[shankar.balan]

A full nights sleep with sleep tracker on and everything. And it seems there is still 37% battery juice left. Let us see how long this 37% lasts.

[shankar.balan]

Update:
The Ultra has been on throughout and I have been receiving all sorts of notifications and whatsapp messages etc. Ive even replied to a few of those right from the watch. This is done through an app called Watch Chat. Otherwise all location services and everything else is on.
The watch got to 10% battery around half an hour ago and I got a small vibration and a notification saying it is down and would I like to turn on Low Power Mode. So I did turn it on just about 10
minutes ago. I am now going for a walk and back. And will keep the phone on as long as the battery lasts. Let me see how long that actually is. Right now it has been on for about 34 hours.

[shankar.balan]

Here is the next update:
My Ultra has now seen 36 hours or so of straight use through all the normal activities of life. As described in earlier posts. And the battery is down to 3% as can be seen.
Its pretty ok as per my standards.
Anyway this is the first cycle of testing.
I will charge it up now to 100% and try doing this all over again to see what happens.
Not at all bad considering their tested and published claims!

[RoadGlide]

After switching to iOS after 9 years last year, I wanted to try the watch and got myself the Watch Series 8. Loving it so far and looking forward to using it more. I can definitely say I am more impressed with the watch than the phone.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by RoadGlide

After switching to iOS after 9 years last year, I wanted to try the watch and got myself the Watch Series 8. Loving it so far and looking forward to using it more. I can definitely say I am more impressed with the watch than the phone.

The devil is in the details RoadGlide. Please post your observations (with photographs) on the watch, why you are more impressed with the watch than the phone and lastly how do you find iOS since you switched after 9 years on the other side.

Cheers

[shankar.balan]

A further update on the Apple Watch Ultra over-the last 37 - 38 hours or so.

Yesterday, Tuesday 25 Oct at 0503hrs I put on the Apple Watch Ultra when it was 100% charged. I used it as normal through the day with all my activities etc. Slept wearing it through the night last night. Awoke this morning and checked the battery which showed 47%. Did all the usual morning exercise, walk and all. Then since I had a game of golf planned at 1100hrs today I switched the Ultra into low power mode at 10 am and went off to play. Finished the game and hanging out with my friends and all. Came back to my home area and did a bit of shopping too. Then came home at 1730 and saw the battery was now down to 24%. I switched it back away from low power mode at about 1815. Throughout this cycle of usage, the watch has kept receiving calls, sms, whatsapp notifications and monitoring all the physical activity etc. None of these features was switched off. Yes I did use it today for about 8 hours on low power mode. It is now showing 22% at 1845 hrs. Let me see now if the watch battery lasts all night of tonight Wednesday 26 October or not. If it does, then I will update accordingly. If it does last, it will mean 48 hours of usage in a combination of full power for about 38 hours and low power for about 10 hours. But let’s see!

[shankar.balan]

So then last night prior to sleep I looked and saw the power was reducing. It had reached 19%. Overcome by a panic-filled bout of severe ‘range anxiety’, I decided to switch it onto low power mode at about 8pm.

Upon checking the phone again at 0500 hrs this morning after using all the sleep tracker functions and all, it still showed 12% after having been on low power all night.

Now this morning after my walk and exercise and so on, it has finally come down to 8%. Which means effectively that I have squeezed out and extracted another 11 odd hours of use.

A total of around 50 -51 hours with multiple activity streams during the cycle of usage and in a combination of full power and low power modes.

Yes I do agree that I didn’t climb a mountain or run a marathon or dive to the bottom of the ocean or do an Ironman triathlon or anything in this time. (But then in the same breath I could have done an enjoyment plus endurance drive in my car in this time. 50 hours on a Quadrangular - Bangalore-Coorg-Ooty-Coimbatore-Bangalore or something like that, and could left my watch charger at home for this.)

So this is overall, according to me, a pretty satisfying experiment and indisputably proves the claims about significantly enhanced battery life, as published by Apple.

Other than these virtues, of course the Ultra itself feels strong, solid and rugged, yet light enough, functional enough and powerful enough, so that one can literally and fearlessly use it day in and day out, all day and every-day across almost all the spheres of daily activity of varying intensities and in varying conditions too.

The best thing is that with the smart and judicious use of full power and low power modes, one can overcome one’s typical fears and the inevitable ‘range anxiety’ as well, which most of us as Apple Watch / Smartwatch/ rechargeable-wearable users, are prone to feeling from time to time.

Finally it sits on its charger at 0733 today. It has 7% charge left at this moment.

Truly then, this Apple Watch Ultra is richly deserving of the titles and honorifics that I have decided to bestow upon it;

The Jeep or Land Rover or Swiss Army Knife of Watches - A proper go-anywhere, do-anything at any-time product.

(To dispel any doubts that there may be, the attached photographs show the various time stamps, as proof)

[smnrock]

Any reason to keep wifi ON in cellular model? I think it can be safely turned OFF and it helps in increased battery life.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by smnrock

Any reason to keep wifi ON in cellular model? I think it can be safely turned OFF and it helps in increased battery life.

