The Apple Watch Ultra is the most rugged model yet, designed with extreme outdoor sports in mind. It sports an aerospace-grade titanium case and sapphire crystal face for resisting everything from dust and rain to scratches, drops, and cracks. It’s also MIL-STD-810H certified for water, shock, and temperature resistance, so you can have peace of mind while camping, hiking, or diving. To help you decide which Apple Watch is the right fit for you, I’ve rounded up 5 of the best models you can buy right now. I’ve broken down all of their features and price points to help you choose the best fit for both your needs and your budget.
Display Size: 41 or 45mmBattery life: 36 hours (with Low Power mode)Storage capacity: 32GB
The Apple Watch Series 8 is a big leap forward for the flagship smartwatch. It not only features an updated S8 chip but also two new sensors to detect falls and car accidents. This allows you to use the watch to contact emergency services and emergency contacts when you can’t reach your phone or the OnStar button in your car. The case is made of 100 percent recycled aerospace-grade alloy, giving the watch face plenty of strength to handle everyday wear and tear as well as the occasional accident. The glass watch face is also designed to be tough, using Apple’s Ion-X glass to protect against scratches and cracks while still providing great usability. The Series 8 also focuses on health features like a built-in ECG and heart sensor to give you feedback on your heart rate, rhythm, and even blood oxygen levels to help you monitor your overall health as well as quickly treat any sudden issues. It also helps with women’s health issues, letting you more accurately track your cycle so you can discuss any issues with your doctor. Another new feature for the Series 8 is the ability to use SOS calling and messaging even when a cellular network is out of range. The updated SOS feature allows the watch to connect to satellites in order to contact emergency services and contacts in case of a fall, crash, or medical emergency. And the battery has been updated as well, giving you up to 36 hours of use with the new battery saver mode.
Display Size: 49mmBattery life: 60 hoursStorage capacity: 32GB
The Apple Watch Ultra is a totally new iteration of the smartwatch, designed from the ground-up to handle the toughest outdoor challenges you can find. The case is made of aerospace-grade titanium with a sapphire crystal face for extra durability to handle everything from everyday wear and tear to extreme weather conditions. Along with all of the updated health and safety features that the Series 8 introduced, the Apple Watch Ultra also has updated GPS capabilities, utilizing dual-frequency tracking technology to give you accurate location information even in mountainous terrain. The watch is rated for water resistance up to 100 meters (328 feet) and scuba diving up to 40 meters (131 feet), making it a great choice for divers, snorkeling enthusiasts, and competitive swimmers. And with MIL-STD-810H durability, the Apple Watch Ultra is able to handle temperatures as low as -4F (-20C) and as high as 130F (55C), shocks and sustained vibrations, and high altitudes. The integrated battery can give you up to an impressive 60 hours of use with the low battery mode, giving you peace of mind on long camping trips or hiking and diving excursions. The all-new action button lets you create custom controls for indoor workout tracking, adding waypoints to your hiking compass, or tracking your dive time. And with dual integrated speakers, calls, music, and even Siri can be heard loud and clear. There’s even an integrated emergency siren that blasts an 86-decibel sound pattern to help emergency workers find you if you’re lost or hurt or to scare away dangerous animals while hiking.
Display size: 41mm or 45mmBattery life: Up to 18 hoursStorage: 32GB
Released in October 2021, the Apple Watch Series 7 is the latest and greatest product in Apple’s smartwatch line. It made several improvements over the previous model, including a bigger screen, faster charging capability, and more durability than its predecessors. On top of the standard smartwatch features (like sending/receiving messages and tracking your steps), the Series 7 also lets you measure your blood oxygen, take an ECG, and analyze your sleep – which is a huge bonus if you’re health-conscious. It’s also dust-, water-, and crack-resistant, so you can feel comfortable taking it on even the hardest workouts. The Series 7 comes in aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel finishes, with colors like green, blue, graphite, silver, and gold. It’s also available in the special-edition Apple Watch Nike and Apple Watch Hermès collections. Depending on how you’d like to use your watch (and your budget), you can choose from either GPS or GPS + Cellular connectivity, but be aware you’ll pay $100 more for the latter option. Read the full review: Apple Watch Series 7 review
Display Size: 40 or 44mmBattery life: 18 hoursStorage capacity: 32GB
The Apple Watch SE is the brand’s more budget-friendly version of the smartwatch, offering a simpler and more streamlined device for users who just want to track workouts or stay on top of their call and text notifications. The SE also sports Apple’s updated sensors for crash and fall detection, allowing you to call for help if you can’t reach your phone or OnStar button in your car. It also features Apple’s expanded health tracking, letting you track heart rate, rhythm, and even blood oxygen levels so you can discuss any issues with your doctor or treat any sudden symptoms. It also helps to track sleep, giving you detailed information about your nightly routines and habits so you can get more restful sleep. Another great new feature for the Apple Watch SE is the Family Setup. Designed with children and older adults in mind, Family Setup lets you stay in touch with and track the health of family members even if they don’t have their own iPhone. This means that you can give kids and elderly parents freedom and independence while still keeping an eye on them in case of accidents and medical emergencies.
Display size: 40mm or 44mmBattery life: Up to 18 hoursStorage: 32GB
The Apple Watch Series 6 was announced in 2020, about a year about before the Series 7 came out. It was the first Apple Watch with blood oxygen detection, the ECG app, and an always-on altimeter. The Series 6 was also the first product to introduce the Family Setup function. In many ways, the Series 6 is similar to the watches that came out before (Series 5) and after (Series 7). Like its predecessor, it’s available in 40mm and 44mm screen sizes and offers Apple’s Always-On Retina display – although its chip (S6) is slightly faster than the one that’s inside the Series 5 and SE (S5). On the other hand, it also shares many of the advanced health features of the Series 7, like the blood oxygen and ECG apps. Read the full review: Apple Watch Series 6 review
