Apple Watch Ultra 4 In-Depth Review: As Good As the Hype?

TL;DR

• The payoff to last week's two hands-on videos: DC Rainmaker's full in-depth Ultra 4 review after swim/bike/run/row/track testing against a Polar H10 chest strap, published the day before the watch ships. Bottom line on the sensor: "this new heart rate sensor is very accurate thus far in my testing" — genuinely excellent plots even in the hard cases (outdoor road cycling vibration, rowing hand motion) — with the caveat that cold weather, where optical HR actually struggles, hasn't been tested yet (he lives somewhere hot; Apple's own study sites were California and Malaysia).
• The methodology exposé is the story. Apple's "every 5 seconds" is an average across the workout, not a cadence: the watch writes a data point only when an internal quality bar says the reading is confident enough, and writes nothing otherwise — gaps of 11, 12, 14, 18, 20, even ~40 seconds appear in his files (frame_0057 shows the annotated gaps). Apple confirmed the study only grades the values it chose to list, so every low-confidence stretch — where the watch was implicitly wrong — is excluded from scoring, while competitors plot every second and get graded on all of it. His analogy: leave a test answer blank and the proctor counts blanks as correct. "Okay, Apple."
• Readiness score: right idea, buggy execution. His real 24 hours: woke at 7 "Ready" → 5 after a mountain ride → 3 "Pace yourself" after a hard track workout — "relatively in the ballpark of how I felt." But scores sometimes fail to appear for minutes or hours, and the Ultra 4 and Series 12 disagree on timing (one updated instantly post-workout, the other took hours). Baselines run up to 49 days; no score until 7 nights × 4+ hours of sleep. Contrast case: on barely 5 hours of sleep Garmin scored him 1/100 while Apple said 2 — because Apple's baseline had already absorbed a week of wonky sleep.
• Daytime HRV is more caveated than the launch coverage suggested: values are computed in hour-long time slices from 2 hours after waking, movement excluded, and each slice needs its own 7 days of clean data — with his sporadic training schedule he still has no trend line, and he's not sure what to do with the numbers anyway ("daytime HRV is incredibly variable"; Huawei did something similar a year ago). Apple feeds it into readiness rather than a stress score like everyone else.
• Rest of the report card: GPS fine (GLONASS removed like Garmin's Fenix 9, no accuracy impact; Ultra 4's multiband clearly beats the Series 12; the Fenix 9 still beats the Ultra 4 — "exactly where I went versus kind of where I went"); 50-hour battery claim holds in testing even with GPS workouts; audio intelligence splits into now (on-watch sound recognition, instant Shazam via always-on listening) and later-2026 (Live Rewind, Siri recap — with his privacy concern now extended to bystanders who don't know his watch is summarizing them).
• Purchase advice: strong upgrade from an Ultra 1 (which doesn't get watchOS 27); from an Ultra 3, skip unless you specifically want readiness/HRV or the eventual audio features — the case, display, and externals are identical. Series 12 review in a few days.

Key moments

• [00:01] Cold open, review posture — Ultra 4 held to camera showing a readiness score of 2 "Pace Yourself" (frame_0001); testing summary up front: swimming, cycling, running, "you name it."
• [00:29] What didn't change — case, external design, and display are identical to the Ultra 3 (frame_0017 shows them side-by-side); same two case colors; the changes are the sensor and internals.
• [01:40] Sensor hardware recap — electrodes +24% surface area in the petal pattern (ECG), double the photodiodes in a circular layout, new LED array with color types isolated so daytime readings use green instead of just infrared (frame_0009, frame_0019 macro shots).
• [02:27] Sampling jump in context — 5-minute → 5-second background HR is 60x, but "most of the rest of the industry is actually closer to every 1 to 2 seconds"; HRV every 5 minutes vs competitors' every minute or two all night.
• [03:28] HRV field guide — his HRV drops about a day before he gets sick and stays depressed after; confounded by caffeine, jet lag, drugs, sleep, and hard workouts ("run a marathon and your HRV numbers are likely to plummet").
• [04:20] Daytime HRV, the fine print — hourly time-slice windows from 2h after waking, movement excluded, 7 days of clean data required per slice; with his sporadic schedule the baseline never completes (frame_0063 shows the Recovery HRV phone screens, RMSSD noted in the description text), and the HRV widget still reads "Needs More Data" (frame_0069).
• [05:56] Readiness explained — 0-10 plus four descriptors mapped 0-1 Recover / 2-4 Pace Yourself / 5-7 Ready / 8-10 Go For It (frame_0078 shows the category chart); inputs are activity rings, workouts, sleep, vitals incl. HRV; no score until 7 nights; baseline up to 49 days (vs 7-19 nights typical industry seeding).
• [06:54] His actual 24 hours — 7 "Ready" on waking → 5 after a two-hour mountain ride with his wife → 3 after a hard evening track workout (frame_0059 shows the dusk track session); "relatively in the ballpark of how I felt," with a full scores comparison promised down the road.
• [08:03] The Garmin-vs-Apple divergence — on ~5 hours of sleep: Garmin readiness 1/100, Apple 2 "Pace yourself" — Apple's baseline had already normalized his wonky week. Verdict: "Apple's on the right track here… The only real quibbles I have with it is it is super buggy" — scores absent for minutes-to-hours, Ultra 4 and Series 12 updating out of sync.
• [09:15] The study on its face — nine pages, 1,300+ participants double-wristing devices, comparisons vs Garmin Forerunner 970, Pixel Watch 4, Huawei Watch 5, Oura Ring, Whoop; good device cross-section, huge dataset — but not peer-reviewed and no raw data published.
• [10:11] The buried disclosure — the study's own footnote: readings are "a single value, not an average, reported every 5 seconds." Through conversations he established the real behavior: Apple records a point only when an internal quality bar is met, averaging out to 5-second reporting across a workout — sometimes 1-second, sometimes nothing for 20 seconds.
• [11:34] The grading trick — Apple confirmed the study compares only the values Apple listed against the Polar H10 baseline. Low-confidence periods — where the watch was implicitly wrong — simply aren't scored: "instead of docking them points for having the answer missing or wrong, the test proctor said, 'Oh, if there's no answer there, we will consider that right.' Okay, Apple."
• [13:01] His data, workout by workout — trail run: excellent, one 11-second Series 12 gap; Peloton intervals: very good, but the display only updates every 5 seconds regardless of sampling, so it lags interval peaks (a 12-second Ultra 4 gap at one top); outdoor road ride: "really, really good… one of the hardest things" but gaps of 14, 18, and 20 seconds annotated in the DCR Analyzer (frame_0057); intervals: 5-second Ultra 4 gap, Series 12 reading low; rowing: "really good stuff" for a tough hand motion, still gapped; track: strong overall but one ~40-second stretch 5-7 bpm high at an interval peak — "the same sort of thing in the study that would have put any other wearable at the very bottom of the chart."
• [16:19] GPS — GLONASS constellation removed (as Garmin did on the Fenix 9), no accuracy impact seen; neighborhood loops, mountain switchbacks, and trail runs all basically on the road; Ultra 4 multiband visibly beats the single-band Series 12; Fenix 9 still the reference: "exactly where I went versus… kind of where I went."
• [17:35] Battery + ultra verdict — 50-hour claim holding true with GPS activities in the mix; Extended/Max Extended modes now reachable from the sport profile; he's done 14-15-hour mountain efforts on Apple Ultras — recording is a solved problem, navigation still "mostly falls apart" without third-party apps.
• [18:53] Deferred features — revamped Health app (VO2max standing test, lab import, Health Age) later this year, separate review promised; audio intelligence split: sound recognition + instant Shazam ship now (on-watch processing, signature-not-clip upload), Live Rewind + Siri recap later in 2026.
• [22:50] The bystander problem — new sharpening of the privacy concern: "everything I walk into, it's going to go ahead and summarize that conversation, even if they're not aware of the fact that I'm wearing an Apple Watch."
• [23:58] Verdict — very strong upgrade from Ultra 1 (excluded from watchOS 27); from an Ultra 3, "you might want to skip this year" unless readiness/HRV/audio matter to you; $799 unchanged, all old bands compatible (frame_0021 shows the new band lineup); Series 12 review in days.

