Apple Watch Ultra 4 Review: Is Apple’s Adventure Watch Actually Worth Buying?

A smartwatch can tell you how far you’ve run, how well you’ve slept and even when it’s time to slow down. But when it comes to choosing one, things get a little more complicated. Sometimes, we want more than a watch that simply keeps track of our daily activities. We want something that can keep up when our workouts get tougher and our adventures take us somewhere unfamiliar.

That’s where the Apple Watch Ultra 4 enters the picture. At first glance, it looks like a smartwatch built for people who expect more from their devices. But I have one question: does wearing a more expensive sports watch actually make a difference when you’re training or are you simply paying extra for the experience of owning an Ultra?

I think that’s worth exploring before spending so much money on a smartwatch. So, let’s look beyond its rugged appearance, understand what it brings to the table and see whether the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is genuinely worth considering.

Specifications#

Apple Watch Ultra 4: Built for Athletes or Outdoor Enthusiasts?#

The very first thing that strikes you upon opening the box of the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is how impressive it looks. The 49mm titanium build of the watch is a bold one, to say the least and one that clearly belongs to the elite category of products. The $799 Apple smartwatch has been made for those who love to challenge themselves.

The answer lies somewhere in the middle. With the newly developed S11 chip, everything becomes incredibly fast, while the improved Health Sensing System is just a huge step in advance. Apple has finally brought out a native Readiness Score that will tell you how ready your body is to endure a hard workout routine. Apple also claims up to 50 hours of standard use battery life.

But there is a clear distinction between rugged gadgets and specialist fitness training equipment. Just because you have a watch that is able to withstand a scuba diving session does not necessarily mean that it will have in depth recovery metrics that the marathon runner requires. In testing the smartwatch, I realized that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 has done a fantastic job of closing the gap, although it is mainly designed as a smartwatch before anything else. It is ideal for outdoor adventurers but not for elite athletes.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 Design and Comfort: Is It Practical for Everyday Wear?#

The ultra durable 49mm titanium case makes Apple Watch Ultra 4 very strong. I have been accidentally bumping Apple Watch Ultra 4 against door frames, scraping the watch against sharp stones while out in the open for a hike but the watch looks perfect. It is just that good. The flat sapphire crystal display is super bright which makes it easy to check my running pace even under harsh, direct sunlight.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is equipped with an awesome always-on Retina LTPO OLED screen and it features impressive peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. Thanks to these particular figures, I can assure you that the screen easily cuts through the brightest midday sunlight without having any problems with visibility whatsoever. Also, the screen has a stunning 410 by 502 pixels resolution, which means that each and every number in my workout statistics is ultra-sharp. The presence of such top tier display technology in my watch makes me feel really good, but it also brings me back to the hard truth about the watch’s size.

While comparing the dimensions of the Apple Watch Ultra 4 to those of Apple Watch Series 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is thicker and heavier. And this leads me to my major complaint. The physical controls like the Digital Crown and Action Button on this watch are great to use in sweaty workout sessions. The Action Button comes in handy when wearing gloves and wanting to start a session right away. But the watch is big.

Since personal comfort is always relative, yet strap selection is crucial in this regard. The Alpine Loop is reliable enough for hikes, the Trail Loop is comfortable and breathable for runners, while the Ocean Band is perfectly suitable for water sports. I decided to use the Trail Loop strap every day and it truly makes a difference in terms of balancing the weight.

However, even despite having the right strap, sleep monitoring on the Apple Watch Ultra 4 may prove to be an issue. Frankly speaking, with the size of 49mm and made out of titanium, this device looks like a burden to sleep in, especially for people with thinner wrists. Indeed, it is quite heavy and I felt it waking me up when I was rolling over. A durable design may be convenient for various adventures, but it does not guarantee wearing comfort for every single athlete.

Health Tracking: How Much Does the Apple Watch Ultra 4 Actually Monitor?#

Apple has always been a master of health monitoring and that trend continues with the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Wellness insights become part of your day-to-day seamlessly however, it should not be forgotten how different wellness insights are from a medical diagnosis.

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability#

The continuous heart rate monitoring on the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is incredibly robust, thanks to the new sensor array. It takes higher-frequency heart rate measurements throughout the day, which gives a much clearer picture of your baseline. I really appreciate the improved HRV (Heart Rate Variability) tracking. Understanding how my resting heart rate and physiological changes align has been crucial for my training. However, it’s still a wrist-based optical sensor. When I was doing intense interval training with rapid heart rate spikes, I noticed a slight lag compared to a chest strap.

Sleep Tracking and Recovery Insights#

But if you learn to tolerate the bulky form factor while sleeping, the sleep tracking is extremely detailed. It measures sleep time and all the sleep stages (Core, Deep and REM) in an absolutely perfect way. The overnight health metrics serve as the basis for all new recovery features.

And now we get into the fun part. This is when sleep metrics start influencing the recovery metrics natively via the Readiness Score. If you would like to know more about the process of calculation of Readiness Score, please visit the Apple Watch Readiness Score algorithm explanation page. The point is, this score calculates the current state of your body based on your sleep, heart rate variability and recent exercise history.

The way that athletes could use the knowledge about recovery while planning their workouts is rather straightforward. For example, if you get up one morning and your Apple Watch Ultra 4 tells you that your Readiness Score is low, then it means that today is not the day for weightlifting, but rather walking and yoga. It will act as your personal trainer, holding you back from overworking yourself.

