you'll benefit from enhanced location tracking. You'll particularly notice this in built-up areas, such as towns and cities. There's even a new, dedicated Wayfinder watch face to take advantage of it. In the US, you'll also find a new feature that automatically detects when you're running on a track.

Apple Watch Ultra introduces a new Depth app to track your depth when diving (certified up to 100m). Once the app is open, the measurements automatically kick in when you submerge the watch. The Apple Watch Ultra can also take advantage of temperature sensors to detect water temperature. If you need a full-on dive computer, Apple worked with Oceanic+ for a full app available on the App Store.

And, as we touched upon earlier, there are the new buttons. There's nothing too special about the crown guard–it's the same Digital Crown and side button as before, just protected with the new guard. Then there's the new Action Button. You can customize the button to launch certain apps and dive right in. In activities, you'll also be able to segment workouts or drop compass waypoints. It's a handier way to get around extra button presses.

Of course, Apple Watch Ultra also takes advantage of the new features in watchOS 9. These include more detailed sleep tracking, extra workout info, new running stats, and more. However, these features are available across the Apple Watch range.

Performance-wise, Apple Watch Ultra takes everything you already love about the Apple Watch, and dials it up to eleven. It's beefier in size, and this reflects in performance. The Retina Display is snappy and responsive, as well as being extra bright. We're yet to see an app lag on the watch, and the Action Button performs tasks at lightning speeds. Siri is... well, just as slow as usual–so working as expected on the new Ultra.

When it comes to battery life, the Apple Watch Ultra is a monster. Take an average day of two workouts, notification use, maybe a minute or two of the torch instead of fumbling around at night, and a full night's sleep tracking. With this routine, we managed to squeeze around 70 hours of battery out of the watch before popping it back on charge. We measured 42% around 45 hours in. To clarify, this is without any Apple Watch battery saving measures, nor using the new Low Power Mode. We did, however, keep the Always-On Display switched off.

Apple only touts 36 hours of battery life, so it's impressive that we managed to elongate it as much. Perhaps I don't look at my watch as often as Apple reckons I should. The 36 hours claim is almost twice that of the Series 8, but our consistent 70-hour runs were around three times longer. Suffice to say, the battery life from the Apple Watch Ultra is seriously impressive, acting as reason enough for many to upgrade.

Since the Apple Watch Ultra is all about performance and ruggedness, you'd expect it to be pretty durable, right? You'd be absolutely correct. The new Ultra is built like a Nokia 3310–pretty much indestructible.

With the raised titanium lip around the display, the glass front of the Apple Watch Ultra is protected against any impacts. Since it's the Ultra version, Apple uses its more premium Sapphire-Crystal glass. Any JerryRigEverything fans will know that this scratches at a level 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It's the hardest type of glass to scratch, so you should be pretty safe from any dings.

And since the body is made of titanium, it's also very ding resistant. You're likely to chip the metal before scratching it, which shows just how hard it is. Since the back panel is made of ceramic, the Apple Watch Ultra is protected against any drops there, too. And with the crown guard, there's no chance of the Digital Crown accidentally flying off (we'd congratulate you on managing to do that one). Like we said, teetering on the edge of indestructible.

While we're not quite brave enough to fling the pricier Apple Watch Ultra around, YouTuber iupdate had no problems in doing so. In his video, Sam Kohl takes over 50 strong, direct hits to the Apple Watch Ultra before it breaks. Just to be clear, this is the inside tech starting to break from repeated impact. At this point, the glass remains unshattered, with just a few chips in the titanium body. Impressive stuff!

Now, let's take a look at pricing. While the price tag may sound rather hefty at first, things aren't as expensive as they may seem. Let's take the new Apple Watch Series 8 for comparison. The larger 45mm option (which is the biggest offering) starts at $429, which is a far cry from the Ultra's premium price.

But let's opt for the cellular version of the Series 8, since the Ultra comes with cellular as standard, and we're now at $529–which seems a lot closer. And while the Series 8 doesn't come in titanium, the stainless steel upgrade brings our total to $749–just $50 away from the Ultra. Considering the extra features packed into the Ultra, the price difference is actually oddly justifiable in our opinion.

And comparing it to competitors, the Apple Watch Ultra actually undercuts on price. The top of the range Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar goes for $1,000, as does the Garmin Enduro 2 at $1,100; both overtaking the Apple Watch Ultra by several hundred dollars.

These watches offer similar features to the Apple Watch Ultra, with a couple of key differences. Both Garmins boast over 100 hours of battery life. And while Apple's offering beats its own battery estimation, the Garmin watches do better. However, while you can receive notifications on Garmin smartwatches, they don't offer the same level of integration as Apple's do. It's swings and roundabouts as to which feature you value more–you could certainly make a call in either direction.

When it comes to whether or not you should buy the Apple Watch Ultra, things come down to a question of value. If you value a larger screen, a bigger battery, a more rugged design, and extra features, then it's probably worth splashing the extra cash. If those features don't particularly matter to you, a Series 8 would serve you well. It's similar to picking between the iPhone 14 Pro vs the regular iPhone 14.

We certainly don't hesitate in recommending the Apple Watch Ultra, and it makes for a worthwhile upgrade from older models (or a stellar entry point). Expect less frequent upgrades too, so you'll be able to hold on to this one for longer.

Connor Jewiss is the Internet Section Editor at MUO. He has 6 years of experience writing and editing for tech publications, as well as in the tech startup world. Featured in newspapers and magazines in the UK as well, Connor has a passion for technology.

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