I Tried to Run 100 Miles with the Apple Watch Ultra 2

I recently tried to run a 100 mile ultramarathon with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Garmin Forerunner 965. I learned a lot about these watches during this 16 hour activity in terms of battery life and useability and decided it was worth sharing... Hopefully it was helpful!
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[@ChaseTheSummit]

Update: Small typo at 8:24. When I speak about the Garmin 965 test results I have “Apple Watch Ultra 2” in the title. The data is correct but the title is off! Sorry about that!

[@pjvds]

Love that you start with answering the question first and do a TLDR during the first part of the video. This is how content should be!

[@BrunoDECOURCY]

I have an Watch Ultra and I only use WorkOutDoors on it. I have the map onto the watch this way… No settings are off… I use  fitness application only for calisthenics at home… And even though I’ve got my Watch Ultra on Oct 27 2022, its battery is still at 100%. A beast!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Do you notice a negative effect in battery with WorkOutDoors?

[@BrunoDECOURCY]

Nope, and as far it is saved onto the watch, it'd be easier on the battery than the Apple application Regardless of running or not, I still have the same battery level at 9:00pm when I put in on charger (between 65 and 70%) I wear my Watch Ultra at 9:45pm as I track sleep with autoSleep. Then wake up at 4:45 for one hour of calisthenics and go to work. I charge my Watch Ultra once a day. If I run, I do little calisthenics in the morning and I go for a 15k run at around 9:ooam (it is hot in Malaysia) Another video you could do is having bot Watch Ultra on both wrists to see if there is some difference. Keep uploading as I love seeing your videos! Cheers from a French guy in Malaysia@@ChaseTheSummit

[@dsellis08]

@@ChaseTheSummitI'm currently logging AWU battery life with a spreadsheet in preperation for my first Ultra Marathon. WOD has no impact on battery. But Cellular and Wifi do.

[@j4ckalop3]

Love my ultra but I also love my instinct 2. Ultra for daily training life, instinct 2 for anything that I need over 24 hours of battery life. For me that is generally only 2x a year.

[@hardmtnbiker]

I’m an ultra cyclist nerd and ride 100 mile (Century rides) at least 1 and sometimes 2x each month. I have a Garmin Edge 840 on my bike but also have the Forerunner 965 as my 24/7 wearable. The bike gets other sensors such as the Rally XC200 pedals that pairs with my watch and Edge plus the Garmin HR strap. Although I like the Apple Watch for all the extra Apps. It’s not as sports comprehensive as Garmin and the Garmin Connect IQ APS

[@fitgearhunter]

Awesome video man - great overall breakdown and super helpful overview of how to gauge/compare the AWU battery just in general, especially vs a Garmin

[@kofuzi]

meanwhile, my 1 year old Apple Watch SE went from 100% to 10% on my 1 hour run today (tracking the activity and streaming music)

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Dang! Cellular turned on too?

[@ravenblack9750]

In ultra races, the rules usually require you to have your phone on you. That's why I have an iPhone mini and an epix for 51. It's the perfect combo for me. Thx Dave great video. I will stay with my epix pro 51 👌🏻

[@MrHepcat34]

I absolutely loved this content. I’m starting to lean back to apple. I do miss the synching I got from my series 3. But I do love my Fenix 6 & Garmin service is amazing.

[@KwyjiboVanDeKamp]

Thanks for the work Dave! Great video as always! 🙂

[@peter_sper]

Great job man as always 👏

[@dirckgevers2618]

No need to apologise for density of data (at the end of your video). I watch your videos because of your level of data (not overdone, but detailed enough). Great work!

[@siralator5839]

Waiting for native topo maps on the AW! 🙏

[@Thecsyu]

Thanks for another great insight! You just helped me add the Ultra2 to the cart. However, I noticed that the shipping date is listed as the end of November for Malaysia.

[@theshadyhipster7205]

I appreciate how in depth this was! Thank you for making this :)

[@robertsonfamilyfarm9126]

Congrats on the 16 hour run , I like the idea of not having phone to run with so , interesting to see Apple Watches real world test with everything on ??? Plus maybe small battery packs to refuel on crazy long days

[@adaoduarte9516]

Hi Dave, nice video. It seems to me that GARMIN 965 is the watch you have always on your wrist. Thanks to your reviews, I’m holding my desire to buy the Ultra. It’s not time yet. Battery still a big issue.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The 965 is one of my current favorites due to it's lightweight and similar features to the more expensive models. But, that's just my subjective opinion. The Epix Pro 51mm is also REAL nice!

