Apple unveils the new Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra

Apple held its September event today where it showed off the Apple Watch Series 8, the new Apple Watch SE, and the Apple Watch Ultra. The most interesting addition is the Apple Watch Ultra, which brings a whole new category to the Apple Watch line-up. The new $799 timepiece is aimed squarely at those looking for an adventure with its more advanced features and rugged design.

In the keynote, Apple highlighted some cool features available on the Apple Watch Ultra. Notable was the compass, which allows adventurers to set waypoints and also backtrack based on their GPS data. If you are out in the wilderness with few landmark features, it can be hard to figure out how to get back to where you started. With Apple Watch Ultra, you can set GPS waypoints and get a path to show you how to return to those points.

To ensure you have waypoints available at all times, the Apple Watch Ultra packs a bigger battery, capable of 36 hours of normal use. Using a low-power setting, you can extend the battery life to 60 hours. Apple will be releasing this premium watch with three new bands suitable for the outdoors – Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band.

Discussing the new Apple Watch Ultra, Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said:

“Inspired by explorers and athletes from around the world, we created an entirely new category of Apple Watch designed for new and extreme environments — it’s the most rugged and capable Apple Watch yet. Apple Watch Ultra is a versatile tool that empowers users to push their boundaries with adventure, endurance, and exploration.”

The Apple Watch Ultra is great for divers as it can be used underwater as deep as 40 metres and comes with an app called Oceanic+ which turns the watch into a dive computer. It provides dive planning, metrics, visual and haptic alerts, ascent ratio, and more. A dive logbook in the app will also sync to your iPhone automatically.

On both the Ultra and Series 8, Apple showed off Cycle Tracking, which uses temperature sensing to provide improved period predictions. If the software notices a deviation in the user’s cycle, it will notify the user, as it could be a sign of a health condition. Additionally, these devices come with Crash Detection, which will call emergency services automatically with your location if you don’t respond within 10 seconds. Details are also shared with an emergency contact.

Pre-orders open today, with availability in stores beginning on September 23 for the Ultra and September 16 for the other two watches. Those who purchase one of the watches will receive three months of Apple Fitness+. Prices for the Apple Watch SE start at $249, the Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399, and the Apple Watch Ultra starts at $799.

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Apple unveils the new Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra