Do you love to race through the trails to your favorite music? Then you're in luck, as Apple's latest and greatest AirPods have hit their lowest price ever this Amazon Prime Day. Right now, you can get your hands on Apple's Pro 2 AirPods and run along to your favorite tunes for a record-low price of only $149 on Amazon.

These wireless earbuds are a significant improvement over their predecessors, boasting enhanced audio and plenty of handy new features. They're powered by Apple's adaptive audio technology, which adjusts sound levels based on your environment, to deliver the best audio experience possible.

After plenty of testing, our colleagues at TechRadar were blown away by this pair's "phenomenal" audio performance.

"It's hard to put into words how a pair of headphones can bring joy, because it's about how they enable a connection with the music that wasn't there before," said tech expert Gareth Beavis in his four-and-a-half-star TechRadar review.

"The way that the AirPods Pro 2 do this is a combination of factors: a clear ability to separate out different elements in the music, a strong ability to reproduce bass, a crispness in voice, especially, and all combined with excellent Spatial Audio playback and mind-blowing noise cancellation."

Along with excellent audio performance, the AirPods Pro 2 are a durable option for runners thanks to their dust, sweat, and water resistance, which comes in handy on harsh wilderness trails.

This epic deal is one of many available in the Amazon Prime Day sale. If you're after a cheaper pair of pods, the budget-friendly Apple AirPods 4 are now available for just $119.

If you're not in the US, you can look below for today's Apple Airpods deals where you are:

• The best running headphones: tested on the roads and trails
• Trail running tech: the best gadgets for off-road adventures

Choosing your next smartwatch can be a tricky job. Big-name brands like Garmin, Polar, and Apple have loads of models available across a varying price range. With so many options on offer, a great deal can really stand out, so take a look at this awesome bargain on one of Apple's best watches to date.

Right now, you can snag the Apple Watch Series 10 for just $329 on Amazon, as the retail giant slashes tech prices ahead of the highly anticipated Amazon Prime Day next week.

The Series 10 is a big and shiny smartwatch, designed to be just as suitable for the office as it is racing through the wilderness. Its 46mm wide-angle OLED screen delivers a crisp and colorful picture, built to be visible in even the brightest sunshine. It's encased in a tough combination of 100% recycled aluminium and 95% recycled titanium, so you can hit the trails without worrying about serious damage.

This adventure-ready GPS watch has plenty of sports modes and fitness trackers to help you up your game on the trails. The workout app offers training modes for everything from kickboxing to core strength, and advanced health metrics track your progress as you move.

The Series 10 watch also boasts high-tech GPS tracking, so you can monitor your location and navigate with a handy maps app.

Not in the US? Don't worry, plenty of retailers are holding big sales and slashing the prices of top-quality tech before Amazon Prime Day. Look below for today's best Apple Watch Series 10 deals where you are.

• Best budget GPS watches: track your progress without breaking the bank
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Is it time for an upgrade to your smart watch? Right now, you can pick up the Apple Watch Series 10 for only $299 at Amazon. That's a healthy 25% off the regular list price for this slim GPS watch, and the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Compared to its predecessors, the 10 sports a larger display that's easy to view even when you're on the trail and moving fast, and it's as bright as ever. No Apple Watch is known for its stunning battery power, and this one will get you about 20 hours of use before it needs recharged, so it's fine as long as you're happy to charge it every night.

This 10 has a slimmer build than earlier versions, which makes it easier to wear with a long-sleeved running top or jacket, and it's got all the training features and data you want, from sleep tracking to respiratory rate, plus added features like Crash Detection and Sleep Apnea Detection. You can take an ECG at any time and even track your menstrual cycle.

When our colleagues at Tech Radar reviewed the series 10, they found the activity tracking results and data collected to align pretty closely with those from other smartwatches.

If you're not in the US, scroll down to the bottom of this page for today's best deals on the Apple Watch 10 near you.

This is a limited-time deal on Amazon so we suggest you act fast. This deal applies to the 42mm case in Jet Black, Rose Gold and Silver band colorways.

If you're not in the US or UK, here are today's best deals on the Apple Watch Series 10 where you are:

• Best budget GPS watches: track your progress without breaking the bank
• The best Garmin watches: across the price range

I’m a relative novice to using hiking apps and GPS navigation on the trails, but after being introduced to AllTrails last year, I’ve become a bit of a convert, using it to find new hiking and trail running routes all over Scotland, England, Greece and the Alps. So when I heard that Apple Maps was muscling in on hiking apps’ turf and introducing a custom hiking route function with iOS 18.3, I decided to give it a go.

Here in the UK, Apple Maps doesn't yet show topographical details like it does in the US, but the custom route function is available, so from the comfort of my couch, I startec searching the hills of western Scotland to build a route.

I figured mapping a route somewhere I was unfamiliar with would give me the most realistic experience, but I also wasn’t keen to die for the sake of an article – let's not forget last year’s spate of hikers who were rescued from "clearly dangerous" cliffside after following a non-existent Google Maps trail. There’s also been quite a bit of snow above 2,000ft on my last few hikes which does make it easier to get lost, so I finally settled on some low-lying hills in Loch Lomond National Park that I’ve been meaning to check out for a while.

Fast forward a few weeks and I was on the trail, following a route I’d created on my phone in Loch Lomond National Park. It wasn’t a total disaster, and spoiler alert, I didn’t need to call mountain rescue, but let's just say there are a few reasons why I probably won’t use Apple Maps again.

1. Off to a false start

It turns out that with Apple Maps, you can’t plot a route just anywhere – if there are no existing paths where you want to go, you’ll get a message telling you to tap closer to a path or road. That put my mind somewhat at rest since I assume it at least reduces my chances of falling into a ravine from a non-existent trail.

After a few false starts, I found a path delineated by a dotted line just like on a topo map – part of the John Muir Way, a 134-mile path that crosses the midsection of the country. I tapped on a nearby glamping business where I assumed I’d be able to park and set that as my starting point and began creating an 8.3-mile hike that joined up several trails.

The next day it was grey but dry, so I pulled on my Columbia Konos TRS hiking shoes which are ideal for non-technical hikes and hopped in the car, using Apple Maps to get me to my starting point. About 30 minutes later I was heading up a one-lane country road where I realized my first problem: there was no parking. Driving to the nearest town wasn’t a great option, as it would add miles to my walk, most of it along a road, which I didn’t relish the thought of.

This isn’t Apple Maps’ fault – it’s on me as the user to do my research after all. But it highlighted one of the limitations of using iOS to plot a route – it really works best when you start at an established trailhead, or in a National Park, and then you arguably don’t need the app since there are likely to be maps and trail signs.

Undeterred, I drove on and after another 10 minutes, I found a parking spot and trail signs indicating that this was an access point to the John Muir Way. Fortunately, I had enough cell service to quickly create a new route and download it onto my phone, then I could switch on Airplane mode to save battery and within a few minutes, I was making my way up a moderately steep forest track.

2. I’m not confident in its accuracy

My route promised me a 5.2-mile hike, which sounded ideal, but it also estimated it would take me three hours to complete, which sounded like a lot, and turned out to be about double the time it took me. This wasn't the only time I found it to have accuracy issues.

The day before, I tried plotting a circular route up a mountain I hike regularly as a test. At just over seven miles, it typically takes me a little less than three hours to hike. But once I’d plotted it out, iOS seemed to think it was 14 miles and would take me closer to 10 hours. Big difference.

Back on the trail, after I’d been walking for a while I was pleased to see that, much like when you’re driving in traffic, my ETA started to adjust, but I can imagine less experienced hikers being discouraged by the thought of a 10-hour hike that might only take them four hours. Obviously asking how long a hike will take is like asking how long is a piece of string, but for comparison, I usually find AllTrails reasonably accurate.

As for distance, my Coros Pace 3 clocked my walk at 4.7 miles, which is about half a mile difference. Apple Maps did include two unexplained little spurs it wanted me to follow and then backtrack, which I declined, so it's probably not far off, but I’d be hesitant to trust it for longer unknown routes.

3. No detours available – except one I didn’t want

Often when I’m hiking, I like to take detours. Just last week, I climbed up a new hill in the Ochils of Central Scotland that I’d found using AllTrails. The plan was an out-and-back hike but when I reached the top, my map showed another trail I could take that would take me over another summit to make a loop. On a clear day, I might have been able to figure this out without technology, but I was in a cloud, so it was thanks to the map that I felt confident to continue on.

On the John Muir Way, I reached the first trail junction after about a mile and pulled out my phone to see which direction I should go. Here I got the biggest surprise of all – once you hit Go and start hiking, Apple Maps doesn’t seem to recognize any other possible routes. It just indicates the route you’re following with a blue line. It was clear which way I should go, and I understand that the point is to take the effort out of navigation, but I can’t help but think that when you’re out on a hike, it’s helpful to know as much as possible about your surroundings.

This also meant I later took a wrong turn. Towards the end of my hike, I was heading downhill when the path split. As before, my app didn’t indicate the presence of another option, so I guessed and I was wrong. Shortly I found myself without a trail, picking my way through a deforestation project when Siri’s voice came out of the pocket of my jacket telling me to return to the route. It’s great that I got a wrong turn alert, but what I actually wanted was a more detailed map so I could have made the right decision from the start.

I’m not knocking the GPS or navigation – there was actually a pivotal moment in my hike where I’d have missed a righthand turn without the app, but I’d like to know more about what’s around me in case I want to go exploring or change my plans.

4. Other apps do it better

“You have arrived,” Siri informs me unhelpfully as I get back to my car, unscathed but looking forward to getting back to hiking without that voice in my pocket.

As John Muir himself once said, in every walk with nature we receive far more than we seek, and as always I’ve benefitted from my time outdoors. There are even aspects of Apple Maps I quite like. The map stays on the home screen of my phone rather than disappearing into the background when I open my camera to take photos – something that does happen with AllTrails. And I like that the routes are downloadable and therefore available when I’m offline, or out of cell service.

In fairness, I probably pushed iOS 18.3 to the limits with what I was asking it to do – it’s really meant for hiking on well-established trails and in National Parks. But the crux of all this for me is that if you want to hike with a navigational app, loads already do it better: AllTrails+, Strava, Komoot, Garmin and Trailforks to name a few.

I’m sure that Apple’s land grab is just the start of a plan to develop this feature and make it more accurate and useful, but other apps are years ahead of them in terms of development. Apple Maps is great for getting you to the trailhead, but once you’re there there are better ways to navigate, whether that means GPS or a good old-fashioned map and compass.

How to plot a hiking route using Apple Maps

1. Open the Maps app on your phone or other device
2. Select a starting point by tapping on a road, path, or trail to drop a pin
3. Tap on More and select Create Custom route
4. Build your route by tapping or clicking on other points you wish to visit
5. Choose whether you want to to go out and back, make a loop, or reverse the route
6. Save the route with a name
7. To navigate to the trailhead, tap Directions
8. To start turn-by-turn directions, tap Go

• The best GPS watches: feature-packed timepieces
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Resistant to sweat, water, and dust, these high-tech AirPods Pro 2 earbuds are a runner's best friend in the backcountry and well reduced for Black Friday.

Right now, you can snag the high-tech Apple AirPods Pro 2 for just $153.99, down 38% from their list price of $249, in a whopping Black Friday reduction of $95.

Aiming to provide an immersive listening experience wherever you are, the Pro 2s use intelligent noise control to block out distracting outside noise and improve sound quality. Meanwhile, Apple's own H2 chip kills distortion, delivering crisp, clear notes and a deep base.

Want to be aware of your surroundings in the wilderness? Simply turn on transparency mode to stop noise cancellation and hear the world around you.

In addition, the Pro 2s boast an extremely long-lasting battery life so you can keep listening for up to 30 hours, more than enough to power through lengthy runs in the backcountry.

If you're not in the US, scroll down to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on Apple AirPods where you are.

Don't worry if you're not in the US, plenty of retailers from around the world will be offering big savings on Apple AirPods. Look below for the best deals where you are.

More great Black Friday deals

• The North Face: big reductions available on jackets, hoodies and other essentials
• Camping: keep cozy with great savings on tents, sleeping bags and other gear
• Hiking: the best deals from big-name brands
• Yeti: great deals on drink-ware
• Patagonia: Big savings available on base layers and waterproofs
• Arc'teryx: prices slashed for stylish winter jackets and softshells
• Garmin: Great savings on top notch Garmin sports watches

• The best running headphones 2024 tested on the roads and trails

Black Friday is weeks away but you can already grab Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 for just $189.99 at Amazon. 

Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 are in-ear headphones but have a 'Transparency' mode which has a similar function to the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones and actively allows in noise around you, which makes them a safe and ideal choice for running or when you still want to hear your surroundings. 

Another interesting health feature on the AirPods is the world’s first hearing health experience – a scientifically validated Hearing Test, which allows users to keep tabs on their hearing health. They are also customizable to a wide range of ear shapes with four pairs of silicone tips included that make them perfect for all-day comfort.

If you're not in the US, here are today's best deals on the Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 where you are:

• The best running headphones: tested on the roads and trails

Do you love hiking with AllTrails but hate constantly looking at your phone when you're out in nature? Great news – the popular navigation app announced updates to its Apple Watch app today that make it easier for you to enjoy the trail.

Starting today, you can tuck your phone away in your backpack and use the new AllTrails compass feature on your watch whenever you need navigational guidance. You can also track your activity stats on your watch in real time via AllTrails if you want to keep an eye on how long you've been out on the trail, watch your pace, heart rate and how much elevation you've gained. You can even see how much time you have left before you can get back to the trailhead and take your hiking boots off.

“Now there’s no need to reach for your phone while taking in the views or holding your dog’s leash," says Ivan Selin, chief product officer at AllTrails.

"We built our Apple Watch app to make it easier than ever to explore the outdoors hands-free.” 

If you use the Apple Health app, you can integrate your hike, run or ride into it so that it offers a more accurate screenshot of your activity level and health stats. And if you're an AllTrails+ subscriber, your watch will buzz to let you know if you've taken a wrong turn to help keep you safe.

The Apple Watch update joins AllTrails’ suite of watch experiences, which includes AllTrails on Android and Garmin watches. 

When using a wearable for navigation on a hike, it's important to carry a portable charger in case your device runs out of battery and remember that for backcountry escapades, a backup topo map and compass will never run out of battery, so it's a good idea to pack them for backup.

• The best GPS watches: tested by experts

Step aside pumpkin spice lattes – there's a new drink in town for fall and it's perfect for those of you who spend long days on the trail. Next time you're lacing up your best trail running shoes for an extended adventure, you can fill your water bottle with Skratch Labs limited-edition apple cider flavored hydration mix.

This seasonal offering from the Boulder-based nutrition brand can be taken hot or cold, and the brand jokes on Instagram that they've brought it back due to "peer pressure" from fans.

The brand says the flavor is ideal for "crisp fall morning rides and runs, and chilly winter adventures" and like all of its flavors, it's designed to help you hydrate faster when you're sweating buckets thanks to glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that's easy on your gut.

Joking or not, their followers are clearly happy about the news, with one writing that they had already ordered three bags and another begging, "Will you warn us when it’s about to stop selling for the season so we can access our stock?"

