I traded in my iPhone for an Apple Watch Ultra – here’s what happened
Normally, I don’t go anywhere without my iPhone. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on it to get me through the day. But while testing the new Apple Watch Ultra – Apple’s most unique smartwatch yet – I’m starting to realize it can do a lot more than my iPhone can do.
At $799, the Apple Watch Ultra is entry-level iPhone 14. So, can someone get by with the Apple Watch Ultra as their phone? Determined to find out, I gave up my iPhone for 24 hours and relied solely on a smartwatch with cellular support to stay connected.
After locking my iPhone, I embarked on a regular routine of errands and activities with my Apple Watch Ultra secured to my wrist. Here’s how it went.
Telecommunications
The Messages app is the biggest culprit in reporting my iPhone’s screen time. I’m constantly texting my friends and family, whether it’s making plans or keeping in touch with those who live far away. And while I’ve long used an Apple Watch to occasionally send text messages via dictation, not having my own iPhone means I can only send messages from my wrist.
Fortunately, the Apple Watch Ultra’s 49mm screen made it QWERTY keyboard more usable. Combined with a 45 mm Apple Watch Series 8the keyboard letters are the same size but spaced slightly apart, which makes it easier to type without errors.
However, I still can’t send texts as fast as I can with my iPhone, even with a combination of typing and voice-to-text. This encouraged me to make more phone calls than I normally would. Pairing my Apple Watch with AirPods Pro (2nd generation) delivered the best experience, but I also put the Apple Watch Ultra’s built-in speakers and microphones to the test. In order to truly replace my phone, the watch would have to be suitable for phone calls independently, after all.
I compared Apple Watch Series 8 against the call quality of the original Apple Watch Ultra by leaving voicemail messages through each smartwatch. Not only did the Apple Watch Ultra’s better speakers make it easier to hear the tone of the mailbox, but listening to the two recordings, the Ultra did a noticeably better job of filtering background noise through the microphones. Even though I placed the calls from a busy downtown area, my voice made it through the Ultra’s voicemail. On the Series 8, I could hear more wind and ambient noise.
Mobility
Whether it’s walking directions or subway information, I need help navigating New York City on a daily basis. I usually use Google Maps or Apple Maps on my iPhone to check my route options and get to my destination; With just the Apple Watch Ultra, I’m afraid I’ll end up lost.
However, when I wanted to find the nearest Best Buy to pick up a new SD card for my camera (since I didn’t have an iPhone to take pictures with, obviously), the watchOS version of Apple Maps worked better than I expected. He let me look up the store’s website and then led me there with step-by-step directions. Helpful touches on my wrist warn me when I need to make a move.
My next stop, Central Park, told me to take the subway. The Apple Watch Ultra took me to the correct subway station, told me which train to get on, and even told me how far away the next train was. Once I got on the train, she alerted me to one of the stations ahead of me where I needed to get off, and that I had to get ready to get off. As someone who’s missed my station before, I found this feature very useful.
Once I got on the train, she alerted me to one of the stations ahead of me where I needed to get off, and that I had to get ready to get off. As someone who’s missed my station before, I found this feature very useful.
But she was also on the train when I first missed my phone. I like doing a New York Times crossword puzzle or checking emails on my commute. If I had planned better, I might have brought a book; Instead, I resort to listening to an Apple Fitness Plus audio meditation downloaded into the Mindfulness app on my Apple Watch.
payments
I used to buy my SD card and pay my subway fare Apple Pay via NFC on Apple Watch Ultra. Checking out at Best Buy felt a lot like checking out with my own Apple Pay on my iPhone – I raised my wrist to the POS terminal, and double-clicked the side button (not the Ultra’s third action button) to confirm payment with Apple Card.
For the subway, I set up Express transit payment on my Apple Watch. In markets where mobile payments are supported, Quick Transfer allows you to tap your mobile device on the platform to pay the fare. I use this feature through OMNY New York on my iPhone almost every day, but I hadn’t tried it with an Apple Watch before this challenge. No wonder, it’s that simple.
Apple Cash is the last method I tested paying with Apple Watch Ultra. I usually prefer Venmo or Zelle for peer-to-peer payments, but I didn’t either Apple Watch apps. So, when it came time to pay my friend my share of the dinner bill, I opened up my text chat with them and used my list of text apps to send them money with Apple Cash.
safety
Coming home from dinner in the dark without my iPhone gave me a little anxiety. The journey back to my apartment wasn’t particularly precarious, but as a woman in a big city, my personal safety is always a priority. In an ideal world, I could walk home without fear, but the Apple Watch Ultra provides some peace of mind in the meantime.