Wifi calling is always on in the phone too. Because it helps a lot in not losing mobile signal in weak mobile 4G/ LTEsignal areas but where there is wi fi, like in my house.

So I may also surmise that the difference in battery life gets off set by the better availability of signal/ wi fi calling facility that becomes available.

[Vasuki]

Originally Posted by deoelect

Not that rare I'm on the Android ecosystem but bought the Galaxy watch cellular for the same reason. When I step outside for a walk/run, all I have is my watch and headphones. I can use the watch for calls, streaming music/podcasts and payments. No need to carry a phone.

Originally Posted by Axe77

I was going to clarify that its actually not that rare. I had another triathlete friend - an iPhone and Garmin watch user who bought an Apple Watch partly as a formal watch but the cellular version for exactly the same reason as deoelect and I mentioned. I know there are some others as well who use the Apple Watch in the same way while outdoor for long hours.

Planning to go for a Series 8. Should I go for a cellular or GPS only model?

Noob question : Also in cellular, is the calling number, same as your iPhone or the iPhone & watch have different numbers.

Originally Posted by dragonfire

Sorry if this has been discussed before here, but can we have the same mobile number configured on both the phone and the watch? I don't want to get a different number for the watch. But I should be able to take calls even if I just have the watch with me for some reason.

Sounds stupid to me, but is it possible?

Exactly my query. Did not see the answer to the particular question. Can we use the watch stand-alone with the same number?

[INJAXN]

Originally Posted by Vasuki

Planning to go for a Series 8. Should I go for a cellular or GPS only model?

Cellular is useful if you want to leave your phone behind. These day it is difficult to leave your phone at home as it has Paytm/Gpay which are not supported on apple watch as of now.

I have a cellular watch, and now I do not take my phone for walks, as I can stream music and take calls from the watch itself. It is a good to have feature and certainly not a important one, IMO.

Noob question : Also in cellular, is the calling number, same as your iPhone or the iPhone & watch have different numbers.

Yes, you can have the same phone number. When watch and phone are connected, watch uses phone's cellular functionalities, and when you don't have your phone, then only watch automatically enables its own cellular functions.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Vasuki

Planning to go for a Series 8. Should I go for a cellular or GPS only model?

Noob question : Also in cellular, is the calling number, same as your iPhone or the iPhone & watch have different numbers.



Exactly my query. Did not see the answer to the particular question. Can we use the watch stand-alone with the same number?

Yes. The iPhone is paired to the Watch. The phone number is enabled on the watch using the mobile configuration. Both the phone and watch hold the same number. The cellular version of the watch is very good. Very handy. Dont need to carry the phone at all. Last week I left my phone at home and played golf all day wearing my watch and I got all the phone calls and whatsapp notifications on the watch. Whatsapp calls however will not work on the watch. Whatsapp messages come on to the watch only with an app called watchchat.

The only (naughty) question that I had was- suppose I go abroad and leave my iPhone at home. And wear only my Cellular enabled watch which is paired with that iPhone which I left at home. In this case, since the phone is at home, does it still classify as International Roaming and will I be charged accordingly or not?

[dragonfire]

My first rendezvous with the Apple watch ended in like 15 minutes. I ordered an 8 series 41mm from Amazon when they dropped the price by a few thousand dollars. I went with the 41mm after watching a few video reviews suggesting that it is the most comfortable for medium sized hands.

Now I find it too small - kind of toy-like. Immediately erased it, and set it up with my wife's phone. Her hands are small, so it looks fine for her.

Next time I plan to go to a store and try it before buying. I have a mind to get the ultra but it is too expensive. Or I should ask somebody to bring it from the US.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Vasuki

Planning to go for a Series 8. Should I go for a cellular or GPS only model?

Is the calling number, same as your iPhone or the iPhone & watch have different numbers.

I would suggest going with the cellular version. And the number will be the same as the number you have in your iPhone (that is paired with the watch).

Originally Posted by dragonfire

My first rendezvous with the Apple watch ended in like 15 minutes.

Now I find it too small - kind of toy-like. Immediately erased it, and set it up with my wife's phone. Her hands are small, so it looks fine for her.

The 41mm is too small and strictly for those with really thin wrists (or someone who prefers small watches). My wife got the SE in 41mm and she absolutely loves the fit.

A 45mm Series 8 will be ideal for you, especially if entering the Apple Watch space for the first time. I am totally sold on the Ultra, but just make sure to try it before buying. It's chunky and feels really big on the wrist.

When tried the Ultra a couple of days back

[ajayc123]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The only (naughty) question that I had was- suppose I go abroad and leave my iPhone at home. And wear only my Cellular enabled watch which is paired with that iPhone which I left at home. In this case, since the phone is at home, does it still classify as International Roaming and will I be charged accordingly or not?

Very interesting observation. Do let us know if you find out.

Just curious, what kind of typing interface is there? Is there some kind of soft keyboard or can it be paired with a bluetooth keyboard.

For example, phone is used for shopping, emails, banking, messaging, content consumption (youtube, browser etc), what all can be done in the ultra watch?

And for phone calls from the watch, does it have mike and speakers, or do you need to connect bluetooth headset?