Skratch Labs Apple Cider hydration sports drink is available on Amazon where you can scoop up 20 servings for $21.95 for a limited time only. Not in the US? Here are the best deals on Skratch Labs hydration mixes near you: 

• The best active nutrition 2024: bars, gels and drinks to fuel your outdoor adventures

Hiking with Apple Maps is about to become a far more immersive experience, as the tech giant introduces a range of new updates. Designed to make Apple Maps a hiker’s best friend, the new features allow users greater control over their route and more information on the trails. 

From Yosemite to Yellowstone, users can browse hikes from all 63 US national parks, filtering by route type, length and elevation, while keeping on track with turn-by-turn GPS navigation. Users can also now access downloaded routes offline, tracking their progress without signal. 

Maps in the US and Japan have also become topographic, with contour lines indicating elevation. 

Available with the latest iOS 18, IPadOS 18, MacOS Sequoia and watch OS 11 system updates, Maps' latest upgrade puts power into users' hands, allowing them to create and save their own routes, tailoring hikes to their personal preferences.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior VP of services said: “Apple Maps is the best way to navigate and explore the world, and we’re excited to make that experience even better.

“Maps makes it easy and enjoyable to plan any journey, with beautiful, detailed, and useful features that only Apple can deliver.”

The update lands a fresh punch in Apple Maps ongoing fist fight with navigation app AllTrails, whose recent update of their own included some bold new features. 

The new Park Pages feature provides up to date information on national and local parks, recommending trails highlighting opening times and warning of fees and permits. 

The redesigned trail page is equally handy, citing hikes' lengths, elevation and difficulty all on one page.  

• Map and compass vs GPS which serves you best when exploring the wilderness
• The best navigation apps 2024 find your way in the great outdoors

Got your hiking boots at the ready? AllTrails has rolled out a suite of new updates to its popular navigation app to help its 60 million users across the globe make better decisions about where to hike, and what they'll need to do it.

The news comes after we reported on Apple Maps sauntering off with some of the apps' best features earlier this week, and is a strong indication that AllTrails has no intention of being surpassed any time soon in the hiking app world.

"This is our biggest update yet," AllTrails Chief Technology Officer James Graham tells us, as he unveiled the new features on Wednesday. 

I recently went hiking in with AllTrails to better understand how the app works. Some features, such as Live Share which alerts your emergency contacts to your location on a hike if you want it to, are only available to AllTrails+ users for $35.99 per year, the new functions are available free to everyone. Just download or update your app to get the latest.

Here are the ones we're most excited about:

1. Collections

The collections feature allows you to add filters to your search so you can home in on the hikes you really want to do. Now when you open the AllTrails app anywhere in the world, you'll see Collections across the top which group local hikes together by features that the data shows many hikers are interested in. 

Prefer to visit a hidden gem over a hot spot? Want to see a waterfall? Need a dog-friendly trail? Just click on the collections that suit your needs and wishes and the app now recommends a thoughtful list of hikes perfect for you.

2. Park Pages

There's no denying that National Parks are a popular location for hikers in the US –Graham points out that the annual visitation as of the 63 National Parks is about the same as the entire population of the US. 

With Park Pages, you can now go directly to the park you want to visit – that can mean a National Park like Yellowstone, a State Park or a local park in your backyard. and access information like opening hours, top trail recommendations, and fees and permits which Graham explains helps hikers avoid disappointment.

As we've previously reported, AllTrails launched its Public Lands Program at the beginning of the year, which gives land managers access to edit and update these pages to ensure all information stays current.

3. Redesigned Trail Page

When you're considering a hike using the AllTrails app, you want to find the most important information upfront, and Graham explains that they've examined the data to determine exactly what hikers are looking for first, and used that information to redesign the trail page.

Now when you arrive at the page for your intended trail, you'll be able to see how long it is, how difficult and the elevation gain without having to search or scroll. The photo gallery of snaps from other users has been curated so you can preview the trail visually, see what the top sights are and what the trail looks like in different months to help guide your decision, and know what gear you might need. 

That last function is especially valuable as more and more of us have started getting out with our trekking poles in all seasons, and need to be prepared for changing conditions throughout the year.

• The best solar chargers: for keeping your tech juiced up

Late last year, Apple crowned AllTrails the best iPhone app of 2023 – now the tech giant is planning to integrate some of the navigation app's best features into its own maps app. 

In its 14-year history, AllTrails has become an integral part of the hiking community, used by 60 million people worldwide to access details of over 400,000 trails in nearly 200 countries. Earlier this year, the San Francisco-based company unveiled its Public Lands Program, which gives land managers from agencies like the National Parks Service access to trail-use insights and the ability edit trail information and send real-time alerts for more accurate information. 

Companies like Apple know good ideas when they see them, and in yesterday's iOS 18 announcement, the Cupertino-based corporation revealed exactly which features of AllTrails they're most impressed with by revealing their intentions to imitate them.

Later this year, users of Apple Maps – that's the free maps app that comes preinstalled on any iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple Watch – will start to see features that will be very familiar to AllTrails users. In Apple Maps, you'll soon be able to access topographical maps and browse thousands of hikes across US National Parks, and create your own custom walking routes which you can download and access offline. You can also save your favorite National Park hikes to an all-new Places Library where you can add details and notes about each trail.

These functions will be free to Apple Maps users – for now, at least – but in AllTrails they're currently only available in AllTrails+, which costs $35.99 per year, or $3 per month. There's no doubt that Apple is muscling in on territory that AllTrails has been comfortably dominating for a while now, but it's also clear that Apple Maps is nowhere near close to being a replacement for the hiking app, which provides hikers with a full suite of curated features such as 3D maps, route preview, wrong turn alerts and a Live Share function so you can share your location with loved ones, all in one place. 

Making matters more interesting, AllTrails is making an announcement later this week to roll out further updates, so watch this space to find out what they're doing to stay ahead of the navigation game.

Also of interest to hikers with iPhones, iOS 18 will allow users to send messages via satellite for times when cellular and Wi-Fi connections aren’t available, which is often the case in the backcountry. Remember to carry a portable phone charger if you're relying on your iPhone for emergency communications, and consider also investing in a satellite communicator like the Garmin InReach, which if you're only using it for emergencies can stay charged for a couple of weeks.

• Why learn navigation? The case for a map and compass

Hopefully you like the look of the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, because it sounds like the next version is going to give us more of the same.

This week, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has over 10 years of experience reporting on the company, told MacRumors that there would be "almost no" hardware upgrades when the new watch makes its debut later this year.

Previously, industry experts including Kuo and Bloomberg's Mike Gurman had predicted that a future edition of the Apple Watch Ultra may feature a microLED display rather than AMOLED, which would offer improved viewing angles, higher contrast, and greater efficiency compared to AMOLED.

However, opinion on the subject has now shifted, and there's now a widely-held belief that Apple has put its plans for proprietary microLED displays on hold. 

It had previously been rumored that Apple might skip a year and hold off until 2025 to release the Apple Watch Ultra 3, but now experts seem to believe it will press ahead, even if the changes are only very minor.

That will come as a disappointment to anyone hoping for a similar upgrade to the one Apple delivered last year.

Although they look identical at first glance, there are some significant hardware differences between the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. First there's the display, which is 50% brighter than that of the original watch on its maximum setting. Second, there's a new processor tucked inside, which facilitates features like Double-Tap gestures. Finally, there's the case, which has the same design, but is now made of recycled titanium.

Watch and wait

The new device will likely be revealed at the company's annual product showcase in September, when CEO Tim Cook is also expected to reveal the next generation of iPhones, plus the Apple Watch Series 10.

Gurman has suggested that the Apple Watch Series 10 may be able to detect hypertension and sleep apnea more accurately than watches that use an optical heart rate sensor to estimate blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), but we'll have to wait until the event to find out for sure. 

• The best GPS watches: our top recommendations tested and rated

Whenever you’re venturing into the backcountry, it’s advised that you carry a satellite communicator such as the Garmin InReach in case you get lost or injured. That way, even if there’s no cell service, you’ll be able to contact mountain rescue and increase your chances of survival. Put that way, it seems like a no-brainer, but let’s be honest here – satellite communication devices are expensive and the majority of us don’t carry one for that reason.

What almost everyone carries into the wild with them, however, is a smartphone, and Apple’s iPhone has a relatively new feature that can connect you to rescue crews when you’re out of service, and it’s already saving lives. There was the Alaskan snowmobiler who became stranded while traveling solo in the wilderness and the couple who were injured after crashing their car down a remote California canyon – in both cases, the victims survived after activating this feature. And just last week, Douglas County Search and Rescue south of Denver reported that they had carried out three rescue missions in two weeks where the subjects were able to communicate with them using their iPhones.

The feature is iPhone’s Emergency SOS and with an increasing number of people heading off the beaten track, we thought we’d take the opportunity to highlight it in case you’re adventuring with a satellite function you weren’t even aware you had in your pocket. In this article, we’ll examine which phones have the SOS feature and how it works to keep you safer in the backcountry.

What is iPhone SOS?

Primarily, the SOS feature is a means to send a message to emergency services when you’re out of cell phone range, though it has some other features worth knowing about. When SOS appears in your iPhone status bar – that’s the top of the screen which shows whether navigation is running, which cellular network you’re connected to and whether you’re connected to Wifi or on flight mode – it means that a network is available for emergency calls. 

The SOS feature can also communicate the details from your medical ID to emergency services, if you have it set up, and allows you to add emergency contacts. If you end up having to make a call using SOS, your iPhone can communicate your medical ID to rescuers, and even alert your emergency contacts via text message, if you want it to.

Which iPhones have SOS?

If you’re in the US and Canada, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro with iOS 16.1 or later all come equipped with Emergency SOS. If you’re in France, Germany, Ireland or the UK, you’ll need one of these phones with iOS 16.2 or later. If you are injured and can't reach your phone, you can also access the SOS function on your Apple Watch.

If you own any of these phones and you find yourself in hot water on the trail, you can text emergency services via satellite when you're off the grid even if you don’t have any cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

How to use emergency SOS on your iPhone

If your backcountry adventure goes awry and you find yourself lost in a boulder field, hunkering down in a whiteout or unable to hike out due to a sprained ankle, you’ll probably pull your phone out and try to call for help (unless you’re this guy, who ignored repeated calls from mountain rescue, because he didn’t recognize the number).

In the past, if you had no service the call would simply fail to go through, leaving you scrambling your resources to survive a night in the wild and hope your loved ones realize quickly that you’re missing. Now, however, Apple advises you should still try to make the call and if no cellular network is available, your iPhone will prompt you to try to connect via satellite. It will then guide you through a series of options where you can select roadside assistance if you’re stranded but uninjured, or relay details of your situation, injuries and location to emergency services.

It all sounds easy enough, but Apple warns that this process is different from making a call or sending a message. Ideally, you need a direct view of the sky and the horizon to connect to GPS satellites and without that, it can be more difficult to connect. Apple provides the following instructions to help you get the most out of Emergency SOS:

• Be outside with a clear view of the sky and the horizon.
• Be aware that trees with light foliage may slow down the connection. Dense foliage, hills or mountains, canyons and tall structures may block the connection.
• Hold your iPhone naturally in your hand. You don't need to raise your arm or hold your phone up, but don't put it in a pocket or backpack.
• If you need to turn left or right or move to avoid a blocked signal, your iPhone will provide onscreen instructions.
• The satellite connection can be maintained even if your phone screen is locked.
• Satellite connectivity may not work in places above 62° latitude, such as northern parts of Alaska.

Making sure Emergency SOS works for you also requires a little advance planning before you get your hiking boots on. First, you obviously want to charge your phone before you go, know how to keep it from dying on a hike and carry a solar charger or similar device as a backup. Next, Apple advises that you should always update to the latest version of iOS before going somewhere with no cellular service, which is most places in the wild, to make sure it works.

It’s also important to update your medical ID on your iPhone with details like any medical conditions and medications you take, allergies and your age, which can help rescuers. Finally, make sure your phone has up-to-date numbers for your chosen emergency contacts. If you choose to share your situation with them, they’ll receive a text message (even if they don’t use an iPhone) with details like a transcript of your conversation with emergency services and a map showing your location.

You can learn more about Apple’s Emergency SOS feature including details on privacy and how to perform a demo on Apple’s support page. 

How much does Emergency SOS cost?

Right now, Apple states that Emergency SOS via satellite is free for two years after the activation of your iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro. However, there is not currently any information about what will happen when those two years lapse.

It’s important not to use SOS as a replacement for other hiking safety tools. You should always know your own skill and ability level, tell someone where you are going and when you’ll be back, carry a map of the area, a compass, and other hiking essentials like an emergency shelter. Remember that even if your iPhone easily connects with emergency teams, rescue can take many hours and in the meantime, it's up to you to keep yourself warm and dry if you can.

• The best first aid kits 2024: be prepared for accidents and emergencies

The Training Today fitness tracker app for Apple Watch has launched a new feature that generates bespoke personalized training sessions individually curated using your ‘readiness to train’ (RTT) score.

These new ‘dynamic run workout sets’ are structured run session recommendations based on a user’s unique RTT score. Workouts can be selected from five categories: Strength, Aerobic Endurance, Speed Endurance, Speed or Recovery. You can then pick a challenge level: easy, reduced, normal, elevated, or challenging.

Once you're happy with selected set and challenge level, Training Today will create the workout and send it directly to your Apple Watch. You can then access it via the Apple Watch app, which guides you through your session and shows when you've successfully completed it.

The Training Today app, which launched in May 2020, uses your Apple's Watch's biometrics together with its own algorithm to generate RTT values based on factors such as heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, and activity. It displays this as a numerical score and color-coded charts, with detailed graphs and extra analytics available if you're a subscriber. Multi-day charts – with insights offered throughout the day – help you spot common triggers and patterns in your scores, so you can adapt your lifestyle and training choices accordingly.

Further updates are also planned for the coming months; including the introduction of full training plans and workouts that cover additional sports, such as swimming and cycling.

Founder and managing director of Training Today, Ian Blackburn, says “This is a pivotal development for the Training Today app, and signals the hard work that is going on behind the scenes to create the most intuitive and user-friendly fitness app.

“I have used an Apple Watch for many years, and have found that although the metrics are superb, they are simply not actionable, being difficult to interpret and analyze. The Training Today app smooths and simplifies this data, communicating it via colour and numbers so that an individual can easily access the key pieces of information.

“Our new dynamic workouts take things to a whole new level, offering users the opportunity to not only see their RTT score but also put it into practice, and this is only the start for us as we continue to grow and develop.”

The Training Today app is free to download and is compatible with iOS devices. Subscriptions are available from $2.95 / £2.95 a month or $19.99 / £19.99 a year, with a special offer of $26.99 / £26.99 for a lifetime subscription currently available.

• The best road running shoes 2024: hit the streets at speed

Apple is allegedly speeding up development of a smart ring to rival Samsung’s already-announced Galaxy Ring, claims a new report coming out of Korea (via Electronic Times). Pundits predict the battle between the two could see the smart ring market expand by 10 times.

It’s a fairly open secret that Apple has been looking into the potential of smart rings for a while now, with several patent applications for features having made their way on line. Recently, Apple has been accelerating the development of the ‘Apple Ring’ (exact name yet to be announced) by registering several smart ring-related patents in quick succession. 

In November of last year, the company patented the technology for linking a smart ring with other devices via short-range wireless communication circuit, which is expected to be used like a remote control for other Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads.