Other Health Monitoring Features#

In addition to fitness, it does have everything that wellness entails: an ECG, alerts for any irregular heart rate and body temperature reading. All these insights about your health can be very useful in terms of becoming aware of your state of health, however, one must distinguish wellness insights from a proper diagnosis.

Fitness Tracking: Is It Good Enough for Serious Athletes?#

We buy smartwatches so that we can train by wearing them. So, how does the Apple Watch Ultra 4 perform in real training conditions? Lets find this out.

Running, Cycling and Swimming Tracking#

For runners, there is a full range of metrics. Everything you need, mrunning pace, distance, cadence, stride length and vertical oscillation, you will see right on your wrist. As for me, the responsiveness of pacing is amazing. When it comes to cycling workout tracking, things work well too, especially since now you can push your cycling metrics to your iPhone, turning it into your bike computer.

The accuracy of swimming metrics and stroke recognition is also amazing. Your Apple Watch knows when you change your stroke from freestyle to breaststroke. Multisport and triathlon workout are also available, you can move from one activity to another just by pressing the Action Button, as you would expect.

Training Load and Workout Analysis#

Apple has definitely raised the bar with Training Load and workout intensity analysis. Based on your workout history and trends, your watch will notify you whether your current training load contributes to your development or puts you at risk of an injury.

It is crucial to monitor changes in your training volume as an athlete. This is easily done with the help of the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Yet, when assessing the value of the above metrics for structured training, I have to be brutally frank. The comparison with Garmin’s training metrics shows that Apple is catching up to Garmin here. Garmin provides detailed data on your aerobic and anaerobic benefits and even exact recovery time in hours.

Workout Customisation and Sports-Specific Features#

Custom workouts and training periods can be created right from the watch, which is really amazing. Defining heart rate zones when you train makes sure that you stay in the fat burning Zone 2 if that is your aim. The views of your workouts and performance are very customizable, allowing you to look at whatever you wish on the watch display.

This smartwatch supports dozens of various types of activities. However, there are some constraints for athletes who train using advanced training programs. For those who use third-party apps such as TrainingPeaks, they would have to use third-party applications for syncing their workouts with the watch. The native system works perfectly for the 90%, while the top 10% might have some restrictions.

GPS and Outdoor Navigation: Can It Handle Adventure?#

If going off the grid is your thing, then navigation is a must. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 comes with dual-frequency GPS technology, which can be linked to L1 and L5 satellite bands. During my test of the watch while on a very dense trail filled with ravines, I experienced excellent GPS technology that located me almost immediately and tracked me perfectly without any cuts in my map.

It works excellently with cases like hiking, trail running and cycling. The safety features, such as the siren and satellite communication capability (if available), are outstanding features that give you the assurance of safety when away from cellular service.

However, there is one major shortcoming here. It has poor navigation and offline-mapping capabilities when compared to other watches specifically designed for outdoor activities. Maps can be downloaded for offline use, but the experience isn’t as smooth as that on advanced adventure watches since you won’t get fully routable topographical maps. In case you are lost, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be helpful in leading you back to where you come from, but it won’t reroute you to another trail system automatically.

Battery Life: Is 50 Hours Enough for Endurance Athletes?#

Battery anxiety is terrible. Apple boasts of up to 50 hours of normal usage and an unbelievable 84 hours in Low Power Mode. In my tests, these numbers turned out to be pretty precise under typical circumstances.

It turns out that the claim about long tracking of workouts is true. I tried it out during a four-hour hike with fully active GPS and cellular and spent just about 15-20% of battery life. Usage of GPS, cellular signal, and screen brightness affects battery life significantly, but the Ultra 4 takes care of its power consumption perfectly.

But is it enough? For most of people, yes. Charging it every two or three days is easily manageable. But can multi-day races or treks in the wilderness justify a different Garmin smartwatch? If you participate in a 100 miles ultra marathon or go for a 5-day backcountry camping without a portable battery pack, 50 hours is not quite enough.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Garmin: Which Is Better for Athletes?#

In terms of iPhone integration, intuitive app performance, intelligent notifications, and ease of use, Apple beats Garmin hands down. It’s all about a smartwatch. Garmin, however, focuses on training details, sport-specific data analytics, and far greater battery life.

These, along with recovery and activity specifics, will be the determining factors in your choice. The reason why one is better for the other comes down to simple logic: if you are a triathlete who just wants to know split times and press your watch once a month, Garmin is the clear winner. If you are looking for a durable watch that can also make a business call while you are walking on a trail, Apple is clearly superior.

Who Should Buy Apple Watch Ultra 4 #

You should buy Apple watch ultra 4 if:

• You use an iPhone and wish to purchase a luxury smartwatch.
• You love exercising or doing activities such as running, hiking, biking, swimming or diving.
• You require in-depth information on your workouts and recovery.
• You desire increased battery life.
• You appreciate durability and high-end technology for navigation and safety.

Who Should Avoid Apple Watch Ultra 4 #

You should avoid Apple watch ultra 4 if:

• You do not require all the advanced fitness tracking capabilities.
• You prefer a more compact smartwatch.
• You require sports watch-specific training data analysis.
• You are outdoors for days and you need extended battery life.
• You are not ready to pay $799 for the capabilities you will rarely use.

Wrap Up#

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is a strong choice if you want a smartwatch that can keep up with your workouts and outdoor adventures. I like the combination of fitness tracking, health insights and rugged design, but its premium price and large size may not work for everyone. Ultimately, it comes down to how much you will actually use its features. Still exploring your options? See our guide to the best smartwatches to find one that fits your needs.