Apple has launched the Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8 and SE in India. The Apple Watch Ultra is a rugged smartwatch designed to withstand extreme conditions with features that are meant to help athletes, extreme sports, water sports and in outdoor adventures. It has a titanium build and the Retina display is surrounded by sapphire glass. Apple has also introduced three new bands, each serving unique purposes for athletes, marathon runners, outdoor enthusiasts, water sports enthusiasts and more. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 8 shares most of its features with the Watch Ultra and gets a bigger display, temperature sensors, crash detection and low power mode. As for the Apple Watch SE, it offers the essential Apple Watch experience with a redesigned back case that makes it lightweight and the new S8 dual-core processor that also powers the Ultra and Series 8. All three smartwatches run on watchOS 9.
Apple Watch Ultra is priced at ₹89,900 in India with pre-orders starting later today and sales commencing from September 23.
The Apple Watch Ultra features a 49mm titanium case with a sapphire glass coated Retina display which Apple claims go upto 2000 nits of brightness. There’s a new Action button which gives easier access to modes such as workouts, compass waypoints and more. The Watch Ultra has three microphones which work in tandem with beamforming algorithms to reduce ambient noise and improve call clarity.
Being a rugged smartwatch, it is MIL-STD-810H certified making it withstand temperatures from -20° C to 55° C in any range of extreme conditions. It’s also WR100 water resistant and is EN13319 certified which is a standard certification given to devices used by sea divers.
Apple has also introduced three new bands designed for the Watch Ultra that each serves unique purposes. There’s the Trail Loop band which has a soft woven texture, the Alpine Loop band which uses a titanium G-hook fastener and the Ocean band with spring loaded loop and a titanium buckle.
The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at ₹45,900 in India and will go on sale on September 16 in India. The Apple Watch Series 8 is available in multiple colours and cases.
The aluminium 41mm case with sport band variant is priced at ₹45,900 (GPS) and ₹55,900 (GPS+Cellular), and ₹48,900 (GPS) and ₹58,900 (GPS+Cellular) for the 45mm case.
The stainless steel 41mm case is priced at ₹74,900 (GPS+Cellular) while the 45mm case is priced at ₹79,900 (GPS+Cellular). Additionally, the stainless steel 41mm case with Milanese Loop band is priced at ₹79,900 (GPS+Cellular) while the 45mm case size is priced at ₹84,900 (GPS+Cellular).
The Apple Watch Series 8 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes in aluminium and stainless steel finishes. It features a new temperature sensor that keeps a track of body temperature via two built-in sensors. There’s a crash detection feature that Apple hopes its users never have to use but it utilises the gyroscope and accelerometer to detect and dial emergency services. Apple has also introduced a low power mode which it claims allows the Series 8 to last for over 36 hours at the cost of some features being unavailable for the duration.
The Apple Watch SE is priced starting at ₹29,900 for the 40mm case with GPS and ₹34,900 for GPS+Cellular connectivity. The 44mm case starts at ₹32,900 (GPS) and ₹37,900 (GPS+Cellular).
The Apple Watch SE offers the essential feature set that you’d expect from an Apple Watch. It’s powered by the same S8 processor which is also on the Ultra and Series 8 that Apple claims make it 20% faster than previous generations. It also gets the new crash detection feature and while it is the same design as the last time, the back case has been redesigned which makes it lighter than before.