Now, according to an industry insider speaking to Electronic Times, “Apple has consistently released smart ring-related patents for several years, so advanced development for commercialization appears to be imminent.”

This year certainly seems a good time to launch: according to Business Research Insight, a global market research firm, the global smart ring market size is expected to grow from $20 million last year to $197.03 million in 2031.That’s an average expansion of 28.9% per year. Now is also the right time to get into biosensor manufacturing, as all the rings will need them.

The device is certain to come with many health and fitness tracking capabilities. Both Samsung and Apple are growing the digital healthcare market, and are see smart rings as devices that can improve health and wellness through precise tracking, but which are less intrusive than a watch, can be worn for longer and are easier wear while you’re wearing.

Will Apple try to beat the Samsung Galaxy to the market, which is expected to launch in the second half of this year after an unveiling at its second Galaxy Unpacked 2024 event, probably in  July. Probably not. After all, the company mantra is “Be best, not first.” But it is looking more and more likely that we’ll be seeing official teases sometime soon.

• The best cheap GPS watches 2024: take your running to the next level for less

It might be years before the Apple Watch Ultra gets a major screen update according to new leaks, which suggest that the watch's long-awaited MicroLED display has been delayed until at least 2027. As Notebookcheck explains, the claims come from Korean media outlet The Elec, which cites "multiple industry officials".

MicroLED displays have a lot of advantages over the AMOLED tech used by the Apple Watch Ultra. They offer brighter and more vivid colors (potentially even better than the Apple Watch Ultra 2), improved contrast, and better viewing angles. MicroLED tech is also more efficient, which could help extend the battery life of a future Apple Watch Ultra beyond 36 hours in typical use – the device's biggest limitation compared to adventure watches from rivals like Garmin and Coros.

Rumors of a MicroLED-equipped Apple Watch Ultra have been circulating for some time. In spring last year, Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman reported that the tech could come to the Apple Watch Ultra in 2025 or 2026, with MicroLED-equipped phones and laptops following shortly after. Now, however, it seems that date may be pushed back even further.

The MicroLED display for the Apple Watch Ultra is said to have been in production for over six years, and is custom-designed by the company itself, but is proving much more expensive to build than anticipated. According to The Elec, each MicroLED display could cost four times the price of an OLED screen ($150 compared to $38).

The MicroLED panel is rumored to be slightly larger (2.12in compared to 1.93in for the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2), and it's possible that Apple may simply switch to a larger OLED until the new tech is ready. We won't know for certain until the company's product showcase in September, when we'll learn what's coming from the next generation device.

• The best GPS watches: the latest models from Apple, Garmin and more tested

It can be hard to keep up with the ever-advancing technology on GPS watches such as your Apple Watch, and skiers are discovering one feature is making unwanted calls on their behalf. Idaho public officials issued a warning to skiers this week after seeing an uptick in 911 calls made from Apple Watches.

In a Facebook post, the Boise County Sheriff’s Office issued a call for caution after receiving "an alarming number of such calls," primarily from the Bogus Basin ski area in Boise.

"While our dispatchers are adept at discerning false alerts by assessing the situation over the call, each incident requires the same level of response and resource allocation as a genuine emergency. This influx of calls poses a significant challenge, potentially diverting resources from actual emergencies."

The feature in question is the fall detection feature, which alerts emergency services if it detects you have fallen with impact. Fall detection has saved some hikers' lives in recent months, deeming it worthy for outdoors enthusiasts, but of course, skiers fall much more often than the average mountain user. 

When you go down hard on an icy black and your watch starts chirping, you have a one-minute window to cancel the call, however the sheriff's office has observed that all the layers associated with skiing, such as the ski jacket and fleece covering your wrist plus a helmet covering your ears, might be hindering your ability to detect the alarm. "It has been observed that many users, especially in winter attire, are unable to notice or deactivate the alarm in time, resulting in inadvertent emergency calls."

If you are skiing with an Apple Watch, officials urge you to familiarize yourself with your device's settings and help spread awareness about this issue to help ensure that emergency services are not overwhelmed by false alarms and can respond effectively to real emergencies. If you realize your fall detection feature has activated and you've missed the one minute window, stay on the line with emergency services until the matter is resolved.

• Apple Watch Ultra vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: all the differences from box to processor

Meet the tester

Apple Watch Ultra 2: first impressions

The Apple Watch Ultra 2, launched in fall 2023, is an iteration rather than a revelation, sticking to the same design principles as its predecessor, but with a few tweaks that become apparent with use. 

The two main differences are an upgraded display, which is 50% brighter, and a new processor that makes the whole experience of using the watch that little bit smoother, and enables a new gesture control for one-handed operation.

Impressively, Apple has made these upgrades without increasing the size or weight of the watch, and while maintaining the same battery life.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 looks almost identical to its predecessor, with the same tough titanium case measuring 49mm on the diagonal, and an extra-large Digital Crown with a ridged edge that makes it easy to use with gloved, wet, or cold hands.

The difference is that this time the titanium is entirely recycled, and if you choose to pair it with the fabric Alpine Loop or Trail Loop, the whole watch is carbon neutral. Apple hasn’t quite managed to balance out carbon emissions for the silicone Ocean Loop yet, but hopefully we’ll soon see a greener version of that as well.

The Alpine Loop is made from nylon, and fastens securely with a G-shaped titanium fastener that hooks into loops on the band. It’s less bulky than a buckle, quicker to fasten, and absolutely won’t budge. The Trail Loop (which was the one supplied with my review unit) is also made from fabric, and is secured with a simple hook-and-loop fastening. It’s the lightest of the three standard bands, and can be adjusted precisely for a comfortable fit that won’t shift while you’re running. The Ocean Band is designed for life in the water, and comes in two sizes so you can fasten the Apple Watch Ultra 2 over a wetsuit.

Because the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the same basic case design as its predecessor, it also suffers from one of the same drawbacks: the chunky Digital Crown stands slightly proud of the rear of the case, and I found it sometimes wound up rubbing against my skin slightly as I rotated it. That doesn’t seem to be a common complaint though, and can be easily remedied by reversing the orientation of the watch’s screen so you can wear it ‘upside down’, with the crown on the left.

Apple Watch Ultra 2: on the trails

 The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is significantly chunkier than its sibling, the Apple Watch Series 9, but is still comfortable and easy to wear for runs, rides and hikes. It tips the scale at 61.4g, which is about standard for a serious GPS watch. To put that into context, the standard 47mm diameter Garmin Fenix 7 is 56g (79g with its silicone band), and the Garmin Enduro 2 is 64g (70g with its standard nylon strap).

At 14.4mm, it's the same thickness as the Fenix 7, and slips easily enough under all but the tightest base layers.

GPS tracking is superb, and during my pre-measured 5km test run the Apple Watch Ultra 2 tracked the distance to within 60 meters, which is well within the margin of error for a route on roads rather than a track. The watch always established a GPS lock within a couple of seconds, and showed no signs of GPS drift, regardless of tree cover, nearby high-rise buildings, and even tunnels.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is clearly designed to appeal to hikers, runners, swimmers and divers who might normally opt for a wearable from the likes of Garmin, Coros, or Polar. It offers an ever-expanding range of fitness tracking features to rival the biggest names in sports watches, such as running power from the wrist, running dynamics like cadence and stride length, and cycling stats. You can even set different heart rate zones for running and cycling, which is something many sports watches don't offer.

Nevertheless, it's hard to directly compare it to a typical sports watch. Whether the Ultra 2 is a viable alternative depends very much on how you intend to use it.

The biggest drawback of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is its battery life, which is much shorter than that of dedicated sports watches from the likes of Garmin and Coros. Apple quotes a typical battery life of 36 hours (the same as the original Apple Watch Ultra), though that assumes fairly heavy use, and during day-to-day wear with just one GPS-tracked run per evening, I found it would typically only need charging every other day.

That’s a big change if you’re used to a sports watch that needs charging once a week at most (possibly once a month depending on the model you choose), but as a full-fat smartwatch the Apple Watch offers a lot more. That includes voice calls and texts if you have a data plan, access to an app store that dwarfs Garmin Connect IQ, and a much more powerful and capable processor.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a new dual-core processor that makes the overall experience of using the watch faster and smoother, and enables the watch’s new gesture controls. Previous Apple Watch models offered some basic gestures for accessibility purposes (a feature called AssistiveTouch), giving wearers with limited mobility a way to control their watch single-handed, but the new double-tap gesture is designed to make life a little easier for everyone.

I was able to try double-tap early at an Apple press event, and it rolled out to all Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 owners towards the end of 2023. To use it, you simply raise your wrist to look at the watch, hold your thumb and index finger about an inch apart, and tap them together twice in quick succession.

Making this gesture performs the default action on your watch’s screen, whether that’s answering a call, hanging up, browsing though your Smart Stack, cancelling an alarm, or taking a photo with your iPhone. It worked perfectly for me, though it’s worth noting that it doesn’t work with all apps, so you won’t be able to use it to control Komoot or AllTrails, for example. Not yet, at least.

As you’d expect, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 also works perfectly in tandem with your iPhone, expanding its features in interesting and useful ways. For example, you can use the watch as a viewfinder for your phone’s camera, letting you position the phone on a tripod for the perfect mountaintop shot, and ensure you’re perfectly posed in the frame before snapping the picture

If you need some motivation, Apple Fitness Plus is a great training tool. You get a three-month free trial with your Apple Watch Ultra 2, after which it costs $9.99/month or $79.99 annually.

One of my favorite features is Time to Run, in which personal trainers take you on a virtual session along their favorite routes. Along the way you'll see photos from the location on your watch face, and may be asked to perform some drills related to where you are along the course. It's a nice option for training alone, adding some structure and distractions to your sessions.

You also get access to a huge bank of instructor-led workouts to perform at home with options for no equipment, treadmills, and indoor bikes – similar to Peloton or Les Mills, but with a better variety of tunes thanks to Apple Music.

When it comes to third-party apps, you're spoiled for choice because all the key services have a tool specially designed for watchOS (Apple's wearable operating system). Komoot, Strava, Alltrails – they're all there. The only one I use regularly that doesn't have a native watchOS app is TrainingPeaks, and that still works fine if you sync the workouts from your iPhone.

Battery life will remain a sticking point for hikers, campers, bikepackers and ultrarunners heading off-grid for an extended period, but for those sticking closer to home, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers an extremely slick and polished experience that doesn't want for training tools, all wrapped up in a smart but tough package.

• How Advnture tests products

In our news story yesterday about Apple having to withdraw two of its watches – the Series 9 and the Ultra 2 – from sale in the US following its loss in a parent law suit with medical tech company Masimo, we were left wondering what Apple’s response would be. After all, the company would surely want the lucrative smartwatches back on sale as soon as possible.

Well, according to Bloomberg, the solution that Apple is proposing does not impress Masimo.

The issue concerned the SpO2 sensors which the watches use to monitor blood oxygen levels. The International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in Masimo’s favor.

Apple’s engineers are currently making making tweaks to the phones’ software, which would change the way oxygen saturation is recorded and also how the data is delivered to the users. Apple believes these updates will mean the watches no longer violate Masimo’s patents.

Masimo begs to differ. It tells Bloomberg that a software change will not be sufficient and the hardware will need to be changed. So even after Apple submits the work-rounds to the ITC, it looks like Masimo will continue to cry foul.

So it looks like we won’t be seeing the two watches back on sale any time soon.

The Series 9 and Ultra 2 will no longer be available from 21 December online and 24 December in retail stores across the States. However, third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy can continue to sell the watches while stocks lasts.

The ban affects the watches that have a blood oxygen sensor. Other watches, like the Apple Watch SE, will be available for purchase as usual.

• The best running watches 2023: tech to help you train smarter

If you’re thinking of buying someone one of the latest Apple watches for Christmas, you better act fast.

Apple is withdrawing its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches from sale in the United States following a ruling in a patent case between Apple and medical technology company Masimo.

The Series 9 and Ultra 2 will no longer be available from 21 December online and 24 December in retail stores across the States.

The dispute, which has been ongoing for a couple of years, is over the SpO2 sensors used on the Apple Watch since their introduction on the Series 6.

The halt in sales comes after the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that these two watch models’ use of blood oxygen tracking violated a patent from health technology company Masimo. This feature lets users ensure that their red blood cells have a normal amount of oxygen in them.

Masimo, which claimed that Apple violated a patent with its blood oxygen monitoring feature, filed the lawsuit against Apple in 2020 to the Central District of California and a case to the International Trade Commission (ITC) in 2021.

The ITC ruled in favor of Masimo in October. However, the ruling gave President Biden 60 days to review the patent violations and potentially veto it, which, if it’s going to happen, needs to happen by Christmas Day.

With this looking increasingly unlikely (well, he’s probably too busy wrapping presents) Apple is taking pre-emptive steps by removing the current Series 9 and Ultra 2 from sale.

The Apple Watch SE is unaffected because it doesn’t have blood oxygen sensors.

It’s currently unclear when the two watches might become available again, and whether Apple will have to remove the offending sensors or come to a deal with Masimo.

• The best running watches 2023: tech to help you train smarter

A Georgia hiker has said a feature on his Apple Watch likely saved his life when he suffered a bad fall on the trail.

Mike Menand was hiking in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area north of Atlanta with his two dogs earlier this year when the pups "got spooked" by what he thinks was a coyote. The dogs knocked him down and dragged him off the trail where he suffered serious injuries. In a new interview, he tells Fox 5 Atlanta that he was unable to reach his phone because it was in a pocket that he was lying on.

"There’s no telling how long I would’ve been laying there," he says, adding, "I realized I couldn’t move, I couldn’t get up. I was in a lot of pain."

Luckily for Menard, his Apple Watch had the fall detection feature turned on, which can call for help if the accelerometer detects that the wearer has fall with impact. 

Some of the terrain in the area is known to be extremely treacherous, and only a few weeks after Menard's accident, a 46-year-old woman fell to her death while walking her dogs on an unofficial trail, something he acknowledges could have happened to him without the technology on his wrist.

"I thought that could’ve been me. Because I was by myself, no one around me, no one really knew where I was."

This is the second time this year we've reported on fall detection saving a trail user's life. In July, a Norwegian trail runner was badly injured in a fall, suffering several broken ribs and a punctured lung which meant he was unable to use his phone, but was able to summon help using his watch.

How to set up fall detection

To set up fall detection on an Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap 'My Watch'. Tap 'Emergency SOS' and toggle the option on. If your age is set to 55 or over in your profile, it will be turned on by default. It's not available if you're 18 or under.

Incident detection on a Garmin watch works the same way, but rather than calling emergency services, it sends a text message to a contact defined in the Garmin Connect app, including your GPS location. To set it up, open the app and select 'Safety and Tracking' from the main menu and enter the contact details for the person you want to receive the SOS. You will then be asked to send them a confirmation message, which they will need to accept.

• Best GPS watches

The Apple Watch Ultra has a very distinctive design, with its chunky titanium case and extra large digital crown, but recently unearthed documents have revealed that it was originally going to look a bit different.

Documentation submitted to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) shows a prototype of the watch with a much darker ceramic back than the version that ultimately went on sale in September 2022. In the pre-production images (which you can see on Wareable), the watch's Action button also looks different, seeming to be made from plastic rather than the metal used in the final design. 

All devices capable of transmitting wireless signals, including smartwatches, have to be submitted to the FCC for testing before they can go on sale in the US, to make sure that they comply with laws on the use of radio bands. The agency publishes lists of recently approved devices, but details like pre-production photos are usually restricted (often for years) to avoid giving competitors an unfair advantage.

We don't know why Apple decided to make these changes, but as you can see in my photos above, Apple stuck with the light gray color and metal button for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. I'm currently testing the Ultra 2, and will bring you a full review very soon.

Black Friday discounts

If you're thinking of picking up an Apple Watch Ultra for Black Friday, you're in luck – particularly if you're in the UK where it's down to a record low price of £649 at Amazon. The deal applies to the version of the watch with the Alpine Loop band in either green or starlight.

If you're not in the UK, here are today's best deals on the Apple Watch Ultra near you, with prices updated daily.

• Black Friday Garmin deals: the best offers on watches, bike computers and more

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has only been available for a couple of months, but rumors about its successor are already circulating, including suggestions that it might not be ready in time for Apple's September 2024 product showcase. But would that be such a bad thing? As someone who tests GPS watches for a living, I think it might be worth the wait.

As Notebookcheck reports, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has heard whispers that Apple's engineers haven't begun working on the next-generation adventure watch yet, meaning they'd be racing against the clock to have it ready by next fall.

There are a couple of possible reasons for this. First of all, there may be delays in the production of the microLED displays that might be replacing the AMOLED screens used by the first two Apple Watch Ultra models.

MicroLED would have a couple of big advantages for the Apple Watch Ultra. First of all, it would use a lot less power than AMOLED, which would mean longer battery life and make the Watch Ultra a viable option for multi-day camping, hiking and ultra running expeditions. It would also be viewable from more angles, making it better for map-reading outdoors.

Back in January this year, Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman heard suggestions that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 might have a MicroLED display, and that the company was working on developing its own manufacturing process so it wouldn't have to rely on partners like Samsung and LG. 

However, when September rolled around, this proved not to be the case; the Apple Watch Ultra 2's screen is 50% brighter than that of its predecessor, but it's still an AMOLED unit. 

Health holdups?

Another possible reason for the delay is a holdup in new health tracking tech that Apple wants to incorporate into the next-generation watch. Kuo hasn't suggested what those features may be, but I wonder if they're related to a possible partnership with biometrics company Rockley Photonics, which was rescued from bankruptcy in June with a $35m cash injection.

Rockley specializes in chemical spectroscopy, which allows a wearable to monitor a wealth of different biomarkers non-invasively, going far beyond what is currently possible with smartwatches. It has created what is essentially a clinic on a chip, capable of measuring lactate, blood sugar, core body temperature and much more from your wrist.

I interviewed Rockley CEO Dr Andrew Rickman last year, and while he didn't name names, he said that the company had partnerships with many of the biggest names in wearables, and consumers would start to see the fruits of those collaborations towards the end of 2023.

"The response from everyone has been extraordinary," Dr Rickman told me. "I'd never seen this level of commercial traction for something new, And it’s really coming to a head."

Rockley's financial woes led to a complete restructuring of the company and could easily have caused delays for partners along the way, potentially including Apple.

Whatever might be holding up the Apple Watch Ultra 3, whether it's display or biometric technology, personally wouldn't mind waiting until it's ready. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 isn't massively different from its predecessor, and if you already own last year's watch, it'll be difficult to justify upgrading.

Rather than making relatively minor changes to keep up with a yearly release schedule, it would be much more exciting if Apple made us wait until 2025 for something that really changes the game.

• Best running watches: the latest models from Garmin, Coros and more tested

Whether you're an absolute beginner or facing down your umpteenth ultra, the best running watches will help keep you on track and monitor your progress.

Of course, running without any tech is perfectly fine, but if you've got a specific goal in mind then monitoring your pace and distance will make life much easier. The best running watches will also give you workout suggestions to help you achieve your aim, and keep tabs on your recovery to ensure you're getting the right balance of work and rest.

All of these watches have been tested for several weeks first, so that they could build up a good profile of our expert tester's habits and fitness, and put them all to the test on pre-measured courses to determine the accuracy of their GPS tracking. We've also pitted them against a chest strap heart rate monitor to see how they compare for accuracy and responsiveness.

If you're more interested in climbing or hiking than running, our roundups of the best GPS watches and the best Garmin watches offer suggestions for a wider range of sports. Otherwise, read on!

The quick list

This is our quick list, a brief overview of the best running watches available today. To delve deeper into each device, see the more detailed reviews further down the page in this guide.

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Running watch comparison table

The best running watches we recommend

The best running watch overall

The Fenix 7 is the watch I use myself on a daily basis, and the Fenix 7 Pro is the same thing with an extra lick of polish. It has Garmin's most advanced fitness tracking tools, including live stamina tracking during runs, hill and endurance score metrics to reveal how well you're building specific types of fitness, daily workout suggestions, VO2 max estimate, and overall training status to let you know whether your workout plan is having the desired effect.

If you're preparing for a marathon, you'll be pleased to know that it works seamlessly with Training Peaks, syncing your training calendar and guiding you through your daily workout automatically.

The Fenix 7 Pro has an updated heart rate monitor, which uses sensors spread over a larger area to provide more accurate results, and in my treadmill interval tests it compared very favorable to readings from my chest strap heart rate monitor.

Battery life is strong, even if you don't opt for the solar model. The only real downside is that the memory-in-pixel (MiP) display isn't quite as good for maps as AMOLED, but it's still perfectly useable, particularly if you pick one of the two larger models.

Read more: Garmin Fenix 7 Pro review

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The best running watch for beginners

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is an entry-level running watch, but that doesn't mean it's basic. It's an excellent and affordable device that'll suit everyone from complete beginners to those aiming to tackle their third half marathon. It's a great option if you want to move on from a dinky fitness tracker, with impressive GPS accuracy. When I tested it for Advnture's sister site TechRadar, it measured my pre-planned three-mile route to within a few yards.

Garmin's workout suggestions are great for runners building up their mileage, helping them train in a way that'll actually improve their performance rather than just running the same route in the same heart rate zone every time.

Wrist-based heart rate monitoring is also very respectable, and when you're not pounding the pavements, the Forerunner 55 will monitor stress levels and sleep to help you balance work and recovery. It's easy for new runners to build up the mileage too fast and get themselves injured, so this is particularly important.

The Forerunner 55's plastic case isn't the most stylish, but it's light and small, and you'll barely notice it when you're moving. There's no touchscreen, but that's not a major issue. The buttons around the bezel are easy to get used to, and most running watches turn touch controls off during workouts anyway.

The biggest downside is that you can't transfer maps to it, though the size of its screen means they'd be tough to read anyway.

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The best running watch for value

The Amazfit T-Rex 2 is a super tough running watch that delivers fantastic value for money. Despite its modest list price of $229.99 / £219, it's packed with the sort of features you'd expect to find in a premium watch costing twice as much.

The first thing you'll notice is the display, which is a bright, crisp AMOLED unit that looks great, is excellent for maps and graphs, and uses surprisingly little power. Battery life has always been one of the biggest selling points for the T-Rex series, and this watch is no exception, lasting up to 45 days on a single charge with power-saving enabled. In regular use, I easily got two weeks out of it with a daily GPS-tracked workout.

Its dual-band GPS performs as well as much more expensive watches, and in my tests was always quick to establish a lock, even in built-up areas. Biometrics are great too, with heart rate data comparing favorably to that from by Garmin HRM-Pro.

During my testing I found the automatic workout detection a little finicky, so I recommend always starting it manually to ensure the watch doesn't miss logging any runs. In all other respects though, it's hard to fault.

Read more: Amazfit T-Rex 2 review

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The best running watch for marathons

The Coros Apex 2 is one of the lightest running watches around, which has a couple of benefits. First, it's more comfortable; although you might not notice the weight most of the time, when your arm is swinging mid-run, a chunky watch can feel like a lead weight. Second, it means the Apex 2 doesn't shift around so much on your wrist, which means more accurate heart rate readings.

Once you've used the Apex 2 for a few weeks and it's established a few baselines, you'll unlock the full features of Coros EvoLab, which helps you monitor the effects of your training, balance work and recovery, and track your progress. It's particularly good for helping you look at both long and short term performance, and its marathon indicator helps you judge when you're ready to tackle 26.2 miles.

The Apex 2 doesn't have multi-band GPS, but its route tracking nevertheless proved impressive in my tests, comparable with the Garmin Fenix 7. Coros has recently added an excellent course planner to its app as well, making it straightforward to plan new routes and transfer them to your watch. It's much better than Garmin's equivalent route planner, and gives the Apex 2 a real boost.

Read more: Coros Apex 2 review

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The best running watch for ultras

If you're racing more than 26.2 miles, the Garmin Enduro 2 is the obvious choice. It's very similar to the Fenix 7X in terms of specs, but with a super long battery life that'll see you through several days of GPS-tracked fun (and even longer with solar charging).

That battery life is partly achieved through the use of a memory-in-pixel screen rather than AMOLED, but the face is so large, with such a bright backlight, that it still works well for maps and is easily readable in direct sun. Load up a map from the Komoot app, and away you go.

It's very solidly built and looks great thanks to a brushed titanium bezel. It also has a bright LED flashlight built into the top of the case, which you can activate with a quick double-press of the backlight button. It helps make you more visible after dark and provides a handy extra source of illumination (I tested it in a dark mile-long tunnel and didn't run into the wall once).

The downside is the list price of $1,099.99 / £929.99, which is bound to elicit a sharp intake of breath. There's no more affordable stainless steel version either, unlike the original Enduro 2.

Read more: Garmin Enduro 2 review

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The best running watch for style

Most running watches look somewhat utilitarian, and for many of us that's perfectly OK, but if you're hankering for something more stylish then the slick Polar Ignite 3 Titanium might be the wearable for you.

It's super slim and light, controlled entirely via the bright AMOLED touchscreen and a single physical button, but this is still a serious running watch. The Ignite 3 Titanium offers dual-frequency GPS for improve accuracy. In our tests it wasn't quite as spotless as data from the Apple Watch Ultra and Garmin Instinct 2X, but was still perfectly acceptable for most purposes.

The mobile app puts a big focus on sleep and recovery, helping you balance your training load with rest to get the most out of your runs.

Battery life of 30 hours in GPS tracking mode is very respectable, though there's no mapping or navigation support, which is a shame considering how great the screen is

Read more: Polar Ignite 3 Titanium review

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The best running watch for versatility

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a superb running watch, particularly if you're planning to head out onto the trails. Its GPS accuracy proved extremely impressive in our tests, establishing a lock in the blink of an eye even in tricky conditions, and built-in tools like audio and visual SOS alerts and a digital compass make it an excellent training tool in the wild.

Its screen (much brighter than that of the original Apple Watch Ultra) is crisp and vivid, which makes it excellent for maps and navigation. It really comes into its own when paired with an app like AllTrails or Komoot, which allow you to follow routes from other adventurers or create your own.

The App Store is what makes the Apple Watch Ultra 2 so incredibly versatile, and lets you turn it into the training tool you need. Strava, TrainingPeaks, Nike Run Club – they're all only a tap away.

The main downside of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is its battery life, which Apple quotes as 36 hours in typical use. Real world performance will vary depending on how you use your watch, but you'll almost certainly want to charge it every other day. If that's not a concern, then it comes highly recommended.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review

Meet the expert

How we test running watches

We test running watch for at least three weeks so the watch and its companion app have time to build up a full picture of our health and fitness. We wear each watch day and night so we can assess its sleep and recovery tools, and compare its results against those from a Withings Sleep Analyzer sleep tracker.

To test each running watch's GPS, we take it for several runs and walks in a variety of locations, including built-up areas, open fields, and wooded areas that present a challenge of satellite navigation. We also take each watch on a pre-measured route to see how accurately it records distance.

To test the accuracy of each running watch's heart rate monitor, we put it to the test in a series of intense interval training sessions and compare its results to those from a chest strap heart rate monitor, which serves as a benchmark.

For more details see how Advnture tests products.

• The best road running shoes: our top recommendations tested and rated

If you're trying to choose a new smartwatch, the original Apple Watch Ultra and the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 are both tough, powerful devices worthy of a place on your shortlist. At first glance they look identical though, so we're here to help you choose which is the right one for you.

If price is your main concern, you should know that the two devices were both the same price at launch, but being a year older, the original Apple Watch Ultra can now be found for much less at third-party retailers like Amazon. If you know where to look, you can save around $80 / £80 off the list price.

There are three main differences between the two. The first is materials; the Apple Watch 2 is made with 95% recycled titanium, and if you choose the Alpine Loop or Trail Loop band, is now carbon neutral. Its screen has a significantly higher maximum brightness (3,000 nits compared to 2,000 nits for the original device). Finally, it has a new processor that delivers faster performance and enables new features like Double Tap gestures for one-handed use.

If you've already made up your mind, we've found the best prices on both the original Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 GPS watches for you right here. Otherwise. read on to learn more about the similarities and differences between the two.

Price

Unlike Apple Watch Series devices, all Ultra watches have LTE, so there's no cheaper option with Wi-Fi connectivity only. The original Apple Watch Ultra launched at Apple's product showcase on September 23, 2022. It was priced at $799 / £849, but can now be found for as little as $729 / £669.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was unveiled on September 22, 2023 for $799 / £849. At the time of writing it's occasionally been available for a small discount at third-party stores like Amazon, but the saving has never been more than $50 / £30.

Packaging

The packaging for the two watches looks almost identical. Whichever one you choose, it's made entirely from white card, with no glue so it's easy to recycle. Inside the main package you'll find two slim boxes, one containing the watch body and charger, and the other your chosen strap. There's also a quick start manual to show you the basics.

The only difference is a small green logo on the side of the Apple Watch Ultra 2's box, which you'll notice if you've chosen either the Alpine Loop or Trail Loop. This signals that your new watch is carbon neutral. The Ocean Loop isn't carbon neutral yet, but hopefully Apple will manage to achieve that next year.

Case

With the displays off, the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 look the same. Confusingly, both watches only say 'Apple Watch Ultra' on the back of the case, so they're totally indistinguishable until you switch them on.

Both devices measure 49 x 44 x 14.4mm, and the second-generation device is 0.1g heavier (61.4g compared to 61.3g), so it's impossible to tell the difference on your wrist.

Both have a ceramic back and titanium case, but the case of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is made using 95% recycled titanium, which helps contribute to its carbon-neutral status. The new metal looks exactly the same, with a soft satin finish.

Both watches come with the same Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger, which is supplied in the box. It has a woven cable and a USB-C connector. You can also use a MagSafe Duo Charger or Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock if you have one.

Bands

Both watches use the same bands, and there are three styles available: the lightweight Trail Loop (which has a Velcro fastening), the Alpine Loop (which is secured with a G-hook), and the silicone Ocean Loop (which has a buckle).

There have been a few changes though. With the release of the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the company also released all three bands in new colors, including the navy/beige/orange Trail Loop shown here. The new Trail Loop and Alpine Loop are also carbon neutral.

Display

Both watches have sharp Retina displays with a resolution of 410 x 502 pixels. The key difference is that the Apple Watch Ultra has a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits, while the Ultra 2 maxes out at 3,000 nits. That difference might not be immediately apparent though, because the watch has an ambient light sensor that adjusts the screen brightness automatically to give optimum visibility in different conditions. This is more power-efficient than just blasting out full brightness at all times.