Hook microscope (0-10s)

• Frames: 20 at 2 fps
• Word-level transcript (43 words):

  [  0.00s] So
  [  0.36s] this
  [  0.64s] is
  [  0.80s] the
  [  0.80s] brand
  [  1.00s] new
  [  1.10s] Apple
  [  1.38s] Watch
  [  1.54s] Ultra
  [  1.84s] 4
  [  2.66s] a
  [  2.66s] unit
  [  2.80s] I've
  [  2.98s] been
  [  2.98s] putting
  [  3.14s] through
  [  3.32s] its
  [  3.44s] paces
  [  3.80s] over
  [  4.10s] the
  [  4.10s] last
  [  4.32s] little
  [  4.56s] while
  [  4.84s] across
  [  5.20s] swimming
  [  6.06s] cycling
  [  6.22s] running
  [  6.56s] you
  [  6.64s] name
  [  6.78s] it
  [  7.02s] all
  [  7.14s] to
  [  7.34s] figure
  [  7.44s] out
  [  7.70s] where
  [  7.82s] it
  [  7.92s] works
  [  8.12s] well
  [  8.46s] and
  [  8.66s] where
  [  8.84s] it
  [  9.04s] falls
  [  9.28s] short

Product-first in-medias-res again, but this time framed as a verdict rather than a claim: the opening shot is the Ultra 4 held to the lens showing a lived-in readiness score — 2, "Pace Yourself," at 10:07 (frame_0001) — with Ray soft-focus behind it in his garage bike workshop, not at Apple Park. The spoken track stacks credibility markers in order: testing breadth first ("swimming, cycling, running, you name it"), the target claim second (Apple's "most accurate" assertion and its study), his own program third. The visible score of 2 is itself the review's thesis smuggled into the first frame: this is data from a week of real wear, not a demo unit.

Editorial profile

• Shots: 80
• Cuts/min: 3.26
• Mean shot length: 18.42s
• Median shot length: 3.92s
• Talking-head ratio: n/a (opencv not installed)

Classic DCR review grammar (3.3 cuts/min mean but heavy B-roll bursts): garage-workshop talking head as home base, macro sensor pans, his own multi-sport testing footage (road climbs with his wife, dusk track intervals, night rowing, snorkeling), DCR Analyzer chart pulls with annotated data-gap callouts, phone-screen HRV walkthroughs, and Apple keynote/study slides only where the argument needs a foil.

Quotable moments

• [02:20] "If you're finding this video useful, just simply watch it all the way through. That's the only thing the YouTube gods care about and we got to keep the YouTube gods happy."
• [10:13] "This data is a single value, not an average, reported every 5 seconds" — the study footnote that unravels the methodology.
• [12:24] "If this was a written test, every single time Apple wasn't sure about an answer… they just wouldn't put down the answer. And instead of docking them points, the test proctor said, 'Oh, if there's no answer there, we will consider that right.' Okay, Apple."
• [13:56] "For four of those 5 seconds during an interval, it's going to be wrong as the heart rate's going up and down." — on the display-side 5-second refresh.
• [15:55] "This new heart rate sensor is very accurate thus far in my testing."
• [17:28] "The Fenix 9 is exactly where I went versus the Ultra 4 is kind of where I went."
• [23:20] "Everything I walk into, it's going to go ahead and summarize that conversation, even if they're not aware of the fact that I'm wearing an Apple Watch."

Entities mentioned

• People: dc-rainmaker
• Companies: apple, Garmin, Google, Huawei, Oura, Whoop, Polar, Peloton, Concept2, Shazam, Hermès
• Tools / products: apple-watch (Ultra 4, Series 12, Ultra 3, Ultra 1), Polar H10, Garmin Fenix 9, Garmin Forerunner 970, Pixel Watch 4, Huawei Watch 5, DCR Analyzer, S11 chip (secure Exclave)
• Places: his home mountains/trails (hot climate, unnamed), California and Malaysia (Apple study sites)

Concepts surfaced

• quality-gated-data-omission: Apple's sensor writes a reading only above an internal confidence bar and writes nothing otherwise; the study then grades only the written values — so every low-confidence (implicitly wrong) period vanishes from the accuracy score while competitors get graded on every second. Selection bias formalized as methodology.
• manufacturer-study-skepticism: the study's genuine strengths (1,300+ participants, right competitor set, double-wristing) don't survive the grading asymmetry; not peer-reviewed, no raw data.
• reference-device-validation: Polar H10 chest strap as ground truth across trail running, Peloton, road cycling, intervals, rowing, and track — plus the cold-weather caveat: hot-climate testing (his, and Apple's California/Malaysia sites) hasn't yet stressed optical HR where it fails most.
• readiness-score: intraday dynamics confirmed working (7→5→3 through a real day) and the baseline-divergence case: Garmin 1/100 vs Apple 2 on the same bad night, because Apple's shorter/wonkier baseline had normalized his sleep debt. Buggy: scores absent minutes-to-hours, two same-sensor watches out of sync.
• time-sliced-daytime-hrv: Apple compares each daytime hour-window to its own historical average (movement excluded, 7 clean days per slice) to fight daytime HRV variability — circadian-rhythm-matching that collapses for anyone with an irregular schedule.
• green-led-background-sensing / full-fidelity-recording-reduced-display: both mechanisms from the hands-on confirmed in testing — and joined by a third display quirk: workout HR on-screen updates only every 5 seconds regardless of sampling rate.
• upgrade-ladder-advice: recommend by generation gap, not by product quality — strong from Ultra 1 (OS support cliff), skip from Ultra 3 (identical externals; only the sensor stack changed).

Transcript

Source: captions.

[00:02] So, this is the brand new Apple Watch Ultra 4. You know, I've been putting
[00:03] Ultra 4. You know, I've been putting through its paces over the last little
[00:05] through its paces over the last little while across swimming, cycling, running,
[00:07] while across swimming, cycling, running, you name it. All to figure out where it
[00:08] you name it. All to figure out where it works well and where it falls short. And
[00:10] works well and where it falls short. And in particular, I want to dive into all
[00:13] in particular, I want to dive into all the details around this new optical
[00:15] the details around this new optical heart rate sensor that Apple says is the
[00:16] heart rate sensor that Apple says is the most accurate heart rate sensing in a
[00:18] most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable, even releasing an entire study
[00:20] wearable, even releasing an entire study trying to support this claim. Now, in
[00:22] trying to support this claim. Now, in this video, I'm going to walk through
[00:23] this video, I'm going to walk through not just the accuracy of the heart rate
[00:25] not just the accuracy of the heart rate sensor, but also the other new features
[00:26] sensor, but also the other new features on this watch. With that, we'll just
[00:28] on this watch. With that, we'll just simply dive right into it. The very
[00:30] simply dive right into it. The very first thing to know about the Ultra 4 is
[00:31] first thing to know about the Ultra 4 is that the case and the external design is
[00:33] that the case and the external design is exactly the same as the Ultra 3 in the
[00:35] exactly the same as the Ultra 3 in the past. The same display specs, all that
[00:38] past. The same display specs, all that kind of stuff is the same. Instead, the
[00:40] kind of stuff is the same. Instead, the main changes are on the back right there
[00:42] main changes are on the back right there in that optical heart rate sensor as
[00:44] in that optical heart rate sensor as well as the internals, which we'll talk
[00:45] well as the internals, which we'll talk about in just a second. I will note the
[00:47] about in just a second. I will note the exact same two case color options are
[00:49] exact same two case color options are still there, that silverish color and
[00:51] still there, that silverish color and the black color, but there are a bunch
[00:52] the black color, but there are a bunch of new bands I'll get into a little
[00:54] of new bands I'll get into a little later on. So, let's talk about the new
[00:56] later on. So, let's talk about the new internals. The first thing though is it
[00:58] internals. The first thing though is it has a new S11 chipset which is basically
[01:00] has a new S11 chipset which is basically pulling from the A20 chipset on the new
[01:03] pulling from the A20 chipset on the new iPhones, especially when it comes to the
[01:05] iPhones, especially when it comes to the audio exclave that I'll talk about later
[01:07] audio exclave that I'll talk about later on and those new audio intelligence
[01:09] on and those new audio intelligence features. Beyond that piece there
[01:11] features. Beyond that piece there though, you won't really notice the new
[01:13] though, you won't really notice the new chipset in really any way, shape, or
[01:15] chipset in really any way, shape, or form. Instead, I want to talk about the
[01:16] form. Instead, I want to talk about the juiciness that is this new optical heart
[01:17] juiciness that is this new optical heart rate sensor on the back because there's
[01:19] rate sensor on the back because there's a bunch of changes there. Both hardware
[01:21] a bunch of changes there. Both hardware changes as well as software changes. And
[01:23] changes as well as software changes. And then, of course, there's the entire
[01:24] then, of course, there's the entire Apple study. And then finally, the thing
[01:26] Apple study. And then finally, the thing that really matters the most, my
[01:27] that really matters the most, my accuracy testing. I've been doing this
[01:29] accuracy testing. I've been doing this for like almost 20 plus years now, and
[01:31] for like almost 20 plus years now, and so I've got a pretty good idea of what
[01:32] so I've got a pretty good idea of what works well and what falls short. So when
[01:35] works well and what falls short. So when it comes to the optical heart rate
[01:36] it comes to the optical heart rate sensor on the back, there's three core
[01:38] sensor on the back, there's three core hardware changes. The very first one is
[01:40] hardware changes. The very first one is they've increased the electrodes. Uh 24%
[01:43] they've increased the electrodes. Uh 24% more surface area for the electrodes.
[01:44] more surface area for the electrodes. That's primarily useful for ECGs. The
[01:47] That's primarily useful for ECGs. The electrodes are that like pedal pattern
[01:48] electrodes are that like pedal pattern that you can kind of see there going all
[01:50] that you can kind of see there going all the way around it there. That's
[01:51] the way around it there. That's electrodes. Below that's a new photo
[01:53] electrodes. Below that's a new photo diodes. You can see that on the back of
[01:55] diodes. You can see that on the back of the watch itself. Used to be like these
[01:57] the watch itself. Used to be like these four little windows and now it's this
[01:58] four little windows and now it's this kind of little circular pattern instead
[02:00] kind of little circular pattern instead going around. This has double the number
[02:02] going around. This has double the number of photo dodes compared to the past. And
[02:04] of photo dodes compared to the past. And then finally, there's a new LED array.
[02:06] then finally, there's a new LED array. Now, part of this is to allow for better
[02:08] Now, part of this is to allow for better increased 24x7 heart rate background
[02:10] increased 24x7 heart rate background recordings. They've also isolated each
[02:12] recordings. They've also isolated each color type together as well, which they
[02:14] color type together as well, which they say should allow them to get better
[02:15] say should allow them to get better readings throughout the day by using the
[02:17] readings throughout the day by using the green LED as opposed to just the
[02:19] green LED as opposed to just the infrared. Okay. And a quick note, if
[02:20] infrared. Okay. And a quick note, if you're finding this video in useful,
[02:21] you're finding this video in useful, just simply watch it all the way
[02:23] just simply watch it all the way through. That's the only thing the
[02:24] through. That's the only thing the YouTube gods care about and we got to
[02:25] YouTube gods care about and we got to keep the YouTube gods happy. So, let's
[02:27] keep the YouTube gods happy. So, let's talk about the all day readings first.
[02:29] talk about the all day readings first. In this case, Apple's increased that
[02:31] In this case, Apple's increased that from what used to be every 5 minutes to
[02:33] from what used to be every 5 minutes to every 5 seconds. This pretty much joins
[02:35] every 5 seconds. This pretty much joins the rest industry. Most rest industry is
[02:37] the rest industry. Most rest industry is actually closer to every 1 to 2 seconds
[02:39] actually closer to every 1 to 2 seconds depending on how they process it after
[02:40] depending on how they process it after the fact. But this is a huge jump up for
[02:42] the fact. But this is a huge jump up for Apple. That essentially means it's 60
[02:44] Apple. That essentially means it's 60 times what it used to be in the past.
[02:46] times what it used to be in the past. The next piece then is the HRV
[02:48] The next piece then is the HRV recordings or heart rate variability
[02:50] recordings or heart rate variability recordings. In the past, Apple did this
[02:52] recordings. In the past, Apple did this like a couple times a night if you were
[02:54] like a couple times a night if you were lucky. Compared to most of their
[02:56] lucky. Compared to most of their competitors doing this like every minute
[02:58] competitors doing this like every minute or two, all night long, right? So, this
[03:00] or two, all night long, right? So, this is a huge jump. So, now doing it every 5
[03:02] is a huge jump. So, now doing it every 5 minutes as opposed to shrug uh means
[03:05] minutes as opposed to shrug uh means they're now exposing HRV in the vitals
[03:07] they're now exposing HRV in the vitals app. So, if you open up the vitals app,
[03:09] app. So, if you open up the vitals app, you'll see HRV or heart rate variability
[03:11] you'll see HRV or heart rate variability on the side there is one of your vitals
[03:12] on the side there is one of your vitals metrics. Uh now, that metric will take 7
[03:15] metrics. Uh now, that metric will take 7 days of basically data gathering before
[03:17] days of basically data gathering before it shows you your baseline. It'll show
[03:19] it shows you your baseline. It'll show your nightly numbers each night during
[03:21] your nightly numbers each night during that seven days, assuming you have 4
[03:22] that seven days, assuming you have 4 hours of sleep or more. And then it'll
[03:24] hours of sleep or more. And then it'll start to develop that baseline like your
[03:26] start to develop that baseline like your other metrics. HV can be useful for lots
[03:28] other metrics. HV can be useful for lots of things, especially from a fatigue and
[03:30] of things, especially from a fatigue and recovery standpoint, as well as getting
[03:32] recovery standpoint, as well as getting sick. So, if I get sick, my HRV tends to
[03:35] sick. So, if I get sick, my HRV tends to drop right before I get sick about a day
[03:37] drop right before I get sick about a day or so, and it'll remain depressed until
[03:39] or so, and it'll remain depressed until I uh tend to get better. And even shows
[03:41] I uh tend to get better. And even shows it's depressed a couple days afterwards,
[03:43] it's depressed a couple days afterwards, really kind of showing me how my body is
[03:44] really kind of showing me how my body is reacting to that. But HRV is also
[03:46] reacting to that. But HRV is also impacted by lots of other things as
[03:48] impacted by lots of other things as well. So, for example, caffeine, it's
[03:50] well. So, for example, caffeine, it's impacted by that. It's impacted by uh
[03:52] impacted by that. It's impacted by uh sleep as well as jet lag and a gazillion
[03:55] sleep as well as jet lag and a gazillion other things, drugs, both good drugs and
[03:56] other things, drugs, both good drugs and bad drugs. So, you really have to know
[03:58] bad drugs. So, you really have to know what's going on outside of what the
[03:59] what's going on outside of what the watch is aware of in order to figure out
[04:01] watch is aware of in order to figure out whether those HRV numbers make sense.
[04:03] whether those HRV numbers make sense. And of course, one of the last big
[04:04] And of course, one of the last big pieces that drives HRV numbers is
[04:06] pieces that drives HRV numbers is workouts. If you go out and run a
[04:08] workouts. If you go out and run a marathon, for example, your HRV numbers
[04:10] marathon, for example, your HRV numbers are likely to plummet or in rare cases
[04:12] are likely to plummet or in rare cases spike up depending on how your body
[04:14] spike up depending on how your body reacts to that. So, those are all things
[04:15] reacts to that. So, those are all things to be aware of. Now, I'm going to talk
[04:17] to be aware of. Now, I'm going to talk about what Apple's doing with those HRV
[04:19] about what Apple's doing with those HRV readings in just a second. But first
[04:20] readings in just a second. But first though, there's also a new daytime HRV
[04:22] though, there's also a new daytime HRV readings feature. So, this is actually
[04:24] readings feature. So, this is actually very new in the wearables industry.
[04:26] very new in the wearables industry. Huawei introduced something like this
[04:28] Huawei introduced something like this about a year ago, but Apple seems to be
[04:30] about a year ago, but Apple seems to be taking it a step further and how they do
[04:32] taking it a step further and how they do this. Whether or not that's a good step
[04:34] this. Whether or not that's a good step further is a whole different discussion,
[04:36] further is a whole different discussion, but essentially Apple's recording your
[04:37] but essentially Apple's recording your HV values during the day on these times
[04:40] HV values during the day on these times sliced windows. So, basically these hour
[04:42] sliced windows. So, basically these hour windows throughout the day from 2 hours
[04:44] windows throughout the day from 2 hours after you wake up. Then they compare
[04:46] after you wake up. Then they compare those time slice windows to your
[04:48] those time slice windows to your historical averages. They exclude though
[04:50] historical averages. They exclude though any periods of movement whether that's
[04:52] any periods of movement whether that's walking or running or cycling or
[04:53] walking or running or cycling or anything in a workout etc. or just
[04:55] anything in a workout etc. or just simply walking around the house doing
[04:56] simply walking around the house doing what you're doing. Those are all
[04:58] what you're doing. Those are all excluded. Now that too needs a seven
[05:00] excluded. Now that too needs a seven plus day period. But it gets a little
[05:02] plus day period. But it gets a little bit messier there because you have to
[05:03] bit messier there because you have to have 7 days of data for each one of
[05:05] have 7 days of data for each one of those time slices. So in my case I have
[05:08] those time slices. So in my case I have a very sporadic workout schedule. So
[05:10] a very sporadic workout schedule. So I've got sometimes workouts from 9:00
[05:11] I've got sometimes workouts from 9:00 a.m. till noon, sometimes early in the
[05:13] a.m. till noon, sometimes early in the morning, sometimes late in the
[05:14] morning, sometimes late in the afternoon. So establishing my 7-day
[05:16] afternoon. So establishing my 7-day baseline where I have 7 days of clean
[05:18] baseline where I have 7 days of clean data where I don't have movement
[05:19] data where I don't have movement activity for that exact time slice
[05:21] activity for that exact time slice window has been impossible. So I don't
[05:24] window has been impossible. So I don't yet have trending instead of see just my
[05:25] yet have trending instead of see just my current values as I'm going along. Even
[05:27] current values as I'm going along. Even setting that aside, I'm not sure what to
[05:29] setting that aside, I'm not sure what to do with the daytime HRV values. The
[05:30] do with the daytime HRV values. The nighttime ones make sense, but as Apple
[05:32] nighttime ones make sense, but as Apple themselves will note, daytime HRV is
[05:34] themselves will note, daytime HRV is incredibly variable. That's in fact why
[05:36] incredibly variable. That's in fact why they do this whole like time slice
[05:38] they do this whole like time slice thing, trying to match it your circadian
[05:40] thing, trying to match it your circadian rhythm. But in my case, my schedule is
[05:42] rhythm. But in my case, my schedule is so wonky that I don't really think
[05:43] so wonky that I don't really think there's much a rhythm there to begin
[05:45] there's much a rhythm there to begin with when it comes to having workouts at
[05:46] with when it comes to having workouts at 10 or 2 or 6 or whatever the heck they
[05:48] 10 or 2 or 6 or whatever the heck they are. So maybe in a few months down the
[05:50] are. So maybe in a few months down the road, we'll have some sort of epiphany
[05:51] road, we'll have some sort of epiphany there. Most other wearables take that
[05:53] there. Most other wearables take that daytime HRV and feed it into things like
[05:55] daytime HRV and feed it into things like stress scores and whatnot instead, which
[05:57] stress scores and whatnot instead, which Apple isn't doing. Instead, what they're
[05:59] Apple isn't doing. Instead, what they're doing is feeding it into a new readiness
[06:01] doing is feeding it into a new readiness score, joining the likes of Garmin and
[06:02] score, joining the likes of Garmin and Google and plenty of others that have
[06:04] Google and plenty of others that have readiness scores. This readiness score
[06:06] readiness scores. This readiness score has essentially two portions to it. So
[06:08] has essentially two portions to it. So the top portion of your score is your
[06:09] the top portion of your score is your number. This goes from 0 to 10. Zero
[06:11] number. This goes from 0 to 10. Zero being the worst, 10 being like sleeping
[06:14] being the worst, 10 being like sleeping on rainbows or something. I don't really
[06:15] on rainbows or something. I don't really know. The bottom portion then is one of
[06:17] know. The bottom portion then is one of four descriptors that goes along with
[06:18] four descriptors that goes along with that. You can see just a simple chart of
[06:20] that. You can see just a simple chart of what these descriptors are and the
[06:21] what these descriptors are and the numbers alongside of them right now on
[06:23] numbers alongside of them right now on the screen there. The way this works is
[06:24] the screen there. The way this works is that each morning when you wake up,
[06:25] that each morning when you wake up, you're going to get a score based on
[06:27] you're going to get a score based on different factors. These core factors
[06:28] different factors. These core factors include your activity, both workouts as
[06:30] include your activity, both workouts as well as activity rings. They include
[06:32] well as activity rings. They include your sleep and they include your vitals
[06:34] your sleep and they include your vitals data inclusive of HRV, which means you
[06:36] data inclusive of HRV, which means you will not get a readiness score until
[06:38] will not get a readiness score until you've slept for seven nights with this
[06:39] you've slept for seven nights with this watch with at least four hours of sleep
[06:41] watch with at least four hours of sleep per night. Uh that's relatively similar
[06:43] per night. Uh that's relatively similar to most other companies which require
[06:45] to most other companies which require between 7 and 19 nights of initial
[06:47] between 7 and 19 nights of initial seating data and then from there it has
[06:49] seating data and then from there it has a baseline beyond that. In case of
[06:50] a baseline beyond that. In case of Apple, their baseline goes up to 49 days
[06:53] Apple, their baseline goes up to 49 days or 7 weeks. Now I want to walk through
[06:54] or 7 weeks. Now I want to walk through the last 24 hours of my scores as I go
[06:57] the last 24 hours of my scores as I go throughout the day because they are
[06:58] throughout the day because they are dynamic and change based on different
[07:00] dynamic and change based on different things. So yesterday when I woke up, my
[07:02] things. So yesterday when I woke up, my score was a seven. Uh, and it said I was
[07:04] score was a seven. Uh, and it said I was ready. Uh, that was based on my sleep
[07:06] ready. Uh, that was based on my sleep and my activity before that. As you can
[07:07] and my activity before that. As you can see when I scroll down from there,
[07:09] see when I scroll down from there, everything was good. I'd say that's
[07:10] everything was good. I'd say that's relatively in the ballpark of how I
[07:12] relatively in the ballpark of how I felt. About 3 to 4 hours after waking
[07:14] felt. About 3 to 4 hours after waking up, I went out for a ride with my wife
[07:15] up, I went out for a ride with my wife for a couple hours in the mountains.
[07:17] for a couple hours in the mountains. Wasn't a super intense ride. Uh, so
[07:19] Wasn't a super intense ride. Uh, so after that ride, it immediately dropped
[07:21] after that ride, it immediately dropped my score down to a five, which again
[07:23] my score down to a five, which again seems fair. That is still within the
[07:25] seems fair. That is still within the ready category. Again, dynamically
[07:27] ready category. Again, dynamically changing throughout the day. If after
[07:29] changing throughout the day. If after that ride I had gone for a nap or
[07:31] that ride I had gone for a nap or something like that instead of written
[07:32] something like that instead of written this review, then maybe it would have
[07:33] this review, then maybe it would have gone up to a six, probably not back up
[07:35] gone up to a six, probably not back up to a seven, but maybe to a six. Again,
[07:37] to a seven, but maybe to a six. Again, this changes throughout the day. Then
[07:39] this changes throughout the day. Then later last night, uh around 7:00 or so,
[07:42] later last night, uh around 7:00 or so, I did a hard track workout with some
[07:44] I did a hard track workout with some friends. In that case, because that
[07:46] friends. In that case, because that track workout was pretty hard, it pushed
[07:47] track workout was pretty hard, it pushed that score all the way down to a three,
[07:50] that score all the way down to a three, uh saying, "Pace myself instead." It was
[07:52] uh saying, "Pace myself instead." It was talking about like pacing myself for
[07:54] talking about like pacing myself for life, not just for the workout, cuz of
[07:55] life, not just for the workout, cuz of course the workout was already done. I
[07:57] course the workout was already done. I think thus far those scores are
[07:58] think thus far those scores are relatively in the ballpark of where I
[08:00] relatively in the ballpark of where I felt. I'm gonna do a full comparison
[08:02] felt. I'm gonna do a full comparison down the road of those scores. And
[08:04] down the road of those scores. And there's no better way of showing this
[08:05] there's no better way of showing this than this morning when I woke up on
[08:06] than this morning when I woke up on basically just barely 5 hours of sleep
[08:08] basically just barely 5 hours of sleep and Garmin's like shredding readiness
[08:10] and Garmin's like shredding readiness one out of a 100 by the way. Uh versus
[08:12] one out of a 100 by the way. Uh versus Apple's like two maybe pace yourself. Um
[08:16] Apple's like two maybe pace yourself. Um because again my sleep over the last 8
[08:18] because again my sleep over the last 8 days has been pretty wonky. So from
[08:19] days has been pretty wonky. So from Apple's perspective it's like eh that
[08:21] Apple's perspective it's like eh that might be normal. Nonetheless, I think
[08:22] might be normal. Nonetheless, I think Apple's on the right track here. This is
[08:24] Apple's on the right track here. This is actually pretty good stuff overall and
[08:26] actually pretty good stuff overall and makes it relatively easy to understand.
[08:28] makes it relatively easy to understand. The only real quibbles I have with it is
[08:30] The only real quibbles I have with it is it is super buggy. Even as I was filming
[08:32] it is super buggy. Even as I was filming this just a second ago, trying to get
[08:34] this just a second ago, trying to get that score to come up, sometimes it just
[08:36] that score to come up, sometimes it just doesn't come up at all. Like for minutes
[08:38] doesn't come up at all. Like for minutes at a time, or in the case of my series
[08:40] at a time, or in the case of my series 12 yesterday, for hours at a time. And
[08:42] 12 yesterday, for hours at a time. And then other times after last night's
[08:43] then other times after last night's track workout, the Ultra 4 did not
[08:45] track workout, the Ultra 4 did not update my score at all for hours versus
[08:47] update my score at all for hours versus the Series 12 updated immediately. So,
[08:49] the Series 12 updated immediately. So, there's definitely some weird timing
[08:51] there's definitely some weird timing sync stuff going on there that isn't
[08:53] sync stuff going on there that isn't quite worked out yet, but eventually the
[08:55] quite worked out yet, but eventually the scores do settle. They show up and
[08:57] scores do settle. They show up and again, they seem relatively realistic.
[08:59] again, they seem relatively realistic. So, then talking about realistic, we
[09:01] So, then talking about realistic, we need to talk about Apple's entire white
[09:03] need to talk about Apple's entire white paper on the accuracy of this heart rate
[09:04] paper on the accuracy of this heart rate sensor, claiming that it's like the best
[09:06] sensor, claiming that it's like the best thing since suns sliced bread. But
[09:08] thing since suns sliced bread. But before we do that, I want to mention
[09:09] before we do that, I want to mention that I will later on in this video cover
[09:11] that I will later on in this video cover the new health app features as well as
[09:12] the new health app features as well as the news audio intelligence features.
[09:14] the news audio intelligence features. So, definitely stick around for that. So
[09:16] So, definitely stick around for that. So when it comes to study, it is nine pages
[09:18] when it comes to study, it is nine pages on Apple's site and includes comparisons
[09:19] on Apple's site and includes comparisons to other leading wearables from Garmin
[09:21] to other leading wearables from Garmin like the 400 970, the Google uh Pixel
[09:24] like the 400 970, the Google uh Pixel Watch 4, the Huawei Watch 5, or Ring,
[09:26] Watch 4, the Huawei Watch 5, or Ring, Whoop, etc. So they selected a good
[09:28] Whoop, etc. So they selected a good cross-section of wearables out there and
[09:30] cross-section of wearables out there and within that they have more than 1,300
[09:32] within that they have more than 1,300 people in this study and then a large
[09:34] people in this study and then a large portion of them are double fisting these
[09:36] portion of them are double fisting these wearables with one on one wrist and one
[09:37] wearables with one on one wrist and one on the other wrist. All of the
[09:39] on the other wrist. All of the constructs of the study sound really
[09:41] constructs of the study sound really good, but there's some caveats, not the
[09:43] good, but there's some caveats, not the least of it being, of course, that Apple
[09:44] least of it being, of course, that Apple published the study. It's not peer
[09:45] published the study. It's not peer reviewed by anyone else. And they didn't
[09:47] reviewed by anyone else. And they didn't publish any real data in those nine
[09:49] publish any real data in those nine pages, just these summary comparisons.
[09:51] pages, just these summary comparisons. But one thing in particular really stuck
[09:54] But one thing in particular really stuck out to me. And there's a chart down
[09:56] out to me. And there's a chart down below talking about the reporting
[09:57] below talking about the reporting interval for different uh devices. Some
[10:00] interval for different uh devices. Some of them are upwards of half a second or
[10:02] of them are upwards of half a second or quarter of a second. Uh and some of them
[10:03] quarter of a second. Uh and some of them are 1 second, etc. 1 second is kind of
[10:05] are 1 second, etc. 1 second is kind of the norm here. Uh but in particular for
[10:07] the norm here. Uh but in particular for the Apple Watch devices with the new
[10:09] the Apple Watch devices with the new sensor, it's every 5 seconds. And then
[10:11] sensor, it's every 5 seconds. And then above that, they list this little note
[10:13] above that, they list this little note saying, "This data is a single value,
[10:15] saying, "This data is a single value, not an average, reported every 5 seconds
[10:17] not an average, reported every 5 seconds in watch face complications for
[10:19] in watch face complications for background heart rate and the workout
[10:21] background heart rate and the workout app for workout activities." That's
[10:23] app for workout activities." That's interesting cuz a lot of people,
[10:24] interesting cuz a lot of people, including myself, had assumed Apple was
[10:26] including myself, had assumed Apple was basically doing every 1 second data
[10:28] basically doing every 1 second data reporting. And if I look at workout
[10:30] reporting. And if I look at workout files from the past, you see that most
[10:32] files from the past, you see that most of the time it's every 1 second, but
[10:33] of the time it's every 1 second, but then every once in a while it's not
[10:35] then every once in a while it's not every 1 second, and then every once in a
[10:37] every 1 second, and then every once in a more while it just doesn't have a value
[10:39] more while it just doesn't have a value at all. And in those cases, I was just
[10:40] at all. And in those cases, I was just like, well, Apple just didn't have a
[10:42] like, well, Apple just didn't have a value and didn't show one. Fine. But
[10:44] value and didn't show one. Fine. But what I've come to find out through lots
[10:46] what I've come to find out through lots of conversations about this is that
[10:48] of conversations about this is that Apple's only claiming a 5-second average
[10:50] Apple's only claiming a 5-second average across the entire workout. Meaning that
[10:53] across the entire workout. Meaning that if you have an entire workout, on
[10:54] if you have an entire workout, on average, Apple record every 5 seconds.
[10:57] average, Apple record every 5 seconds. But they could record every 1 second,
[10:59] But they could record every 1 second, every 2 seconds, or inversely, as you'll
[11:01] every 2 seconds, or inversely, as you'll see, every 20 seconds. But this is where
[11:04] see, every 20 seconds. But this is where it gets even more fun. How Apple decides
[11:06] it gets even more fun. How Apple decides when to record a data point is very
[11:08] when to record a data point is very simple. is whether or not it hits an
[11:09] simple. is whether or not it hits an internal quality bar of the sensor
[11:11] internal quality bar of the sensor saying this reading is of good enough
[11:13] saying this reading is of good enough quality to record. Meaning, if the
[11:15] quality to record. Meaning, if the confidence of that 1 second of time
[11:17] confidence of that 1 second of time isn't high enough, they won't list a
[11:19] isn't high enough, they won't list a data point at all. They'll just simply
[11:21] data point at all. They'll just simply list nothing as opposed to putting the
[11:23] list nothing as opposed to putting the wrong data point or even the right data
[11:25] wrong data point or even the right data point with a lower confidence level
[11:26] point with a lower confidence level versus every other one of their
[11:28] versus every other one of their competitors will plot something every 1
[11:30] competitors will plot something every 1 second. In most cases, that something is
[11:32] second. In most cases, that something is correct. So, where this gets really
[11:34] correct. So, where this gets really interesting is when it comes to the
[11:36] interesting is when it comes to the study. See, in the case of the study,
[11:38] study. See, in the case of the study, Apple confirmed they were only comparing
[11:40] Apple confirmed they were only comparing the values that they list. Meaning that
[11:42] the values that they list. Meaning that if you look at like this time plot that
[11:44] if you look at like this time plot that you see, a very simple time plot on the
[11:45] you see, a very simple time plot on the bottom there. If there are seconds on
[11:47] bottom there. If there are seconds on that timeline where Apple has a lower
[11:48] that timeline where Apple has a lower confidence for, it will simply not list
[11:51] confidence for, it will simply not list them. Therefore, when it came to
[11:52] them. Therefore, when it came to comparing them to their baseline of the
[11:54] comparing them to their baseline of the Polar H10 heart rate strap, it is only
[11:56] Polar H10 heart rate strap, it is only comparing the accuracy of those moments
[11:58] comparing the accuracy of those moments that Apple has listed. The problem then
[12:01] that Apple has listed. The problem then becomes that Apple is skipping all the
[12:02] becomes that Apple is skipping all the data they are unsure about or implicitly
[12:04] data they are unsure about or implicitly wrong about because they never listed a
[12:06] wrong about because they never listed a value. Take for example this moment
[12:08] value. Take for example this moment right here where up to 20 seconds it
[12:10] right here where up to 20 seconds it never updated the value during the
[12:11] never updated the value during the workout. Apple was wrong for that 20
[12:13] workout. Apple was wrong for that 20 second period. But because they never
[12:15] second period. But because they never listed it, it doesn't get graded in the
[12:17] listed it, it doesn't get graded in the white paper as being wrong. It's just
