New Apple Watch Ultra revealed in our ‘first look’ at Apple HQ

APPLE has unleashed its most powerful smartwatch yet.

I got a chance to check out the Apple Watch Ultra during the iPhone 14 launch event at Apple HQ.

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It’s a brand new addition to the line-up, landing alongside the latest Apple Watch Series 8.

The Ultra is expensive and is brimming with bonus features.

That’s clear from the outside: it’s bigger than a regular Apple Watch, and looks very tough.

Apple described it as “specifically for exploration, adventure and endurance”.

The case is made from aerospace-grade titanium for a lightweight but tough design.

There’s sapphire front crystal to make the screen durable.

And it has the biggest and brightest display ever featured in an Apple Watch.

There’s a new button called the ”Action Button” that is customisable to give you quick customisable control for a range of functions.

Cellular connectivity is built-in as standard.

And the Ultra offers a whopping 36 hours of battery life on a single charge – with 60 hours of extended battery life using a new optimisation setting.

iPhone-maker Apple talked up the GPS credentials on its new Apple Watch Ultra.

Some environments are tricky for GPS, like areas with tall buildings or dense trees.

They can block satellites, making accurate readings difficult.

Apple has added support for new GPS frequencies – paired with some clever algorithms – to make location tracking much more accurate.

The tech titan says the Ultra boasts ”the most accurate GPS of any sport watch on the market”.

The Ultra sounds great if you regularly get lost in the wild.

There’s a Waypoint feature that lets you quickly add key location pinpoints using the action button – maybe your campsite or a signpost.

Then there’s Backtrack, which uses GPS data to help you easily retrace your steps.

It turns on automatically in the background when you go off the grid, just in case.

And if straits are particularly dire, there’s a built-in 86dB siren that can be heard up to 600 feet away.

Apple Watch Ultra will cost $799 or £849 – a high price, but this is aimed at proper health, fitness and adventure enthusiasts.

This feels like a great move by Apple: there was a clear need for an Apple Watch that can go that little bit further for more extreme users.

It’s available to order today, and will go on sale on September 23.

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