The Ultra 2 can also be dimmed to just one nit at night (much dimmer than the original Apple Watch Ultra) so you can check it without disturbing your partner or dazzling yourself.

Processor

The biggest difference between the two watches is the processor. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 uses the company's new S9 SiP (system in package) chip with with a 64-bit dual-core processor.

S9 SiP doesn't just make the experience of using the watch smoother and faster overall, it also enables some extra features, including Double Tap gesture for one-handed use. At the time of writing these are only available to beta testers, but I have the chance to try them on a visit to Apple's London headquarters in Battersea Power Station. Just raise your wrist to look at your watch, tap your forefinger and thumb together twice, and the watch will perform the primary action on screen, whether it's answering a call or opening your Smart Stack.

Another new software feature made possible by the S9 SiP is faster access to Siri, which you can enable by double-pressing the Digital Crown.

Faces

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with a new Modular Ultra watch face that makes good use of the available screen space, and can be customized with different complications. The default face is the same Navigator design used by the original Apple Watch Ultra, but you can easily switch to the new one in the Watch app on your phone, or via the Settings app on the watch itself.

• The best Garmin watches: all the latest models tested and rated

Right now, you can pick up the brand new Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $749 in the US, and $669 in the UK. That's a pretty modest saving, but the super rugged watch has only been available for a few weeks, and it's the cheapest it's ever been to date, making it one of the standout offers of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.

I'm currently testing the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and so far I'm very impressed. At first glance it looks just like its predecessor, but the screen is 50% brighter (great for using in bright sunlight) and the new processor makes it noticeably faster and smoother, particularly when you're using Siri. I've also had a preview of the new Double Tap gesture control, which works brilliantly when you don't have two hands free.

If you're not in the UK or the US, scroll down to the bottom of this page for today's best deals on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 near you. You might also be interested in our roundup of the best Amazon Prime Day Garmin deals, with offers for all budgets.

The US deal applies to the watch supplied with Apple's Alpine Loop or Trail Loop (the Ocean Loop is still full price) and the US deal is only on the Trail Loop version. You can take your pick from all available colors though, and the Alpine and Trail loops are the two carbon neutral options, which is a win.

If you're not in the US or UK, here are today's best deals on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 where you are:

• The best Amazon Prime Day camping deals: the lowest prices on tents and more

When Apple rolled out details of its latest software update back in June, the tech giants focused on a slew of features that most hikers and runners would likely get excited about such as route planning, topographic maps and a Last Emergency Call waypoint function. Some users who have downloaded the beta version of the update for their sports watches, however, are noticing a surprise niche improvement that might spell better functionality for those with tattoos.

Yesterday morning, one Reddit user shared a photo of their heavily tattooed wrist wearing an Apple Watch Ultra, and noted that it seemed to be working better than before.

"Does anyone know if they tweaked the laser settings or something? My watch is able to detect my wrist now and no other watch has ever detected my wrist before so I wonder if it has anything to do with the new beta software."

Historically, users with tattooed wrists have presented a challenge for the wrist detection technology, a feature that uses sensors to automatically turn on and off the display based on wrist movement. The sensors often struggle to recognise tattooed skin, affecting heart rate sensor performance and heart rate monitoring, making it difficult to get reliable readings, according to Apple support.

Following the Reddit thread, it's immediately apparent that the problem has been so widespread that at least one user has recently taken to having part of his tattoo removed in order to get a reliable reading, while another user reports never having updated their watch past the Apple Watch 3 to avoid problems.

Apple didn't showcase the new feature when they rolled out the update, but over the past 24 hours, dozens of Apple Watch users have noticed the sensors seem to be working for them following the updates.

If you sport a permanent sleeve, don't get too excited just yet though – several users have also reported that the change seemed to be short lived, with their watch resorting to business as usual after about 10 minutes, so it seems there may be more work to be done.

Though the watchOS 10 beta is available now, it may be better to hold off until September 18, when the update is released to the public, to avoid any glitches.

• 4 reasons for runners and hikers to get excited about the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9

Ooh, how exciting, the new Apple Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 sound like they have some hugely interesting and useful features for runners, trail runners and hikers – additions that might be about to rival the top end Garmin sports and navigation watches. Priced at $399 and $799 respectively, they don’t come cheap, but they may be worthy of a place among the best GPS watches when they're released on Friday, September 22. Let’s find out what Apple are promising, and why this could be good news for outdoor types.

1. Useful, new hands-free features

Apple Watches already use gestures like tap, swipe, wrist raise and cover to mute, but the new Double Tap feature on the new Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches allows you to operate the main watch button without touching it at all. Neat! Simply tap together the index finger and thumb of the hand that’s wearing the watch and the faster Neural Engine will sense this movement by detecting the tiny changes in blood flow and your wrist movement, using it to answer/end a call, start/stop a timer and play/stop music and even take a photo without even touching the screen.

Double Tapping also opens the Smart Stack from the watch face and another Double Tap will the scroll through the widgets in the stack. We think this is potentially a pretty useful feature for focusing on fast workouts or strength work, and runners and hikers using poles, tackling rough terrain or trying in vain to operate the wet touchscreen in the rain.

The second hands-free feature on both the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Apple Watch Series 9 is On-Device Siri requests that don’t need the internet, like starting a workout or setting a timer. Apple say the more powerful Neural Engine makes dictation up to 25% more accurate than the Apple Watch Series 8. Your health data is also secure, and you can ask Siri to access data from the Health app, like period details, weight info, medication taken, how many hours sleep you had, progress on closing Activity rings and blood glucose levels if you have a monitor connected. For the same reasons as above, hands-free access to this information is really useful for runners and hikers.

• Check out our original Apple Watch Ultra review

2. New sporty features

The new Series 9 and Ultra 2 will use the watchOS 10 update including an updated Compass app showing current elevation in real time with a 3D view of waypoints showing relative elevation. This sounds sounds super useful for trail runners and hikers. Even more excitingly, the new topographic maps in the Maps app should show important details like points of interest and trailheads, hill shading, contour lines, elevation, and cellular and Emergency SOS waypoints. Will Apple start to rival the trail-blazing navigational capabilities of the best Garmin watches, the tiny sat navs of the mountains? We’re dying to test these new features out and tell you!

But we do know that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 boasts a large display where the outermost edge now displays real-time data including seconds, altitude or depth, and Apple say it will allow for the most customisation for sports, outdoor adventures and water activities of any Apple Watch. It also has the largest altitude range too, from 500m below sea level to 9,000m, so if you were planning that Everest trip, this might be the watch for you…

3. Increased battery life

Apple say the power efficiency of the Series 9 and Ultra 2, with their twice-as-fast compared to the Series 8 4-core Neural Engine and powerful S9 SiP chip – gives them an all-day 18-hour battery life. But this depends what you’re using it for and we haven’t yet got our hands on it to check out the battery life when doing a running workout or testing the new navigational features – watch this space for more soon.

4. The Apple is getting greener (although there is still some way to go) 

David Starley, co-founder of The Green Runners says, “I'm pleased to see Apple making efforts to reduce the impacts of their products, however there is no mention of how recyclable or reusable they are, only that it uses recycled materials. The durability and ease of repair of the watches should be the number one priority. I would encourage Apple to publish a full Life Cycle Assessment of their watches and to disclose how they intend to reduce the overall footprint of them in line with their company wide commitments to achieving Net Zero.”

Apple claim all their watches, including the new Series 9 and Ultra 2, now have carbon neutral options which “represents a significant milestone” in their plan to become carbon neutral across the entire business, manufacturing supply chain and product life cycle by 2030. However, this is only based on select combinations of watches, cases and straps with their new carbon neutral logo on the packaging.

As outdoorsy types it’s a major plus point for us that Apple are heading in this direction by using more recycled components and materials, replacing leather straps with new, 68% recycled fabric FineWoven, reducing its own emissions from production and encouraging suppliers to switch to green energy. However they are still having to offset the remaining carbon emissions through CO₂ sequestering projects.

The new Apple Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches are ready to pre-order now, and available from 22 September 2023.

Battery life aside, the Apple Watch Ultra has almost everything a hiker could want in a smartwatch. There's impressive multi-band GPS, a super high resolution display that's excellent for maps, a tough waterproof case, a smart compass with tools to help you navigate if GPS fails, windproof microphones, and even a siren to signal distress if something goes wrong. The only thing it's really missing is a flashlight – and that might not change any time soon.

Garmin has long been one of the biggest names in rugged adventure watches, and its latest releases (including the Enduro 2, Epix Pro (Gen 2), and Fenix 7 Pro) have a hidden trick to help keep you safe outdoors: a white and red LED flashlight that you can use to make yourself seen, shine a light in the darkness, and send an SOS to rescuers in an emergency.

Almost all OLED watches have a flashlight app that turns the screen completely white to provide enough of a glow to see by, but a separate LED torch has the advantage of allowing you to still use the watch as normal.

I've found it extremely handy (in fact, I've put together a list of ways to use), and it seems like something similar would be a natural fit for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is rumored to be arriving later this year – but Apple users might be out of luck. Garmin has registered a patent for the idea, and it's pretty comprehensive.

Left in the dark?

The patent (document ID US 11711877 B2) describes "a wrist-wearable electronic device comprising first and second light emitting elements, a sensor, and a processor.

"The processor is configured to transmit a first command to the first light emitting element in response to the wrist-wearable device reaching a forward position relative to a user based on data received from the sensor and transmit a second command to the second light emitting element in response to the wrist-wearable device reaching a rearward position relative to the user based on the data from the sensor."

The document is very thorough, describing not just the current implementation of the flashlight, but also ways it could be incorporated into other parts of the watch (such as the strap), at different points on the bezel, and with more light-emitting elements. It also explains how, in future, the light could be activated by gestures or get brighter as you approach a more densely populated area.

It's possible that Apple may be able to work out a solution that avoids infringing on Garmin's patent, but I wouldn't expect it any time soon. According to recent rumors (courtesy of Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman), the main hardware change for the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra is likely to be a bigger display. There are rumblings about a microLED display, which would be visible from more angles than the current screen, but it now seems doubtful that will be arriving this year either.

Apple is good at keeping its device specs firmly under wraps until they're ready for launch, so we'll have to wait until its annual product showcase to know for certain, but it seems like this year's Ultra is likely to be a relatively modest iteration on the original. I'll keep my ear to the ground and let you know as soon as there's any further info.

• The best GPS watches: the latest models from Garmin, Apple and more tested

A Norwegian trail runner says his Apple Watch's incident detection saved his life after he was badly injured in a fall. Robert Naess, aged 59, had decided to head out for a run early one morning while enjoying some time off work. The route was familiar, but he decided to set out at a faster pace than usual and slipped on a band and landed chest-first on the edge of a wall.

As Norwegian news site Verdens Gang reports, Naess was badly injured in the fall, suffering several broken ribs and a punctured lung. In pain and struggling to breathe, he found it impossible to pull out his phone and call for help.

His watch had fall detection, which can call for help if the accelerometer detects that the wearer has gone down hard, but rather than waiting for it to activate he managed to use its emergency SOS function to contact emergency services.

Fifteen minutes later, Naess was treated at the roadside and taken to hospital, where he is currently recuperating. He credits the watch with saving his life; over 100 cars passed by while he waited for an ambulance, but no drivers spotted him and stopped.

How to set up fall detection

Although Naess didn't end up using his watch's fall detection, it mcould make all the difference if you're hiking, running, or cycling alone. To set up fall detection on an Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap 'My Watch'. Tap 'Emergency SOS' and toggle the option on. If your age is set to 55 or over in your profile, it will be turned on by default. It's not available if you're 18 or under (kids and teens are clumsy, after all).

Incident detection on a Garmin watch or Garmin Edge cycle computer works the same way, though rather than calling emergency services, it sends a text message to a contact defined in the Garmin Connect app, including your GPS location. To set it up, open the app and select 'Safety and Tracking' from the main menu and enter the contact details for the person you want to receive the SOS. You will then be asked to send them a confirmation message, which they will need to accept.

Unless you have a Garmin Forerunner 945 LTE, your watch will need to be connected to your phone via Bluetooth for incident detection to work.

• Best GPS watches: the latest models from Garmin, Apple and more tested

The next generation of Apple AirPods may come with a host of health and fitness features, including temperature sensing and hearing tests. The news comes via Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman, who often gleans insider info about upcoming products and services from his industry contacts.

Many running headphones (such as the Amazfit Powerbuds Pro) already include some fitness tracking features, with heart rate monitoring being the most common. Optical heart rate monitors work by shining a light on your skin and then analyzing the properties of the light that's reflected back. The ear is a particularly good place to measure your heart rate (potentially better than a GPS watch) because once an earbud is in place, there's almost no light from external sources. Unlike the wrist, the ear won't be affected by gripping motions, and doesn't move like your arm does when you run.

It looks like Apple is planning something different. As James Stables of Wareable explains, next-gen AirPods could offer health features that work in tandem with your Apple Watch, rather than duplicating its functions. So rather than keeping tabs son your pulse, the new earbuds could work with your watch's hearing health tools (which warn you if environmental noise levels are too high) and perform a hearing health check that can give you early warning of developing problems.

It's also been suggested that the upcoming AirPods may include a temperature sensor, which could help with menstrual cycle and fertility tracking, give an indication of whether you're overtraining, and potentially even provide an early warning that you might be starting to get sick.

There's no guarantee that these tools will come with the next iteration of AirPods Pro and Max – not least because it would mean going through the time-consuming process of FDA approval. However, Gurman's sources are often reliable, and it'll be very interesting to see what's included when the new earbuds launch next year.

• Best GPS watches: the latest models from Apple, Garmin and more tested

Apple could soon unveil the Apple Watch Ultra 2, according to the latest Power On newsletter from Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman. Although Gurman's sources aren't always 100% reliable, he has a solid track record and generally has a good sense of what's happening behind the scenes thanks to his industry contacts.

As Gadgets & Wearables reports. the second-generation adventure watch could launch alongside the Apple Watch Series 9, which CEO Tim Cook will almost certainly announce in September. 

Details about potential features are scarce, but apparently we shouldn't get our hopes up for a microLED display. Although this would offer improved viewing angles and lower power consumption compared to AMOLED, rumors suggest it's not ready to land on our wrists just yet.

Built-in flashlight

Garmin has clearly realized it's onto a winner with flashlights. The Fenix 7X was the first watch to feature an LED torch built into the top of the watch housing, and was soon followed by the even brighter Enduro 2. The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar came next, and now we have the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix (Gen 2) Pro series, which come in three sizes, all with lights.

It's one of those things that's much more useful than you'd expect, whether you're looking for the zipper on your sleeping bag, peering under the couch for that pen you just dropped, or running through a dark, mile-long tunnel. You can even use it to signal for help in an emergency.

The Apple Watch Ultra has a loud siren that you can use to signal distress in an SOS situation, but no flashlight. It would be a great addition to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, so I've got my fingers crossed.

Improved battery life

The Apple Watch Ultra can deliver up to 60 hours of battery life with power-saving mode enabled, which is much longer than the Apple Watch Series 8, but nowhere near as long as most sports-focused GPS watches. In fact, when the Ultra launched, Garmin decided to poke fun on social media with photos of the Garmin Enduro 2 and a claim that "We measure battery life in months. Not hours."

Of course, the Enduro 2 doesn't offer features like cellular connectivity and uses a memory-in-pixel screen rather than AMOLED, so it's hard to compare the two directly. However, the point remains that if you're going to be off-grid for a while camping and hiking, you'll appreciate a watch that doesn't need charging every couple of days.

Solar charging

Apple certainly won't want to reduce that Apple Watch Ultra's functionality to help it last longer between charges, but it may be able to boost battery life with solar charging. At the time of writing there are no Garmin watches with AMOLED screens and solar charging, but the company has registered a patent for a technology that would allow it to combine the two without dulling the appearance of the display.

It's an interesting concept, but has yet to make it into production. If Apple can devise a different way of achieving the same thing and get it to market sooner, it could be onto a winner.

Larger screen

We might not get microLED tech this time around, but early rumors suggest that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 could have a larger screen than its predecessor. The original Apple Watch Ultra certainly isn't small, but when it comes to maps and navigation, the bigger the better. I certainly wouldn't be averse to giving up a little more wrist space for easier navigation.

Redesigned crown

Apple redesigned its Digital Crown for the Apple Watch Ultra, making it chunkier and easier to operate while wearing gloves. However, I found that it's actually a little too large, and rubs slightly against my skin when turned. Offsetting it slightly so that it doesn't touch the skin would be a small change, but one that would make it much more comfortable to use on the trails.

• The best cheap GPS watches: sports trackers for runners on a budget

Apple has unveiled a new version of its smartwatch operating system, which will make your Apple Watch even better for hiking. Whether you own the tough Apple Watch Ultra or one of the less rugged devices, it'll now do more to keep you safe when you're adventuring outdoors without a satellite communicator.

The company unveiled watchOS 10 at its annual showcase event on June 5. One of the most interesting new additions is an update to the Compass app, which will automatically add a Last Cellular Connection Waypoint at the location where you last had cellular connectivity. If you need to check your messages later, you can make your way back to that point, where you should be able to do just that.

The app will also drop a Last Emergency Call waypoint, which will mark the last spot where your watch could connect to any carrier's cellular network. If you head back to this location, you should be able to call emergency services.

Plan your adventure

There are also new features for planning your hikes. When the Apple Watch Ultra launched last year, one of its drawbacks was the need for third-party navigation apps like AllTrails, TrailForks, or Komoot to plan your expeditions, which sometimes require a subscription fee to unlock certain features.

That's now changing thanks to watchOS 10, and you'll soon be able to do a lot more with just your watch, For example, when you're planning a route, your Apple Watch will use elevation data to give a 3D view of saved waypoints, helping visualize the type of terrain you'll be tackling.

Apple is also adding a topographic map including contour lines, hill shading, elevation details, and points of interest. This sounds similar to Garmin's TopoActive maps, which come preloaded on watches including the Fenix, Epix, Enduro, Marq, and Tactix series.

Apple watchOS 10 will also let you search for nearby trails and trailheads, with place cards for information including trail length, type, and difficulty. Topographic maps and trails will only be available for users in the US at first, but will hopefully be rolled out to more territories before long.

The new operating system is currently in testing, and will be rolling out to devices later this year. It will probably land in September, when Apple is also expected to reveal the Apple Watch Series 9.

• Best GPS watches: the best devices for hiking, trail running, and climbing

Footwear brand KEEN has joined forces with the Mental Health Mates (MHM) network for a series of mass participation walks next month. The news coincides with the launch of KEEN’s new all-terrain walking shoe, the WK400.

The KEEN WK400 X MHM walks start in Bedford on April 8 and travel around England, with one date in Scotland and another in Northern Ireland, from April 8 to 30.  

What is Mental Health Mates?

Mental Health Mates was founded by journalist and mental health campaigner Bryony Gordon in 2016. It forms a network of 150 peer support groups that meet regularly across the UK.

The aim is to provide a safe space to walk, connect and share without fear or judgement. 

Led by regional volunteers, the walks provide an opportunity to connect with others and take preventative measures to improve mental wellbeing.

It is widely believed that walking can boost emotional wellbeing and ease chronic mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. There is a growing bank of research that evidences the benefits.

Walking with other people can further build on these benefits by providing positive social interactions that can combat loneliness, boost self-esteem and improve negative mood.  

“We know, from personal experience, that mental illness magnifies through isolation," says Gordon. "So whether it is talking to someone, sharing with them or simply walking beside them, we believe that getting connected is the first steps to recovery.” 

We're KEEN to get more people outdoors

Meanwhile, KEEN has pledged a mission to  promote the benefits of spending time outdoors and to encourage people to do so. Part of the KEEN.Effect programme sets out the brand's global commitment to support initiatives and NPOs across the world that promote the positive impact of outdoor participation and champion inclusivity.

Join KEEN WK400 X MHM walks

The KEEN WK400 X MHM series of walks include: 

• April 8: Bedford, Leeds, Pudsey (West Yorkshire) 
• April 13: Newtownwards (Northern Ireland)    
• April 15: Dundee (Scotland)
• April 17: Thurrock (Essex)  
• April 23: Beverley (East Yorkshire), Bristol, Highams Park in London
• April 27: Hornsea (Yorkshire)
• April 30: Coventry.

All walks are free to join and open to anyone aged 18-plus. Participants are requested to register in advance by emailing jess@mentalhealthmates.co.uk.

The KEEN WK400 x MHM Walk Series is being hosted with support of online retailer sportsshoes.com.

• Best hiking shoes: lightweight footwear for spring adventures

A newly registered patent suggests that a future iteration of the Apple Watch might have a built-in camera – and that would be amazing.

As Gadgets & Wearables reports, patent US-11571048-B1 (spotted by the eagle-eyed sleuths at Patently Apple) describes a strap with a central cradle that holds the watch itself in place. A quick-release mechanism would allow you to quickly pop the central unit out, and use it as a tiny camera.

Personally, I think that photography and running are natural partners. Running (particularly trail running) is a way to escape the city and explore new, beautiful places. It was while running beside a river that I got my first ever glimpse of a tiny, jewel-like kingfisher, one of my favorite club runs takes us past a smallholding that's home to a trio of adorable pygmy goats, and I've lost count of the number of beautiful sunsets I've seen during an after-work 5k.

Sure, you can stop and capture these moments on your phone (except for the kingfisher, which was gone in an azure flash), but it would be so much easier if you could simply use your watch to take a snap without digging a cumbersome handset out of your backpack first.

There might a risk of dropping the detachable central watch unit if you're not too careful, but a tiny little camera within arm's reach would make it so much easier to save and share those special sights. 

I'm not just thinking of Instagram, either. Garmin Connect has a feature for sharing photos with your workout stats laid out on top, and Strava has a function for adding snaps to your workouts too.

Snapping happy

Of course, the idea of a smartwatch with a camera has been tried before. Back in 2015, the Samsung Gear arrived on the scene – a chunky device that was designed to compete with Apple and had a camera built into the strap.

I didn't have the chance to test the Gear at the time, but my colleagues on Advnture's sister site TechRadar tell me it wasn't great. It was convenient, sure (it could even record a few seconds of video) but the picture quality wasn't great, and it made the watch much more expensive than it would have been otherwise.

To be honest, the quality looks pretty decent to me (check out the sample shots in TechRadar's review), especially considering the Gear's camera was fixed in place so you had to manuever your wrist awkwardly to take a shot.

Apple's proposed system would be a lot more ergonomic, and digital cameras have come a long way in the last eight years. Action cameras in particular are smaller than ever, and capable of shooting heaps of 4K, image-stabilized footage.

Of course, a patent isn't a guarantee that a particular technology is ever going to make its way into a commercially available product. but as The Verge notes, this isn't the first camera patent Apple has registered. Maybe something to look out for in a future iteration of the Apple Watch Ultra? Watch this space...

• Best GPS watches: all the latest models from Garmin, Apple and more

Apple is working on its own custom microLED displays, which could make the Apple Watch Ultra 2 the best smartwatch ever for hiking and navigation.

The Apple Watch Ultra, released in September last year, is a tough wearable specifically designed for use outdoors, with features including a bigger digital crown that can be used while wearing gloves, a larger and tougher case that gives the screen extra protection, multiple microphones to help prevent wind noise during phone calls, and a loud emergency siren. It also has an extra large, extra bright AMOLED display, but according to Apple expert Mark Gurman of Bloomberg News, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 could be even better.

As Gurman explains in his regular column (behind paywall), Apple began a project to built its own screens back in 2017, reducing its reliance on partners like Samsung and LG. Making its own components might mean Apple can keep costs down (Chinese smartwatch maker Amazfit famously keeps prices down by keeping production in-house), but Gurman suggests it will also mean better-looking devices – starting with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which could be released later this year.

AMOLED displays are great for maps, but microLED screens should be viewable from even more angles and look like details are painted on the surface of the glass. 

The next step...

A microLED display would be a huge upgrade for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but there are also a few other tweaks that could make it an even better device for outdoor adventures. For example, the watch's built-in SOS siren is excellent, but we'd also appreciate a bright flashlight like that of the Garmin Enduro 2, which stranded hikers could use to signal to helicopters, whose pilots wouldn't be able to hear an audio SOS.

Solar charging would be another excellent addition, extending the watch's battery life. We don't know whether a microLED display would be more or less power-hungry and AMOLED, but it would be a real boon if the next-generation Apple Watch Ultra can last more than two days between charges.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we'd like the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to come with an off-road navigation app preinstalled. Apple Maps is great for streets, but when it comes to trails and tracks you need something like Komoot or Alltrails to help find your way. For more of our thoughts, check out Apple Watch Ultra 2: what the next-gen adventure watch needs to succeed.

• Best GPS watches: all the latest models from Apple, Garmin and more rated

A new leak suggests that higher-end Garmin watches will soon get a bundle of new health-tracking features, including one that's one of the Apple Watch's key selling points since 2018.

The info comes via the anonymous author of the5krunner, who has proven reliable in the past when it comes to upcoming Garmin tech. Several new wellbeing tools are apparently in the works, the most interesting which is a new electrocardiogram (ECG) app, which will detect signs of atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm). This is a feature already present in many other smartwatches, but it's been a long time coming for Garmin.

Back in 2021, Garmin launched a clinical trial for its own ECG software, to ensure that it could detect and differentiate between atrial fibrillation and normal sinus rhythm. The study found that results from the software agreed with a doctor's interpretation of the results measured using a gold standard 12-lead ECG – a resounding success.

Things then went quiet until January 2022, when Garmin launched the Venu 2 Plus. As DC Rainmaker explains, the watch didn't allow users to monitor their heart rhythm at launch, but its software did include a tool for running diagnostics on the watch's ECG sensor. 

Now, it seems that sensor is finally about to be unlocked. According to the5krunner's source, higher-end Garmin watches (which may include the Fenix 7 and Enduro 2) will soon be able to detect signs of atrial fibrillation. The watch itself won't be able to diagnose a condition, but if it gives an alert, you may choose to have it investigated by a doctor.

The leak suggests that the ECG function will require you to place two fingers on your watch's metal bezel, and wait quietly while it takes a reading. This rules out watches in the Instinct series, including the newly released Garmin Instinct Crossover, which have resin bezels.

SpO2 alerts and more

The new leak claims that your Garmin watch will also be able to give you low SpO2 alerts, which warn you if your blood oxygen saturation drops particularly low during the night. Most Garmin watches released in recent years have an SpO2 sensor, so this could come to many more devices than the ECG app. Again, this might be nothing, or may be a sign of a condition like sleep apnea, which is worth investigation from a physician.

The5krunner's source suggests that you'll also be able to tweak the intensity of workouts partway through using your watch's touchscreen, so you can push yourself harder or dial it back without restarting.

You may also be able to create a full backup of your device, including stored data and settings, and restore it at a later date, which will be useful when you upgrade your watch or if you need to carry out a factory reset for any reason.

This all sounds very interesting, and we look forward to learning more. We're keeping our ear to the ground and will bring you more details as soon as they emerge.

• Best Garmin watches: all the latest models tested and rated

Apple has just released a new version of its wearable operating system, which gives your Apple Watch several extra features to help runners train smarter. Apple has been gradually encroaching on Garmin's territory in recent years, with the addition of features like running power from the wrist and triathlon mode making the Apple Watch a serious training tool, and this latest update makes it even more appealing.

As Gadgets&Wearables reports, WatchOS 9.2 is rolling out to Apple Watch owners now, adding two new training tools: automatic running track detection, and the ability to race against a virtual partner on one of your regular routes.

Once you've received the new software, your watch will automatically detect when you have arrived at a running track and, according to Apple, use both Apple Maps data and GPS to provide the most accurate pace, distance, and route map. It will even ask which lane you are using to calculate the distance as accurately as possible.

This should eliminate the problem track runners sometimes experience with even the best GPS watches, where their training sessions appear as a spaghetti-like tangle of loops rather than neat ovals, courtesy of GPS drift,

It appears that this feature is currently only available for running tracks in the US, but hopefully it will be extended to more countries in the coming months.

The other new feature I'm excited about is Race Route, which lets you race against your best time on a route you've run at least twice before. We all have regular routes that we default to when we just want to get out and run without too much planning, and this is a great way to spice things up while also checking the impact of your training on your performance. The watch will warn you if you stray off your usual route, so don't even think about taking a shortcut.

Keep training longer

The latest version of watchOS is particularly good news for Apple Watch Ultra owners, who can now expect their watch to give up to 17 hours of continuous use in multisport mode, with no impact on GPS accuracy or heart rate tracking.

That's good news for Ironman competitors – particularly first-timers and those in the veteran age categories, who are too often neglected. According to RunTri.com, the average finishing time for a man in the 70-74 age grouping is 15:50, while for women in the same category it's 16:53.

If the Apple Watch Ultra proves popular enough, the company may release a second-generation model with even better battery life at its product launch event in September next year. For more thoughts, check out our feature Apple Watch Ultra 2: what it needs to succeed.

• Best GPS watches: find your ideal training tool

The Apple Watch Ultra is an excellent rugged outdoor watch, with a truly tough case, design optimized for harsh conditions, and longer battery life than any other Apple Watch to date. In our tests it proved a joy to use and earned a place in our roundup of the best GPS watches, but there's always room for improvement.

There's no guarantee that we'll see an Apple Watch Ultra 2 in 2023, but it's certainly possible. The company has debuted a new Apple Watch Series device every year since 2015, and it might well add the rugged device to that regular release schedule.

If it does, these are the features I'd like to see it include. Some are borrowed from rivals like Garmin, while others are updates to the watch's existing features. Fingers crossed.

For more thoughts on next year's GPS watches, see what to expect from Garmin in 2023 for informed predictions on the next generation of devices.

Trail navigation right out of the box

The Apple Watch Ultra is built for hikers, with smart features like microphones that are optimized for windy conditions, an emergency siren, easy to use digital compass accessible right from the face, and multi-band GPS. However, it doesn't come with a navigation app preinstalled, so you'll need to find a suitable one that will provide route suggestions and navigation before heading out.

I put together a list of navigation apps for the Apple Watch Ultra that give it that finishing touch, but ideally I think it should come with something preinstalled, and it's an omission that several other reviewers have noted. A deal with AllTrails would make a lot of sense, and perhaps Apple Watch Ultra owners could even get a discount on premium membership.