[12:19] white paper as being wrong. It's just like a fart in the wind that didn't
[12:22] like a fart in the wind that didn't really happen. So to think about this in
[12:23] really happen. So to think about this in a different way, if this was a written
[12:25] a different way, if this was a written test, every single time Apple wasn't
[12:27] test, every single time Apple wasn't sure about an answer, in other words, a
[12:29] sure about an answer, in other words, a heart rate reading, they just wouldn't
[12:30] heart rate reading, they just wouldn't put down the answer. And instead of
[12:32] put down the answer. And instead of docking them points for having the
[12:34] docking them points for having the answer missing or wrong, the test
[12:36] answer missing or wrong, the test proctor said, "Oh, if there's no answer
[12:38] proctor said, "Oh, if there's no answer there, we will consider that right."
[12:41] there, we will consider that right." Okay, Apple. Okay, so then let's look at
[12:44] Okay, Apple. Okay, so then let's look at my data. Because while I think Apple's
[12:46] my data. Because while I think Apple's study, it does a very good job of having
[12:48] study, it does a very good job of having the right other devices in there, having
[12:50] the right other devices in there, having a huge data set, having lots of
[12:51] a huge data set, having lots of comparison sets, like all of that is
[12:53] comparison sets, like all of that is great, how they graded those time
[12:55] great, how they graded those time periods simply isn't fair to everyone
[12:58] periods simply isn't fair to everyone else. Even if Apple may have the
[13:00] else. Even if Apple may have the accurate sensor they're talking about.
[13:02] accurate sensor they're talking about. So then starting off with some my data
[13:03] So then starting off with some my data sets, here's a relatively stable trail
[13:05] sets, here's a relatively stable trail run. Nothing too crazy for an hour or so
[13:07] run. Nothing too crazy for an hour or so here. And if you look at the high level,
[13:09] here. And if you look at the high level, things look really, really good. And
[13:10] things look really, really good. And even zoomed in, there are very few
[13:12] even zoomed in, there are very few moments where it struggles. The longest
[13:14] moments where it struggles. The longest one I could see quickly here is the
[13:16] one I could see quickly here is the Series 12 struggled for 11 seconds. You
[13:17] Series 12 struggled for 11 seconds. You can see that 11 second gap where again
[13:19] can see that 11 second gap where again it didn't write down an answer. So this
[13:21] it didn't write down an answer. So this is a case where Apple in their study
[13:22] is a case where Apple in their study would have only picked the data points
[13:24] would have only picked the data points to compare to versus this entire gap
[13:26] to compare to versus this entire gap there where they were wrong. As you can
[13:28] there where they were wrong. As you can see compared to the chest strap uh that
[13:29] see compared to the chest strap uh that would not have been scored. Then you got
[13:31] would not have been scored. Then you got this Pelaton ride right here. In this
[13:32] this Pelaton ride right here. In this case a 45minute ride with some pretty
[13:34] case a 45minute ride with some pretty strong intervals in there. And again at
[13:35] strong intervals in there. And again at a high level it looks really really
[13:37] a high level it looks really really good. But one of the things to keep in
[13:38] good. But one of the things to keep in mind about the Apple Watch Series 12 and
[13:40] mind about the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, when I'm looking at the data on
[13:42] Ultra 4, when I'm looking at the data on the watch itself during the workout, the
[13:44] the watch itself during the workout, the Apple Watch display will only update
[13:46] Apple Watch display will only update heart rate every 5 seconds. Regardless
[13:49] heart rate every 5 seconds. Regardless of the data sampling behind the scenes
[13:50] of the data sampling behind the scenes being at 1 second or 2 seconds or 20
[13:52] being at 1 second or 2 seconds or 20 seconds, the display number will only
[13:54] seconds, the display number will only update every 5 seconds. That means for
[13:57] update every 5 seconds. That means for four of those 5 seconds during interval,
[13:59] four of those 5 seconds during interval, it's going to be wrong as the heart
[14:00] it's going to be wrong as the heart rate's going up and down. And I can see
[14:02] rate's going up and down. And I can see this very plainly during my ride. Here's
[14:05] this very plainly during my ride. Here's an example where the Ultra 4 had a gap
[14:06] an example where the Ultra 4 had a gap of 12 seconds, for example, at the top
[14:08] of 12 seconds, for example, at the top of the interval. Now, is this a massive
[14:10] of the interval. Now, is this a massive difference in heart rate? No. But
[14:12] difference in heart rate? No. But because Apple's study is focused on one
[14:14] because Apple's study is focused on one beat being the difference between their
[14:16] beat being the difference between their amazing sensor and everyone else being
[14:18] amazing sensor and everyone else being junk, we have to call it these sort of
[14:20] junk, we have to call it these sort of things. Next, we got the outdoor road
[14:21] things. Next, we got the outdoor road that I mentioned a few minutes ago. In
[14:23] that I mentioned a few minutes ago. In this case here, again, is a very good
[14:25] this case here, again, is a very good heart rate plot across the board. I
[14:27] heart rate plot across the board. I don't want that to get lost in this.
[14:28] don't want that to get lost in this. Like these are really, really good heart
[14:29] Like these are really, really good heart rate plots for outdoor road cycling,
[14:31] rate plots for outdoor road cycling, which is one of the hardest things to do
[14:33] which is one of the hardest things to do outdoor cycling in general because of
[14:34] outdoor cycling in general because of vibrations with the handlebars and
[14:35] vibrations with the handlebars and stuff. But there's still gaps here. You
[14:37] stuff. But there's still gaps here. You can see where Apple's not plotting
[14:38] can see where Apple's not plotting points. One for 14 seconds here, one for
[14:41] points. One for 14 seconds here, one for 18 seconds. This inaccurate dip right
[14:43] 18 seconds. This inaccurate dip right here on the series 12 units, for
[14:44] here on the series 12 units, for example, which is using the exact same
[14:46] example, which is using the exact same sensor. Uh, and then these two data
[14:47] sensor. Uh, and then these two data gaps, one for 20 seconds, and then a
[14:49] gaps, one for 20 seconds, and then a slow uptake of an interval, a bit of a
[14:51] slow uptake of an interval, a bit of a sprint I did in there. And then if we
[14:52] sprint I did in there. And then if we look at this interval workout I did
[14:54] look at this interval workout I did right there, again, these are really
[14:55] right there, again, these are really good at a high level. I don't really
[14:56] good at a high level. I don't really have any main complaints here. If I zoom
[14:58] have any main complaints here. If I zoom in though, again, you see these gaps
[15:00] in though, again, you see these gaps where it's just not recording data. In
[15:02] where it's just not recording data. In the case of the Ultra 4, a 5-second gap
[15:03] the case of the Ultra 4, a 5-second gap there where it's wrong. And then below
[15:05] there where it's wrong. And then below that, the Series 12 where it's just
[15:07] that, the Series 12 where it's just wrong. It's recording data points. Has a
[15:09] wrong. It's recording data points. Has a 3se secondond gap, but again, it's still
[15:11] 3se secondond gap, but again, it's still below all the other sensors, including
[15:12] below all the other sensors, including the Ultra 4. And for example, if I look
[15:14] the Ultra 4. And for example, if I look at rowing, you can see at a high level,
[15:16] at rowing, you can see at a high level, very good. If I zoom into most these
[15:18] very good. If I zoom into most these intervals, these are really good plots.
[15:20] intervals, these are really good plots. Like for rowing, a hand motion that's
[15:21] Like for rowing, a hand motion that's really tough. This this is really good
[15:24] really tough. This this is really good stuff. But yet still there are gaps
[15:26] stuff. But yet still there are gaps here. These are the gaps that in their
[15:27] here. These are the gaps that in their own study would have just been handwaved
[15:29] own study would have just been handwaved across but they do exist very much in
[15:31] across but they do exist very much in real life. And then finally this track
[15:33] real life. And then finally this track run from last night. Again on the whole
[15:34] run from last night. Again on the whole very very strong the pattern here. But
[15:36] very very strong the pattern here. But if I zoom into things I see these gaps.
[15:38] if I zoom into things I see these gaps. For example I see this spike here the
[15:40] For example I see this spike here the Ultra 4 for almost 40 seconds or so
[15:42] Ultra 4 for almost 40 seconds or so about 5 to seven beats high. And again 5
[15:45] about 5 to seven beats high. And again 5 to seven beats at the peak of an
[15:47] to seven beats at the peak of an interval isn't a massive deal. At the
[15:49] interval isn't a massive deal. At the same time, this is the same sort of
[15:51] same time, this is the same sort of thing in the study that would have put
[15:52] thing in the study that would have put any other wearable at the very bottom of
[15:54] any other wearable at the very bottom of the chart. Anyways, my total point here
[15:56] the chart. Anyways, my total point here is this new heart rate sensor is very
[15:57] is this new heart rate sensor is very accurate thus far in my testing. Once I
[15:59] accurate thus far in my testing. Once I get to colder weather, that's where
[16:01] get to colder weather, that's where things become more apparent. I live in a
[16:03] things become more apparent. I live in a hot, sunny place, so I have to wait a
[16:04] hot, sunny place, so I have to wait a little while for the colder weather or
[16:06] little while for the colder weather or travel somewhere else. That's where
[16:07] travel somewhere else. That's where optic heart rate sensors tend to
[16:09] optic heart rate sensors tend to struggle the most. And in Apple's study,
[16:11] struggle the most. And in Apple's study, they did a portion of that study in
[16:12] they did a portion of that study in California and also a portion of that
[16:14] California and also a portion of that study in Malaysia, I believe it was,
[16:16] study in Malaysia, I believe it was, where there's obviously plenty of warm
[16:18] where there's obviously plenty of warm weather. Anyways, let's talk about GPS.
