Until the Apple Watch Ultra arrived, rugged smartwatches mostly flew below the radar. While the regular Apple Watch, along with rivals from Samsung and the new Google Pixel Watch, commanded most of the smartwatch limelight, others quietly took the path less trodden.
Made by the likes of Garmin, Mobvoi and Polar, rugged smartwatches are larger and tougher than those most are familiar with. They cost more too, but justifying this outlay with a battery life measured in days instead of hours, tougher cases, solar panels and advanced mapping capabilities.
The rugged smartwatch market was, until this year, a place avoided by the biggest technology companies. While they wowed with ECG apps and fall detection, Garmin and the like produced watches with gradient data for climbers, trail info for mountain bikers and apps to help off-piste skiers stay safe. Then Apple came along with the titanium-clad Watch Ultra, hungry for a slice of the pie.
Has the Apple Watch Ultra set a new benchmark for rugged smartwatches, or are incumbents like the Garmin Enduro 2 and Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra still a better option? We’ve put them to the test to find out.