[@SMAAKuwait]

Is the Garmin Watch 955 a good choice, or is the Apple Ultra 2 better, what do you think? ​@@ChaseTheSummit

[@runadamrun]

I recently ran Black Canyon 100K.. got to 50.2 miles before I ran out of time and DNFd. First dnf and PR on distance! That said, I was down to 22% at 15 1/2 hrs .on my AWU2. I am prepping for Sedona Canyon 125, was considering swapping for a Garmin (or Coros) but at my pace/goal.. pretty sure Id need to charge that too during the race.. so.. prob gonna hold on to what I have for now and charge during my longer aid station/rests. ... unless I find a great deal on a used Garmin. :) Great info/insight... much appreciated.

[@Heyitspat]

From what I’ve heard, disabling Bluetooth hurts the battery life because if your phone is within range, the watch actually uses your iPhone’s GPS and battery to save battery life. 6:03

[@ChaseTheSummit]

That used to be the case but they stopped doing that in recent software updates and the watches now always track gps from their built in antennas.

[@smjfm14]

Just got the s9 and the battery id really good it last me almost 2 days on regular use still having like 10%

[@thekingoflordagames3517]

Did you use always on display?

[@smjfm14]

@@thekingoflordagames3517 no and neither the new tap feature or wifi. Got on the blood oxygen, raise to wake and walkie talkie sometimes.

[@pentachronic]

The fact you are wearing a Garmin as your back up device speaks volumes for Garmin!!

[@peakproofuk]

Great video. Real life data like this is super useful.

[@cheenangng4050]

I was thinking between Coros apex 2 pro and 965, and u have just sold me the 965. And a word to Apple, seems like there are many people whom wanted a ultra and the only road block is the battery life, sort that out and I am sure they will be on back order very very quickly

[@crowehar]

Thanks so much!

[@peakproofuk]

I wish Apple had implemented maps better. Stored on the actual watch would be good. Part of the activity app pretty essential. Global topo absolutely essential.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Me too, I'm still confused why they chose to store the map data on the phone. The watch itself has plenty of storage space and it would be far more useful. I'd also like to see some sort of "map page" added to the workout app so we don't need to jump between apps to get the data we need in the field.

[@peakproofuk]

@@ChaseTheSummit 100%. Maybe they’ll work on mapping/hiking for the next main update. Love your videos, really appreciate your opinion.

[@PregoGB135]

Thanks! Very helpful!

[@Sinasi08]

Great video, thank you Dave 👍

[@siiddrb]

This is a super detailed video! Loved the comparison. Looks like you also wore the Ultrahuman ring on this race. Did you, by any chance turn workout mode on it as well? If yes, any feedback on that?

[@jacksonj3082]

Wish Ultra 2 Activity app would keep weekly Steps & Miles traveled, this was in my Series 7 but not in the Ultra 2 - it's a useful feature no longer included - WHY ? The iPhone Activity app also should keep historical Steps & Miles - showing daily, weekly, monthly - would seem easy.

[@smjfm14]

Good video and tips!

[@davidkipperman5218]

The Apple Ultra is a great watch, just not the ultra watch it is billed to be. 😎

[@StuartCrabtree]

Yeah but not all “ultras” are 100 miles!

[@DingleBerryschnapps]

It's actually quite easy to make the battery last longer by simply turning off settings depending on what scenario you're in.

[@JenJones-x2m]

I really miss my ultra. Sold it to get a 965 cause it’s a sport watch. But I hate it. It’s NOT apple. First world problems I know but can you please use your contacts to the apple board to please tell them to - at least - build an really spot app (like Garmin). Then we can talk about battery life

[@brandonagil6028]

Hated my 965 too. Just refunded it

[@informalrunning]

God, that image at wachusset summit in the fog is nightmare fuel

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Haha seriously. That was a character building exercise!

[@SugarLandFishingBros]

Do you think it would be better to have Bluetooth ON and use a chest strap monitor as then the Apple Watch monitor would turn off thus saving battery life? Or do think it wouldn’t save enough to offset the fact there is Bluetooth?

[@curtispazarjr4985]

great rewiew!!!!!

[@yams900]

Excellent review/test, thank you for sharing ! I'm about to replace my Suunto 9 Baro, due to end of battery life...lasted me 4 years or so. Question, does Ultra 2 support OFFLINE maps ? Would be good, as I enjoy climbing mountains where there is no mobile connection...connection to satellites, I'm sure :) It's outback Australia, Telcos won't put up any Mobile towers (good)

[@MWalsh_NY]

Are you able to receive texts and phone calls from an iPhone to the garmin? Also curious if the fitness tracking is any different between the ultra and a standard Apple Watch or the platform is the same across all devices?

[@nostoneunturned6291]

It takes all of 10 minutes to gain almost 10% battery on the Ultra when using a fast charger usb portable power bank. Plus, the ultra is wireless charging while the Garmin isn’t. I’ve always worried about sweat or gunk getting into the usb power port and being jammed into the cable if you had to charge mid race. The question is, does the Apple Watch end the activity if you pause it and try to give it a quick charge in the middle of a race? I believe WorkOutDoors doesn’t when I tested it recently.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The Garmin charges very fast as well. I prefer Garmin’s charger when I need to run and charge because the cable sort of locks in place where the MagSafe charger on the Apple Watch can become disconnected when it’s floating around in a backpack. I packed a rubber band to secure it for this very reason. but realistically neither is ideal. You can charge the Apple Watch during activity without ending it which is great!