[16:20] weather. Anyways, let's talk about GPS. There's a minor change to GPS on this
[16:22] There's a minor change to GPS on this device here. They removed the gloness uh
[16:25] device here. They removed the gloness uh basically satellite constellation.
[16:27] basically satellite constellation. Similar move I think that Garmin did
[16:28] Similar move I think that Garmin did with the Fenix 9 as well. Uh when it
[16:30] with the Fenix 9 as well. Uh when it comes to the accuracy, Apple saying that
[16:32] comes to the accuracy, Apple saying that shouldn't have any impact and I'm seeing
[16:34] shouldn't have any impact and I'm seeing that the case here as well. If I for
[16:36] that the case here as well. If I for example look at this like interval loops
[16:38] example look at this like interval loops that I did around my neighborhood just
[16:39] that I did around my neighborhood just over and over and over and over and over
[16:41] over and over and over and over and over again, uh it's basically spot on the
[16:43] again, uh it's basically spot on the road itself. Despite doing this loop a
[16:45] road itself. Despite doing this loop a gazillion times, that little small loop,
[16:47] gazillion times, that little small loop, things are spot-on. If I look at this
[16:49] things are spot-on. If I look at this road ride up in the mountains here on
[16:50] road ride up in the mountains here on these switchbacks, all the units are
[16:52] these switchbacks, all the units are virtually on the road despite these
[16:54] virtually on the road despite these switchbacks including going up slowly
[16:55] switchbacks including going up slowly and then of course down high speed. If I
[16:58] and then of course down high speed. If I look at this trail run, things are spot
[17:00] look at this trail run, things are spot on there. You can see the difference
[17:01] on there. You can see the difference between the Ultra 4 and the Series 12
[17:03] between the Ultra 4 and the Series 12 where the Ultra 4 is more accurate than
[17:04] where the Ultra 4 is more accurate than the Series 12. The Ultra 4 has multiband
[17:07] the Series 12. The Ultra 4 has multiband GPS versus the Series 12 does not. And
[17:10] GPS versus the Series 12 does not. And you see that very clearly here. And then
[17:11] you see that very clearly here. And then later on in this same uh run where it's
[17:14] later on in this same uh run where it's basically not quite on the road or the
[17:15] basically not quite on the road or the path, the Series 12 was offset versus
[17:17] path, the Series 12 was offset versus the Ultra 4 and the Fenix 9 are spoton.
[17:21] the Ultra 4 and the Fenix 9 are spoton. I would say overall though the Fenix 9
[17:23] I would say overall though the Fenix 9 is still beating the Ultra 4, especially
[17:25] is still beating the Ultra 4, especially like in scenarios like this and crossing
[17:26] like in scenarios like this and crossing and stuff like that. The Fenix 9 is
[17:28] and stuff like that. The Fenix 9 is exactly where I went versus the Ultra 4
[17:30] exactly where I went versus the Ultra 4 is kind of where I went. Again, overall
[17:32] is kind of where I went. Again, overall no big deal there in the GPS accuracy
[17:34] no big deal there in the GPS accuracy side. Now, I want to mention one thing
[17:36] side. Now, I want to mention one thing about battery life before we talk about
[17:37] about battery life before we talk about some of the other bits here. Apple
[17:38] some of the other bits here. Apple increased the all day battery life up to
[17:41] increased the all day battery life up to 50 hours now. Uh so a little bit longer
[17:43] 50 hours now. Uh so a little bit longer than 2 days and in my testing that's
[17:45] than 2 days and in my testing that's been holding true. Even despite all
[17:46] been holding true. Even despite all these GPS activities, I'm getting
[17:48] these GPS activities, I'm getting basically two full days of battery life.
[17:50] basically two full days of battery life. So good job there. Uh with that, they've
[17:53] So good job there. Uh with that, they've also extended out two new GPS battery
[17:55] also extended out two new GPS battery modes. There's a new extended mode and a
[17:57] modes. There's a new extended mode and a new max extended mode. These are
[18:00] new max extended mode. These are essentially renaming the existing low
[18:02] essentially renaming the existing low power modes and making them easier to
[18:03] power modes and making them easier to find. Now, in order to access these, you
[18:05] find. Now, in order to access these, you go into open a sport profile. Tap the
[18:07] go into open a sport profile. Tap the upper right hand doohickey and then
[18:08] upper right hand doohickey and then scroll down to extended and you have
[18:10] scroll down to extended and you have extended and max extended. In the case
[18:12] extended and max extended. In the case of like me doing ultras and ultra
[18:14] of like me doing ultras and ultra distance stuff, which I've routinely
[18:15] distance stuff, which I've routinely done on the Ultra 3, I think these
[18:18] done on the Ultra 3, I think these trade-offs are perfectly fine. I've
[18:20] trade-offs are perfectly fine. I've taken the Ultra 3 out in the past. For
[18:21] taken the Ultra 3 out in the past. For example, last year I did a 14 or 15 hour
[18:24] example, last year I did a 14 or 15 hour thing uh deep into the mountains. Taken
[18:26] thing uh deep into the mountains. Taken other Apple Watch Ultras out there for
[18:27] other Apple Watch Ultras out there for equally long time periods. uh you can
[18:30] equally long time periods. uh you can use this watch just fine in an
[18:31] use this watch just fine in an ultral-like setting depending on how far
[18:34] ultral-like setting depending on how far your ultra is. Now for things like
[18:36] your ultra is. Now for things like navigation, whatnot, it gets a little
[18:37] navigation, whatnot, it gets a little bit more fuzzy and mostly falls apart
[18:39] bit more fuzzy and mostly falls apart unless you use third party apps. Uh but
[18:41] unless you use third party apps. Uh but at least when it comes to recording that
[18:42] at least when it comes to recording that run by itself, it's not really a problem
[18:45] run by itself, it's not really a problem anymore on the Apple Watch Ultra series.
[18:47] anymore on the Apple Watch Ultra series. Oh, and I did some battery testing as
[18:48] Oh, and I did some battery testing as well for some longer activities. Showing
[18:50] well for some longer activities. Showing that on the screen right there, just so
[18:51] that on the screen right there, just so you can take a look at that. So, let me
[18:53] you can take a look at that. So, let me just briefly mention that Apple has a
[18:55] just briefly mention that Apple has a new health app coming later this year.
[18:57] new health app coming later this year. This health app completely revamped the
[18:59] This health app completely revamped the entire health app itself which
[19:01] entire health app itself which historically has been used for like
[19:03] historically has been used for like health data. So came from health kit uh
[19:05] health data. So came from health kit uh and then data was stuffed in there and
[19:07] and then data was stuffed in there and then eventually it slowly evolved to be
[19:08] then eventually it slowly evolved to be consumerf facing as opposed to developer
[19:10] consumerf facing as opposed to developer facing but it was still pretty wonky and
[19:13] facing but it was still pretty wonky and remains kind of wonky today. But later
[19:14] remains kind of wonky today. But later on this year, Apple released that new
[19:16] on this year, Apple released that new health app that they showed off at the
[19:18] health app that they showed off at the keynote. And that has some really nice
[19:19] keynote. And that has some really nice features in there, including a V2 max
[19:21] features in there, including a V2 max test that you can do while you're just
[19:22] test that you can do while you're just simply standing there, a bunch of other
[19:24] simply standing there, a bunch of other test data, the ability to pull in lab
[19:26] test data, the ability to pull in lab data, and plenty more. Health age is one
[19:28] data, and plenty more. Health age is one of those features, and lots of other
[19:30] of those features, and lots of other things. Now, I will review that when it
[19:31] things. Now, I will review that when it comes out down the road, but I just want
[19:33] comes out down the road, but I just want to acknowledge that that is coming down
[19:34] to acknowledge that that is coming down the road, and to keep an eye out for
[19:36] the road, and to keep an eye out for that video when that happens. The next
[19:38] that video when that happens. The next bit that's sort of split into coming
[19:39] bit that's sort of split into coming down the road is a new audio
[19:41] down the road is a new audio intelligence features. This is enabled
[19:43] intelligence features. This is enabled by a secure exclave. Exclave not enclave
[19:46] by a secure exclave. Exclave not enclave on that new chipset I talked about
[19:48] on that new chipset I talked about earlier on. There's basically four core
[19:50] earlier on. There's basically four core features here. Two of them come now, two
[19:52] features here. Two of them come now, two of them come later on. All these do
[19:54] of them come later on. All these do require an iPhone capable of Apple's uh
[19:57] require an iPhone capable of Apple's uh Apple intelligence on it. So essentially
[19:58] Apple intelligence on it. So essentially a newer iPhone uh to be paired with this
[20:01] a newer iPhone uh to be paired with this watch. So starting off with the two
[20:02] watch. So starting off with the two features that are here now. The first
[20:04] features that are here now. The first one is sound recognition. This allows
[20:06] one is sound recognition. This allows you to go ahead and get text alerts on
[20:08] you to go ahead and get text alerts on your watch itself for things that are
[20:10] your watch itself for things that are happening around you. So for example, if
[20:12] happening around you. So for example, if a window is broken, a doorbell goes off,
[20:14] a window is broken, a doorbell goes off, a baby cries, etc. You'll get a push
[20:16] a baby cries, etc. You'll get a push notification on the watch itself.
[20:18] notification on the watch itself. Previously, this would leverage your
[20:19] Previously, this would leverage your phone for that. Now this can be fully
[20:21] phone for that. Now this can be fully done on the watch, the audio processing
[20:23] done on the watch, the audio processing itself. The second new feature is
[20:25] itself. The second new feature is instantaneous Shazam. So this allows you
[20:28] instantaneous Shazam. So this allows you to simply raise your wrist like this and
[20:30] to simply raise your wrist like this and instantaneously see the song that's