In an ideal world, I could walk home without fear, but the Apple Watch Ultra provides some peace of mind in the meantime.
One of the exclusive features of the Apple Watch Ultra is a built-in siren that sounds an alarm at 86dB. It seems to be heard up to 180 meters away. Even knowing How to use your Apple Watch In an emergency, this siren provides a way to call attention to a dangerous situation. While the alert seems meant for wildlife, it’s something I’m happy to have in the big city. In fact, if I got lost in a remote area, I’d rather have a iPhone 14 emergency SOS via satellite A feature of the Apple Watch Ultra alarm.
Health and fitness tracking
On the second day without my iPhone, I woke up to my Apple Watch Ultra alarm clock banging my wrist. Then I checked if he took care of the overnight business. My sleep tracking data was populated quickly, and compared to the data from Aura ring And the Amazon Halo Rise (What can I say? I love the sleep tracking technology), my overview was checked. Ultra also contains Apple Watch skin temperature sensorwhich is the best app for ovulation prediction and cycle tracking, but it can also detect deviations for sleep tracking.
As soon as I got out of bed, I put on my gym clothes to work out and make some progress in Apple Watch rings. These days, I’m using a Lululemon Studio Mirror, but I can’t find or start classes without my iPhone. I suppose I could have installed the companion app on my iPad, but that seems very much in the spirit of the challenge.
I settled on a short walk on the treadmill. I even tried Time to Run on Apple Fitness Plus for the first time, enjoying some vintage hip-hop while listening to running coach Corey give a history lesson in Savannah, Georgia. The best part? My gym machines are GymKit-equipped, so my Apple Watch metrics are conveniently mirrored on the treadmill screen.
Since the Apple Watch is such a full-featured fitness tracker, I can’t say I missed the iPhone for that much exercise. I take studio classes from time to time, and it’s usually frowned upon to have your phone with you anyway. I also now know that if I can run outdoors, cycle, or walk, I can leave my phone behind. Apple Watch has new running features that make it even better equipped for training, too.
battery life
While the iPhone 14 lasted an unremarkable 9 hours and 28 minutes In our latest battery testApple Watch Ultra is rated for 18 hours of battery life with continuous LTE use — nearly twice that. In my experience, the appreciation of the Apple Watch comes true. When I woke up the morning of the second day of the challenge, nearly 18 hours since I turned off my iPhone and locked it away, my battery life had dropped from 100% to 8%.
If I want the Apple Watch Ultra’s battery life to last up to 60 hours as estimated with Low Power Mode on, I’m going to need to be more mindful about the features I’m using.
The Apple Watch Ultra usually lasts for about two days after being fully charged, which makes The best Apple Watch So far in terms of battery life. But frequent use of GPS, LTE phone calls, and activity tracking data took a toll on the watch’s stamina. I enabled the Apple Watch’s Low Power Mode at dinner, because I didn’t need my watch for anything during the meal, but it didn’t make much difference when I only used it for an hour. if you want Apple Watch Ultra battery life To last up to 60 hours as estimated with Low Power Mode, I’ll need to be more mindful about which features I’m using.
I ended up charging my Apple Watch Ultra in the morning before working out. After about 20 minutes, I knew I would have enough juice to finish the challenge.
Replacing My iPhone for an Apple Watch Ultra: Would I Do It Again?
At the end of 24 hours, I retrieved my iPhone from the locked safe in my office. But to my surprise, I wasn’t thrilled at the reunion of my smartphone and the torrent of missed notifications. You managed well during this challenge. I will go so far as to say that I appreciate the break. I’m sure I checked my watch more than usual, but not as often as I normally would. Less screen time, in my opinion, is a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong, there are so many things I can’t do with my iPhone. I was unable to upload any videos to Tom’s Guide to TikTok Account (Opens in a new tab) Or view any of my friends’ Instagram stories. I couldn’t scan the menu QR code at the restaurant I went to for dinner, nor could I get distracted during my commute. I also couldn’t take any photos if I didn’t have a mirrorless camera with me. I suppose something like this wrist camera It could be a solution — it’s an innovative Apple Watch band with built-in, dual-face cameras — but it costs $299, which makes it somewhat pricey when paired with the Apple Watch Ultra.
So even with a longer battery life, larger screen, and LTE network, the Apple Watch Ultra isn’t an iPhone. However, this challenge showed me just how many things it does like a smartphone. In some use cases, I think the Apple Watch may be better than the iPhone. At the very least, the Apple Watch Ultra is the closest thing to an iPhone replacement I’ve ever seen.
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