While I would like to say I have been a “longtime” Apple Watch user, it has only been a few years… well, since the Series 3, which was my first dive into the world of Apple Watches.
I was never much for watches, and the last thing I wanted was another accessory I had to put on in the morning, charge, care for, etc. Still, I figured back then why not, as the analytics alone were interesting to me, enough so that eating the cost of the watch seemed worth it to me.
Fast forward to the present day, I couldn’t imagine not having my Apple Watch. I drank the Kool-Aid and told others they should check out an Apple Watch, even if they are not big watch wearers. I went from a Series 3, which served me well, to a Series 6 as they upgraded the processor and increased the battery life and some other aspects, such as better water resistance.
The Series 6 served me well until one day; I somehow scratched the screen dead center in the middle. While the watch’s functionality remained, it was always an annoying reminder of me smacking my wrist against the corner of something sharp; again, no functionality was hindered by this; it was simply cosmetic.
I debated for a while on upgrading to a newer model, but there was never much reason outside of the scratch on the screen until I spoke with Brian about it the other night. And while he certainly was not the deciding factor on upgrading, he mentioned some good points, mainly the battery life and one of the new bands that come with the Apple Watch Ultra. While I could have probably gotten away with a Series 8 or an SE, I was drawn to the Ultra because of the battery, the better screen, and the slight design change.
So far, the watch has been great; the battery life is impressive as I can go an entire day wearing it, then wear it to bed, and when I wake up, I still have 90%+ left on the battery. I still want to charge it anytime I am sitting when it’s not in use; this is mainly out of habit, and I do not ever want to be caught with a dead device though I think I would be fine skipping a charge here or there.
The brighter and larger screen is much more welcoming than the smaller Series 6 that I had previously, and alerts and applications certainly look more vibrant and clear.