[20:32] instantaneously see the song that's being played. This is different than the
[20:34] being played. This is different than the past with Shazam where it would
[20:35] past with Shazam where it would basically send the song snippet off to
[20:36] basically send the song snippet off to Shazam and pull it back down again. And
[20:38] Shazam and pull it back down again. And the reason it can do this faster is
[20:40] the reason it can do this faster is because it's always listening. That's
[20:42] because it's always listening. That's the whole point of the new audio
[20:43] the whole point of the new audio intelligence features. It is constantly
[20:45] intelligence features. It is constantly listening to what's going on in the
[20:46] listening to what's going on in the background and thus already knows that
[20:48] background and thus already knows that song before you even raise your wrist up
[20:50] song before you even raise your wrist up to look at it. In that case, the change
[20:52] to look at it. In that case, the change from the past is Apple's not sending the
[20:53] from the past is Apple's not sending the full audio clip anymore, but sending a
[20:55] full audio clip anymore, but sending a very small signature which allows that
[20:57] very small signature which allows that process to be much much faster and again
[20:59] process to be much much faster and again continuously happening in the
[21:00] continuously happening in the background. Which then gets the two
[21:02] background. Which then gets the two other features coming later on this
[21:04] other features coming later on this year. The very first one is the live
[21:06] year. The very first one is the live rewind feature. So what this one does
[21:08] rewind feature. So what this one does using that always listening piece in the
[21:10] using that always listening piece in the background there is to make a live
[21:11] background there is to make a live transcription of the last 15 seconds at
[21:13] transcription of the last 15 seconds at any point in time. So you only have this
[21:16] any point in time. So you only have this trailing tool like buffer of 15 seconds.
[21:18] trailing tool like buffer of 15 seconds. You double press the digital crown and
[21:20] You double press the digital crown and you'll see that transcription right
[21:21] you'll see that transcription right there. An example of this being shown in
[21:23] there. An example of this being shown in the video where this waiter's coming in
[21:24] the video where this waiter's coming in says a bunch of specials really quickly
[21:26] says a bunch of specials really quickly and they can see what those specials
[21:27] and they can see what those specials were very quickly on the watch itself.
[21:30] were very quickly on the watch itself. This is not expose the raw audio itself
[21:32] This is not expose the raw audio itself to you. Can't get a recording of that
[21:34] to you. Can't get a recording of that audio to you or to Apple or anyone else.
[21:36] audio to you or to Apple or anyone else. This is purely the transcript itself.
[21:38] This is purely the transcript itself. But that then gets to the next feature
[21:40] But that then gets to the next feature which I think is the most controversial
[21:41] which I think is the most controversial feature which is the Siri recap feature.
[21:44] feature which is the Siri recap feature. The way this works and again this is
[21:46] The way this works and again this is also coming later on this year is behind
[21:48] also coming later on this year is behind the scenes. This is summarizing all the
[21:50] the scenes. This is summarizing all the conversations that are happening around
[21:52] conversations that are happening around you uh into basically a note style
[21:54] you uh into basically a note style summary. Now Apple says there are some
[21:56] summary. Now Apple says there are some pieces they put in place here from a
[21:57] pieces they put in place here from a security standpoint or privacy
[21:58] security standpoint or privacy standpoint rather. Number one they're
[22:01] standpoint rather. Number one they're not going to list any speaker names in
[22:02] not going to list any speaker names in this. Uh, number two, uh, they will not
[22:05] this. Uh, number two, uh, they will not list a full transcription. Uh, meaning
[22:07] list a full transcription. Uh, meaning it's not going to say John Doe said this
[22:08] it's not going to say John Doe said this or Jane Doe said this. It's simply going
[22:10] or Jane Doe said this. It's simply going to say these are the tasks. The
[22:12] to say these are the tasks. The exception to that, well, actually two
[22:14] exception to that, well, actually two exceptions to that is if someone is
[22:15] exceptions to that is if someone is named for a task, for example, John Doe
[22:18] named for a task, for example, John Doe has to clean the bikes. Then it will say
[22:20] has to clean the bikes. Then it will say in the notes, John Doe has to clean the
[22:21] in the notes, John Doe has to clean the bikes. The other exception is if you
[22:24] bikes. The other exception is if you have that live rewind feature, the
[22:25] have that live rewind feature, the 15-second thing, and then one of the two
[22:27] 15-second thing, and then one of the two options from there is to send a Siri,
[22:29] options from there is to send a Siri, basically the Siri app on your phone,
[22:31] basically the Siri app on your phone, then it will send that 15-second
[22:33] then it will send that 15-second transcription, not the raw audio, just
[22:35] transcription, not the raw audio, just the text to the Siri recap and then pull
[22:37] the text to the Siri recap and then pull that in as an exact quotable thing.
[22:39] that in as an exact quotable thing. Finally, after that, Apple says there's
[22:41] Finally, after that, Apple says there's no audio recorder that's accessible to
[22:42] no audio recorder that's accessible to you or Apple. Again, I'll dive into more
[22:45] you or Apple. Again, I'll dive into more of this later on once it comes out. I
[22:47] of this later on once it comes out. I think there are pieces here which are
[22:48] think there are pieces here which are super interesting, but at the same time,
[22:50] super interesting, but at the same time, there's some huge privacy questions
[22:52] there's some huge privacy questions here, not just for me, but other people
[22:54] here, not just for me, but other people around me. Now, you can turn this
[22:56] around me. Now, you can turn this feature off entirely. All four of these
[22:58] feature off entirely. All four of these core features can be turned off within
[22:59] core features can be turned off within audio intelligence. In the case of the
[23:01] audio intelligence. In the case of the recap feature, you can have it only
[23:03] recap feature, you can have it only enabled in certain areas. For example,
[23:05] enabled in certain areas. For example, only at home but not at work or vice
[23:06] only at home but not at work or vice versa, only on Monday, Wednesday,
[23:08] versa, only on Monday, Wednesday, Fridays, whatever. Sounds like it works
[23:10] Fridays, whatever. Sounds like it works very similar to focus modes and how that
[23:12] very similar to focus modes and how that feature works in terms of the ability to
[23:14] feature works in terms of the ability to find different areas where it does or
[23:15] find different areas where it does or doesn't work. Still, there are lots of
[23:17] doesn't work. Still, there are lots of questions are about this feature. Not
[23:19] questions are about this feature. Not just again for me, but people around me.
[23:21] just again for me, but people around me. Everything I walk into, it's going to go
[23:22] Everything I walk into, it's going to go ahead and summarize that conversation,
[23:24] ahead and summarize that conversation, even if they're not aware of the fact
[23:26] even if they're not aware of the fact that I'm wearing an Apple Watch. That's
[23:27] that I'm wearing an Apple Watch. That's summarizing that conversation. So,
[23:29] summarizing that conversation. So, again, plenty more on that down the
[23:31] again, plenty more on that down the road. Now, last but not least, when it
[23:32] road. Now, last but not least, when it comes to pricing, pricing remains the
[23:34] comes to pricing, pricing remains the same at $799 for the base unit. And then
[23:36] same at $799 for the base unit. And then other models, depending on like the
[23:38] other models, depending on like the Hermes models and things like that with
[23:39] Hermes models and things like that with other specialty bands and uh schemes,
[23:42] other specialty bands and uh schemes, we'll go ahead and increase the price
[23:43] we'll go ahead and increase the price from there. There are a bunch of new
[23:45] from there. There are a bunch of new bands here, including this new
[23:46] bands here, including this new translucent ocean band, as well as other
[23:48] translucent ocean band, as well as other color bands like this purpley color band
[23:50] color bands like this purpley color band I've been wearing right there, uh, that
[23:51] I've been wearing right there, uh, that you can get that are again new this year
[23:53] you can get that are again new this year as well. All previous bands are fully
[23:55] as well. All previous bands are fully compatible, of course, cuz the case
[23:56] compatible, of course, cuz the case design is the same as the past. Overall,
[23:59] design is the same as the past. Overall, I think the Ultra 4 is a very strong
[24:01] I think the Ultra 4 is a very strong upgrade, especially if you have an older
[24:03] upgrade, especially if you have an older Apple Ultra watch, for example, uh the
[24:05] Apple Ultra watch, for example, uh the Ultra 1, which is not part of Watch OS
[24:07] Ultra 1, which is not part of Watch OS 27, this would be a good upgrade, not
[24:09] 27, this would be a good upgrade, not just for all the new features, but for
[24:10] just for all the new features, but for the features that came last year with
[24:12] the features that came last year with the updated screen and things like that.
[24:14] the updated screen and things like that. If you have an Apple Watch Ultra 3,
[24:16] If you have an Apple Watch Ultra 3, unless you really want the readiness
[24:17] unless you really want the readiness score of the HRV bits or those eventual
[24:20] score of the HRV bits or those eventual audio intelligence bits, you might want
[24:22] audio intelligence bits, you might want to skip this year. Again, it just
[24:23] to skip this year. Again, it just depends on what you want out of your
[24:24] depends on what you want out of your watch. With that, stay tuned for my
[24:26] watch. With that, stay tuned for my series 12 review coming up in the next
[24:27] series 12 review coming up in the next few days here. I will dive into all the
[24:29] few days here. I will dive into all the details on that one just like usual.
[24:32] details on that one just like usual. With that, thanks for watching.

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