A flashlight

One feature that Garmin has begun integrating into some of its larger watches this year is a built-in flashlight, which shines out of the top of the watch's case. So far we've seen it on two models, the Garmin Fenix 7X and Garmin Enduro 2, and it works brilliantly.

If you need emergency help when hiking or trail running, you can use it to help signal distress. When you're working out in the evening it helps make you more visible to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and makes it easier to see the edge of the road or footpath (as I found when I tested the watch in a dark, mile-long tunnel). In everyday use, you'll wonder how you managed without it, as it helps with mundane tasks like finding keyholes at night, and peering under furniture. It's great.

The Apple Watch Ultra has its own hidden surprise in the form of an emergency siren that can carry for miles outdoors to help you grab attention in an emergency, but a flashlight would really round out its feature set.

Solar charging

The Apple Watch Ultra has much longer battery life than the Apple Watch Series 8 and S, lasting up to 36 hours in normal use, and up to 60 hours in low power mode with workout settings enabled. 

Not having to charge your watch daily is a real bonus for outdoor expeditions, but rival devices like the Garmin Enduro 2 and Instinct 2 can last weeks between charges, which makes them a better option for multi-day adventures (something Garmin chose to poke fun at with an Instagram post).

Apple is unlikely to make changes that give the Apple Watch Ultra 2 a less polished feel (such as switching from a high-resolution OLED display to a less striking but more efficient memory-in-pixel one). However, it could boost battery life a little by adding a solar cell to keep the battery topped up during the day,

Garmin has patented designs for tech that would allow it to integrate photovoltaic cells in between the sub-pixels that make up an AMOLED display, so it may have a similar watch in the works.

The same chunky case

Some reviewers complained that the Apple Watch Ultra is too big, but I respectfully beg to differ. When it comes to adventure watches, there's no such thing as too chunky as far as I'm concerned. It's a nuisance trying to fiddle with a dainty watch when your fingers are freezing (I've tried), so big buttons, hefty dials and big cases are all absolutely fine. A larger case also means a bigger screen and battery, which are always welcome for map-reading and longevity respectively.

Repositioned Digital Crown

This is a minor issue, but something I couldn't help noticing while testing the Apple Watch Ultra earlier this year. The watch has an extra large Digital Crown with deep grooves that make it easy to turn while your hands are cold, wet, or gloved, which is great. It's so much better than fiddling with a tiny dial.

However, the way the Digital Crown is positioned means that it  protrudes slightly from the back and rubs a little against the skin of your wrist when you turn it. It would be great if Apple could move the crown a tiny bit closer to the front of the case to keep it away from the wearer's skin.

• Best GPS watches: the latest models from Garmin, Apple and more tested

A man who became stranded in the Alaskan wilderness while snowmobiling was saved after using Apple's new satellite SOS system. The Emergency SOS service became available for iPhone 14 handsets in the US and Canada last month, and is intended to help people summon help in areas with no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

As PhoneArena explains, the man became stuck on December 1 while travelling from Noorvik to Kotzebue alone. After becoming stranded, be activated the SOS on his phone, and Apple's Emergency Response Center was able to coordinate with local emergency services to send rescue teams out to find him.

"The adult male was located and transported to Kotzebue by the volunteer search team," said the Alaska Department of Public Safety in a statement. "There were no injuries reported to troopers,"

Much like Garmin's inReach system, Apple Emergency SOS lets you contact a central control room, which can liaise with local rescue services to provide assistance if you can't make the call yourself.

You can activate the SOS by either holding the power and volume buttons, or pressing the power button five times in quick succession. You will then be asked a few quick questions to help responders get you the right type of help.

Once that's complete, a graphic on the phone's screen will show you where to point it in order to establish a satellite connection and transmit your emergency message. Apple advises that it's likely to longer than sending a regular SMS, but text messages are compressed to make the process as fast as possible.

You can also use the satellite connectivity to give friends and family peace of mind by sending them your location using the Find My app.

Emergency SOS is currently only available in the US and Canada, but is due to roll out in France, Germany, Ireland and the UK later this month.

• Best GPS watches: for hiking, skiing, and more

The long-awaited Oceanic+ app is finally available for the Apple Watch Ultra, turning the rugged smartwatch into a fully featured dive computer. The Oceanic+ app featured heavily during the Apple Watch Ultra's launch, but has only just become available to download and use for the watch and your iPhone.

Unlike the vast majority of GPS sports watches, the Apple Watch Ultra's hardware is certified to EN 11319, which is the international standard for dive computers. It also features a bright AMOLED display that's easier to read underwater than the memory-in-pixel (MIP) screen of a typical sports watch, plus a large knurled digital crown that's simpler to operate with wet, cold. or gloved hands. The Oceanic+ is the software that completes the package.

Before your dive, the app's Dive Planner lets you set your surface time, depth, and your gas, then calculates your no-decompression time. The app also provides dive conditions such as water temperature and tides, plus crowd-sourced data from other users such as currents and visibility.

During your dive the app records stats including your GPS entry and exit point, depth, temperature, and ascent rate, which you can see on the watch itself or in the Oceanic+ iPhone app afterwards.

If you've been thinking of picking up the Apple Watch Ultra, it's just received its first major price cut at Amazon for Cyber Monday, bringing it down to just $739.

If you're not in the US, here are the best Apple Watch Ultra deals near you:

• Best Cyber Monday hiking deals: save on essential gear for your next trip

With Black Friday seemingly turning into Black November, you can already find some amazing deals, such as this one on Amazon for the red GPS + Cellular, 45mm version of the Apple Watch Series 7 – down from $529 to $349. That’s a saving of $180, or just over a third of the list price.

So if you don’t have a craving for the latest Apple Watch Ultra – or baulk at its $799 price tag – you can snap up its 2021 predecessor for less than half the price. And believe us, it offers considerably more than half the functionality. The Series 7 Apple Watch also offers pretty much the same features as the Series 8 with GPS and cellular (at $499) bar a couple of features. It’s also bigger, if that matters to you!

And this offer is available in any color the customer wants, as long as it's red (to paraphrase Henry Ford).

The Apple Watch Series 7 has an 18-hour battery life and a large screen that really helps if you use your watch for its health and fitness features. It’s a reliable fitness tracker and one of the best running watches out there, monitoring your heart rate, counting your steps and tracking your mileage with GPS. It can also automatically work out if you’re on your bike rather than running. The large display makes it easy to view mid-exercise metrics at a glance.

• Best GPS watches: devices from Garmin, Amazfit, Coros and Polar, tested and rated

Apple has rolled out a software update for the Apple Watch Ultra that adds a new extra low power mode, dramatically extending the device's battery life for activities like backpacking expeditions.

When the Apple Watch Ultra launched last month, it essentially had three power modes. First. there was Normal Use, which is the default setting. This includes use of LTE for transferring data and making calls, GPS workout tracking, all-day heart rate monitoring, fall detection, always-on screen – the works. With this mode enabled, you can expect battery life of around 36 hours.

Second, there's Normal Use Outdoor Workout mode, which is designed for long distance events with continuous GPS tracking. In this mode, all sensors and tools are enabled except LTE, with expected battery life of around 12 hours.

Third, the watch's Low Power Mode extends battery life several hours by disabling certain non-essential settings. This mode still offers GPS tracking and all-day heart rate monitoring, but turns off tools like irregular heart beat detection and automatic workout detection, along with the always-on display. With this setting enabled, you should be able to monitor and record an entire Ironman triathlon event (around 14 hours of continuous GPS tracking). In this mode, you can expect battery life of around 15 hours.

Now there's a fourth option: Low Power Mode workout with fewer GPS and heart rate readings. This is designed to maximize battery life for activities like backpacking weekends, while still giving you access to the watch's most important features. It still includes GPS and heart rate tracking, but takes measurements less frequently. Cellular connectivity is still enabled, but will only check for updates once an hour. In this mode, you can expect battery life up to 60 hours.

How to use it

Once you're received the update to watchOS 9.1, you can turn on Low Power Mode workout with fewer GPS and heart rate readings by following these steps:

• Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health and turn off 'Optimized Charge Limit'
• Return  to the home screen and swipe up from the bottom to see Control Center
• Tap the battery percentage, turn on Low Power Mode and scroll to the bottom
• Tap 'Turn On'
• Go to Settings > Workout > Fewer GPS and heart rate readings

It's worth noting that Apple's battery life estimates aren't necessarily directly comparable with stats from other GPS watch makers. Garmin, for example, usually gives several different battery life estimates for its watches, including one for smartwatch mode, which means no GPS activity tracking at all, and one for continuous GPS tracking. Typical battery life in normal use will be somewhere between the two.

By contrast, Apple's quoted 36-hour battery life for the Apple Watch Ultra in its standard battery mode includes a GPS workout, using the screen in always-on mode, and using LTE data. In light use, you might find that it lasts several hours longer between charges.

• The Apple Watch Ultra is good for hikers, and these three apps make it great

Apple Fitness+ will soon be available to everyone who owns an iPhone, even those without an Apple Watch.

Until now, Apple's subscription-based workout service has been exclusively for people who own one of its wearables, but from October 24 it'll be open to all iPhone users, with a free three-month trial when you buy an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.

Apple Fitness+ launched back in December 2020, and gives subscribers access to a wide catalog of instructor-led workouts including HIIT training, yoga, core exercises, strength training, Pilates, treadmill (running or walking), cycling, rowing, dance, and mindful cooldown.

There are also collections of workouts designed to help you achieve a specific goal, (such as helping skiers and snowboarders prepare for snow season) plus Artist Spotlights, which are themed around music from a particular artist.

Yoga for runners

On October 24, Apple is launching a new series called Yoga for Every Runner featuring elite ultra runner Scott Jurek. Check out our guide what is ultra running for a quick guide to the sport.

“Whether people are new to running or seasoned veterans, I hope these 10-minute workouts in this programme on Fitness+ will help users feel more confident and comfortable incorporating yoga into their training and recovery," said Jurek.

The October 24 update will also add a new Artist Spotlight featuring Taylor Swift to celebrate the launch of her album Midnights, plus new episodes of the Time to Walk and Time to Run series.

After the free three-month trial period, Apple Fitness Plus costs $9.99/£9.99 per month or $79.99/£79.99 annually. You can share a single subscription with up to five family members.

• The Apple Watch Ultra is good for hikers, but these three apps make it great

Garmin is introducing a new tool for selected watches that will calculate running power from the wrist – just like the Apple Watch Ultra, which was released last month to compete for the attention of hikers, trail runners, and other outdoor adventurers.

When the Apple Watch Ultra arrived on September 23, comparisons with Garmin devices were inevitable. It was a smartwatch specifically designed for use outdoors, with features like an emergency siren, controls made for use while wearing gloves, and a built-in dive computer.

However, its battery life currently maxes out at 36 hours in regular use. A forthcoming firmware update will add a low power mode that increases that by a third, but Garmin's canny social media team took the opportunity to poke a little fun, claiming that they measure battery life in months, not hours.

Now, Garmin is upgrading some of its existing watches to add a feature that comes as standard on the Apple Watch Ultra. Many of Garmin's watches have a running power function, which shows how much energy you are using during a workout, but until now this has relied on an additional sensor like a HRM-Pro heart rate monitor or Running Dynamics Pod.

Not for long, though. As DC Rainmaker reports, the company has just rolled out a new beta firmware update for the Fenix 7, Quatix 7, and Epix (Gen 2) that will also allow watches to calculate running power from the wrist if you don't have the extra accessories. Other watches will also get the tool over the coming months.

A little healthy competition

That's something I've personally been hoping for since Garmin introduced native running power back in June. A good GPS watch is a big investment, and it's a real shame if people who have invested in a brand new device are unable to get the most out of its features without purchasing yet more hardware on top.

Devices from Coros and Polar can already calculate running power from the wrist, and although the actual number might not be as accurate as one calculated using data from an additional sensor, the trends are what most runners will be interested in.

It's likely that Garmin has been planning to introduce running power from the wrist for some time, but perhaps the arrival of the Apple Watch Ultra prompted it to push it out sooner. There's nothing like a little healthy competition.

• Best GPS watch: find your next training tool

So, you've decided to invest in the new Apple Watch Ultra. Good choice, but now you've got another big decision to make – which band to pick. 

Most of the best GPS watches for outdoor adventures come with a strap made from silicone, which resists water and sweat, and is easy to rinse clean. Others (such as the Garmin Enduro) have a woven nylon band that's lighter and more breathable. These bands are typically available in different colors, and can usually be swapped for something different if you prefer, but you have to buy straps made from different materials separately.

The Apple Watch Ultra is different; when you buy the watch, you can pick between three distinct straps designed for different activities: Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, and Ocean Band. So what exactly are they all, and how can you decide which is best for you - particularly if you enjoy more than one sport regularly?

The bands all slide into place like those of any other Apple Watch so you can swap them over in a few seconds. However, they cost $99 when bought separately, so it's best to choose the right one to begin with.

Alpine Loop

The Alpine Loop is built with hikers and climbers in mind, and was the band we used when we reviewed the Apple Watch Ultra in September. It looks like two pieces of material stitched together, but the layers are in fact woven into one another, meaning you won't accidentally pull them apart.

It fastens with an unusual G-shaped hook that slides into loops in the fabric. During our tests we found it easy to close, even one-handed, but the way the fabric sits in the hook means it's not going to come undone accidentally. Interestingly, the design also means that you're unlikely to accidentally fasten the Alpine Loop too tightly; you need just a tiny bit of slack to slide the hook home.

The Alpine Loop comes in three sizes, and three colors: starlight (an off-white shade), green, and orange. The latter is particularly good for visibility in woodland terrain, and would be a sensible pick for hikers and hunters who want to make sure they have a good amount of blaze orange attire for safety.

Trail Loop

The Trail Loop is the simplest of the three designs, and is made with runners in mind, though we can also see it working well for hikers and cyclists who want to pare down weight to a minimum. It's made from woven nylon, and fastens with a hook and loop closure (ie Velcro). 

It's not flashy, but the absence of a buckle means you can get a much more precise fit, and you can easily adjust it using the convenient little pull tab if your hands swell (it's a known phenomenon for hikers).

It comes in three subtle colorways (yellow/beige, blue/gray, and black/gray) and three sizes for different wrist circumferences.

Ocean Band

The Ocean Band, as its name implies, is built with watersports in mind – particularly diving. The Apple Watch Ultra is officially rated as a dive computer, and its forthcoming Oceanic+ app will help you track and manage your dives safely.

It's made from a flexible elastomer material that's easy to wipe dry, and has a tubular design that echoes the look of the Alpine Loop. It fastens with a titanium buckle that holds it in place securely during high-speed water sports where you may not trust a hook and loop closure, and matches the watch's titanium case.

The Ocean Band is available in one size as standard, but you can pick up an extension that expands it by up to 50mm, making it suitable for wearing over a wetsuit. This could also prove handy if you're planning to explore cold climes where you don't want to pull back your sleeve all the way and expose your wrist, though of course the Watch Ultra's SpO2 and heart rate sensors can't work through clothing.

It comes in three colors: black, white, and yellow. The yellow should be particularly good for visibility underwater (though we suspect it doesn't float).

• Best Garmin watches: find your ideal training tool

The Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are fantastic for exploring the great outdoors, but before you lace up your best hiking boots or trail running shoes, it's worth grabbing some key apps to make sure you really get the most out of them.

Although their GPS tracking is excellent, and it comes with Apple Maps preinstalled (naturally), the Ultra and Ultra 2 don't come with any tools for creating and following routes. There's no way to import a GPX file natively, and no way to plot a course using the Fitness app on your iPhone. For a watch that's otherwise finely honed for hiking (down to a new compass and emergency siren), it's a strange omission.

Thankfully, the App Store has everything you need to fill the gap, and turn the Apple Watch Ultra into the hiking watch of your dreams.

1. Komoot

We've long been fans of Komoot – in fact the app took the prize for best navigation app in the Advnture 2022 Awards – and it makes a fantastic addition to the Apple Watch Ultra. The watch doesn't come with any way of planning our your own hikes and trail runs in advance, but with Komoot you can easily plot a course on your phone or computer, then get a map and directions right on your wrist. You can also download routes created by other Komoot users, and share your personal favorites.

All of Komoot's key features are free, but if you want to download maps to use in places with no mobile data connectivity, or get turn-by-turn directions, you'll need to pay a fee. Thankfully these are quite reasonable, particularly if you only need to unlock maps for one or two regions.

Download Komoot from the App Store

2. Strava

If you run or cycles regularly you'll probably already be familiar with Strava, but this hugely popular app now supports a huge range of off-road activities, including hiking, gravel biking, and mountain biking, In fact, the number of hikes uploaded to Strava doubled in the last two years.

If you want to create your own routes to sync to your phone and Apple Watch you'll need a Strava subscription. You can get a free 30-day trial to see if it works for you. Subscribers also get recommended trail routes with details like gradient and difficulty. You can download trail routes for use offline, too.

Download Strava from the App Store

3. AllTrails

AllTrails is a fantastic resource for hiking and trail running, letting you discover new routes, wherever you happen to find yourself. You can even to filter routes that are particularly well suited to hiking with a dog, or ones that are wheelchair accessible, and each one is accompanied by photos, details of waypoints, and even a weather report to help you prepare.

AllTrails is free to download and use on your iPhone, and you'll get basic tracking functionality on your Apple Watch, but to transfer maps to your Apple Watch Ultra you'll need to buy a subscription. There's a free seven-day trial available, so you can take it for a few test hikes and cancel before the first payment goes out if it doesn't suit your needs.

Download AllTrails from the App Store

• Best GPS watches: find your ideal training tool for running and hiking

Apple has just released its first rugged smartwatch designed for the rough and tumble of life outdoors. The Apple Watch Ultra is much chunkier and tougher than its siblings, the Apple Watch Series 8 and SE, with a bigger battery to keep it running for longer between charges. It also boasts multi-band GPS (which proved extremely impressive in our tests, establishing a lock easily even in difficult environments) and a huge, bright high-resolution AMOLED display that's just perfect for maps.

It's a superb device, but unfortunately for many outdoor enthusiasts, its $799 / £849 asking price is simply going to be too steep. That's why I've put together this list of alternative watches that will help you find your way in the backcountry, track your training, and improve your fitness, without blowing your budget. These are all watches that I've tested myself, and would recommend to friends and family.

1. Amazfit T-Rex 2

The best cheap adventure watch around, without question

Yes, you're seeing the price below this text correctly – the Amazfit T-Rex 2 is an extremely impressive adventure watch that's perfect for life on the trails, and doesn't cost as much as a new family tent. When I asked the folks at Amazfit how they manage to keep prices so low, they told me it's because they make so many components in-house rather than buying them in from third-party suppliers.

The T-Rex 2 gives you a whole lot for your money, including a striking AMOLED display with super smooth scrolling, a seriously tough case (with a cleverly designed little metal bumper to protect its most important buttons), and battery life measured in weeks rather than hours or days. That assumes you're not using the screen's always-on mode, but the auto-wake is so well implemented, you don't need to.

You don't get a packed app store for third-party tools, but with native GPX support and navigation tools, that's not such a big loss.

2. Garmin Instinct 2

A super tough adventure watch with incredible battery life

When anyone asks me to recommend a tough GPS watch for camping and hiking, the Instinct series is one of the first that comes to mind. These watches are built like tanks (you'd have to be trying extremely hard to do any significant damage to them) and their battery life is frankly ridiculous, particularly if you opt for one of the solar models. In theory you could keep one running indefinitely on a single charge in power saving mode, but even with regular use of GPS, continuous heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking and other tools, it'll be weeks and weeks before you have to plug yours into its charger.

Now, there are some downsides to be aware of. First of all, watches in the Instinct series all have monochrome memory-in-pixel (MiP) displays, which are great for power saving, and good and clear in all light conditions, but aren't great for maps. You can transfer routes to your Instinct 2 in GPX format, but you might have a hard time following them as you won't have a proper high-res map on screen, only a vague indication of which direction to take.

You'll definitely want to use a regular paper map for navigation, but if you mainly want a tough watch that will do an excellent job of tracking hikes and trail runs for days on end, the Instinct 2 is a great option.

3. Polar Grit X Pro

The Polar Grit X Pro is an excellent watch for hiking, trail running, and other adventure sports, and it's around half the price of the Apple Watch Ultra. Don't let its classy looks fool you – this is an exceptionally tough timepiece that'll shrug off knocks and scrapes if you're enjoying a bit of climbing or bouldering.

Like the Ultra, it achieved a GPS lock extremely quickly in my tests, and there are excellent route and navigation profiles. The absence of topographic maps is a bit of a shame (for that, check out the Garmin Epix Gen 2 or Forerunner 955), but it's otherwise great.

Polar made its name in heart rate monitoring tech, so it comes as no surprise that the Grit X Pro offers particularly great biometric tracking. I also appreciated the Fuelwise feature, which helps you manage your intake of carbs and water during long distance expeditions.

4. Garmin Enduro

A mammoth GPS watch with battery life to match

The Garmin Enduro 2, released earlier this year, is around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra, but the original Enduro is still an excellent watch for outdoor adventures, and can now be found much more cheaply. 

Despite owning a newer watch, I got serious watch envy recently when following a GPX route alongside a friend who owns an original Enduro. Its screen is huge, allowing you to see upcoming turns well in advance, with plenty of detail.

Battery life is excellent too; all Enduro watches are equipped with Garmin's Power Glass to keep their batteries topped up while you're adventuring outdoors, and the original Enduro can provide up to 150 hours of GPS tracking with sufficient sunlight.

5. Apple Watch Series 8 (or below)

The latest iteration of Apple's classic wearable, with improved GPS

The Apple Watch Series 8 might not have the same tough build as the Ultra, but with the right apps installed and a protective case, it might serve your purposes just as well. The Series 8 has the same dual-band GPS as its tougher counterpart, plus a bright, crisp display that's great when used in conjunction with one of the best navigation apps like Komoot,

If the Series 8 is beyond your budget, it's worth taking a look at an older model like the Series 6 or 7. All devices from the Series 4 onwards are compatible with the latest version of Apple's wearable operating system, WatchOS 9, so you'll still benefit from new features like heart rate zone training, running form metrics, and custom workouts.

• Best hiking shoes: lightweight footwear for tough terrain

Apple Watch Ultra first impressions

The Apple Watch Ultra is definitely still a smartwatch first and foremost, feeling like a natural extension of your iPhone, but Apple has made some smart adjustments that make it better suited to life outdoors.

The Ultra keeps the same rounded rectangle case shape as the Apple Watch Series and SE, but is much chunkier and more industrial feeling. The aircraft grade titanium case is raised slightly above the sapphire crystal lens to protect it from scuffs and scratches.

The case's left-hand edge features an Action button (highlighted in international orange for visibility), which you can customize in the mobile app to perform various tasks, such as starting a workout, starting a stopwatch, or creating a waypoint. This is a first for any Apple Watch, and is a welcome addition for sports enthusiasts, as it reduces the amount of time you need to spend interacting with the watch's touchscreen mid-workout.

On the right-hand edge you have a redesigned Digital Crown, which is now larger with a more prominent knurled edge that makes it easier to operate with cold, wet, or gloved hands. A small back button underneath serves to navigate to previous menus, or access a list of recently used apps (something you won't get with the best GPS watches from the likes of Garmin or Coros).

The new crown is tactile and easy to use. However, its larger shape, with protrudes slightly from the back, meant it sometimes rubbed against my wristbone as I turned it. I'll be interested to see whether this is something other reviewers experience, or it's just down to the shape of my wrists,

If you have the same problem, there's a simple fix: you can switch the screen orientation in the Watch app on your iPhone, and wear the Apple Watch Ultra 'upside down' with the crown on the lower left side, and operated using your thumb.

There are three different bands to choose from: the thin woven Trail Loop, the elastomer Ocean Band for use while diving, and the Alpine Loop shown here, which is designed for use when climbing, scrambling, and hiking. It's made from two layers of fabric that are woven together rather than stitched so there's no need to worry about threads breaking, and fastens with a G-shaped titanium hook. It's very secure, and the fastening feels sturdier than a hook-and-loop strap. You can unfasten it easily with your off hand, but it's not going to come off accidentally.

Overall the Apple Watch Ultra is tough-looking and slick, but its most striking feature is its huge always-on AMOLED display. This really marks it out from the majority of dedicated sports watches, most of which sport memory-in-pixel (MIP) displays to limit power consumption. Even the Epix (Gen 2), Garmin's premium AMOLED watch, doesn't compare when it comes to screen brightness and resolution.

Apple could have dramatically increased the Ultra's battery life by switching to a less power-hungry display, but it's easy to see why it chose not to. The bright display is part of the whole experience, and is essential for many of its apps and features; composing an email using a keyboard on an MiP display would be all but impossible, photos would be blurred, and animations less smooth.

Apple Watch Ultra: on the trails

The Apple Watch Ultra is a piece of cake to set up and use; the whole interface feels intuitive, and elements are organized in a logical way. If you're making the jump from Garmin, Coros, or Polar, you'll soon feel at home. The programmable Action Button is a particularly nice addition, and even though this is still a smartwatch at heart, it adopts many of the best features of dedicated sports watches, striking a good balance between the two.

The Apple Watch Ultra features dual-frequency GPS, and it locked on exceptionally quickly, even in heavily built up or wooded areas. It was much faster to establish than the Garmin Enduro 2 I wore on the other wrist during testing, but the two watches recorded exactly the same distance, down to the meter.

The ability to save waypoints with a single button press is a real boon, and something you'll really appreciate when hiking or trail running. If you find yourself without a reliable GPS signal, you can turn to the watch's redesigned compass, which helps you navigate to marked waypoints. I was also pleased to find that the watch's case is flat enough to lie against a paper map so you can use it to take a bearing.

Not having to use any separate sensors or accessories to track metrics like stride length and running power is a real boon. Just start the running activity and they're all recorded automatically. Just open the Fitness app on your iPhone, hit Show More on Workout Details, and it's all there.

It would be useful if Apple provided some additional context around these figures for runners who aren't already familiar with them, though. As it stands, those unfamiliar with these stats will need to spend some time researching in order to make sense of them.

Battery life is, of course, the big sticking point - Garmin poked fun at Apple with social media posts boasting that it measures battery life in months rather than hours. However, things aren't quite as clear-cut as they first seem. Apple's quoted battery life of 36 hours includes pretty heavy use, including several hours of GPS tracking, plus cellular calls. In my tests, it kept going for around 42 hours.

While the Garmin Enduro 2 lasts much, much longer between charges, it's important to note that it won't run over a month with regular use of tools like GPS and SpO2 tracking, and it doesn't have cellular connectivity at all – only GPS, ANT+ and Wi-Fi.

Ultimately, neither is objectively better than the other; it's a matter of preference and priorities, Many people don't mind putting their sports watch on a charger while they take a shower (it does charge quickly), but if you're planning to go off-grid for long periods of time camping, backpacking or ultra running, or you're just a little disorganized, you may be better served by a more conventional and less power-hungry sports watch.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the Apple Watch Ultra also has a low power mode that stretches battery life out further by disabling tools like background heart rate monitoring and SpO2 tracking, and limiting Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity, though it doesn't disable them entirely. It's a good compromise for occasional use, but I wouldn't want to use it regularly, as it does reduce the watch's functionality.

For me, the Apple Watch really shines when it comes to navigation. Its bright, high resolution display is perfect for wayfinding, and since it comes with Google Maps installed, you have high quality, detailed maps right on your wrist without the need to download anything or pay for separate map packs (a limitation of some GPS watches). It's worlds apart from trying to follow a route on a monochrome memory-in-pixel display without named streets and landmarks.

Importing hiking and running routes in GPX format isn't quite as straightforward as it is with Garmin Connect. You can't create or transfer GPX files using the preinstalled workout app, but there are apps for all the big navigation services including Strava and Komoot, so it's no real hardship in practice. Once that's done, following them on the Apple Watch Ultra's big, colorful screen is a breeze.

The Apple Watch Ultra also features some nicely designed extras to appeal to adventurers. The distress siren is extremely loud, and easily accessed by holding either of the watch's buttons (handy in case you're panicking and can't remember which one does what). I can't help feeling it would have been helpful if it gave you the option of a standard Alpine Distress Signal for use in the EU, but it does provide a signal that sounds much like a Morse code SOS. 

There's no LED flashlight like that of the Garmin Fenix 7X and Enduro 2, but the screen is bright enough to serve a similar purpose in dark conditions. There's a flashlight mode accessible through the main menu, which includes a very useful blinking mode; Apple didn't mention this as launch, but a flashing light is universally recognized as a distress signal in addition to an audible whistle or alarm, and is useful for signalling helicopters whose pilots may not be able to hear you.

There are a couple of features I've yet to test; we've not yet taken the Apple Watch Ultra diving to test its performance as a dive computer, or (thankfully) been involved in an accident that activated the new Crash Detection feature. Hopefully I won't need that any time soon.

it  goes without saying that the Apple Watch Ultra isn't compatible with Android devices. If you're an Android user looking for something similar, the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) and Amazfit T-Rex 2 are worth investigating. Neither offers the same wealth of apps, or feels like a real extension of your phone, but both are robust and attractive, with AMOLED displays well suited to mapping. The T-Rex 2 is particularly impressive thanks to its modest price, which belies its genuinely impressive build quality and performance.

Where we tested the Apple Watch Ultra

I tested the Apple Watch Ultra on various runs, including one of my favorite loops from Bristol Temple Meads station, along the River Avon, and up to the beautiful grounds of Ashton Court. It's a great spot for enjoying views across the city, including the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge, and you can enjoy watching some of the local red and fallow deer while taking a water break.

• How Advnture tests products

The Apple Watch Ultra is available to pre-order now, and is expected to start arriving on owners' wrists from Friday September 23. You can place your order on the official Apple store, but that's not your only option. We're here to run down the various stores taking orders for the new watch, and the pros and cons of each one.

If you've decided that the Apple Watch Ultra is the best GPS watch for you, here are your pre-order options:

The Apple Watch Ultra is Apple's first smartwatch designed for hiking, trail running, climbing, diving, and other outdoor adventures. It has a similar overall look to the Apple Watch 8 (which debuted at the same time), but with several significant differences to make it more practical for life on the trail and at sea.

That includes an aircraft-grade titanium case with a high edge to protect the sapphire crystal lens, a physical button and larger Digital Crown that can be used with gloves, a much larger battery, and three strap options designed for different activities. You can get the full details in our coverage of the launch event.

• The Apple Watch Ultra's siren is great – and Garmin should borrow it