[@duffman1990]

Dave, the one niggle I have with the Ultra (or any AW) is its reliance on Apple Maps for GNSS traces. When I test the Ultra against a 955 on trail runs, there are sections that get smoothed out by the Ultra. It appears the Ultra is snapping to Apple's map data rather than leaving a "raw" GNSS trace. I see this all the time with tight switch backs. The 955 will clearly show them, but the Ultra won't because the trail isn't precisely marked by Apple. I think I noticed this a bit in your video. There are sections where the Ultra's track looks smoothed out and others where it "wobbles." I know you had cellular and BT turned off, but perhaps the watch had some map data cached on it. Have you noticed this at all? And how did your two devices compare in regards to overall distance? My Ultra always comes up short, usually by 2-5%. Thanks for the excellent vids.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I only notice this when the watch is actively paired to a phone. In this case the watch had no connection to my phone and the phone that I had paired to this particular AWU2 was left at home hours away. But yes, when paired I do notice the smoothing. In some cases it's a good thing where otherwise GPS drift would set in. In other cases it can make mistakes.

[@duffman1990]

@@ChaseTheSummit Thanks for the reply. It's just hard to tell what's actually going on inside an Apple Watch! I guess that's why I'll usually trust the Garmin data more as it's probably less "filtered" than the Apple. Have you noticed any trends in regards to the AWU2's distance? I want as much as I can get (real or not)!

[@codywright3958]

I somewhat wished they wouldn’t have called it ultra ha. I have used it for multiple half marathon and marathons and it’s perfect. I’ve ran those without taking my phone at all, had 70%+ battery left, paid for food on the way home and made phone calls as needed after the race. I think that’s the sport where it shines. Just my subjective opinion.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I agree. Apple Watch “Pro” feels more suitable but Apple will be Apple 😂

[@leonidasleontis]

Sorry to say Dave, Apple Watch Ultra 2 is destined to DNF in any 100miller contrary to you that I am sure you will get back to finishing one soon....stay with Garmin Epix 2 which will take you through one starting with 20% battery.

[@joshlieberman8561]

How did the heart rate data compare between the two watches?

[@brookspeterson8114]

The GPS setting is really going to affect the battery difference in this test since AWU 2 is multi band. On my Epix GPS only vs Multi band is about a 10 hour difference in battery life.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yup, the difference is that on Apple Watch there's no way to manually force the watch to use GPS Only vs Multiband.

[@Ariegi854]

Isn't it that when you have a bluetooth connection on Apple Watch, then the GPS signal is obtained from the phone, therefore it boosts the battery life on AW, while decreasing it on an iPhone?

[@georgevadnais3516]

The Forerunner 965 still win thé game.

[@dbgfwbe1497]

AW Ultra, super watch ... yes, but maybe not for a runner

[@sugonmaballs]

I'm not sure I see a real issue with a watch only lasting 12+ hours with GPS usage on these Ultra runs; you're required to have a phone anyways, which prompts me to bring a (very) small battery bank as well. And you're definitely stopping for a refresh at some point so you can pause your activity on the watch to do a quick charge and resume the activity afterwards. I'm sure 10+ mins of charging on either watch would be more than enough to get you through an ultra of any (standard) length.

[@steevekohler3163]

main problem is, you can't charge the watches while using them..... if there was a fancy calble .... all those problems wouden't exist.....

[@ChaseTheSummit]

You can, it's just not ideal given the magnetic charger. I kept a small rubber band in my pack in the event I needed to charge. I figured I could secure the watch to the charger in my bag while it charged for a few minutes if it came down to it.

[@VernL4]

Seems to me that it's another victory for the Garmin!

[@andrewdelprete]

Great video! I have an Apple Watch 6 and typically turn on airplane mode but keep Bluetooth on to stay connected to my phone. I’ve gotten really good results out of that. I also just started using Work Out Doors with downloaded map and seems to do pretty well.

[@crowehar]

I have the ultra one. Do you see significant enough battery improvements that might lead someone to upgrade?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I think there's a *slight* difference but not enough to warrant an upgrade. VERY similar watches.

[@neilfusco5664]

Any idea what the battery would be if it was connected to your phone? 😊

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I THINK it would have been similar. Bluetooth doesn't take a ton of power but I turned it off to milk every last drop of battery life I could out of it. I'll have to do more testing with different settings in the future.

[@GOLFADDICT65]

Hi great review....what are your thoughts about the Garmin s70 watch as an all around day to day watch ? i am also a golfer so thats why i ask.....THX.....cheers from Canada

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I don't have first hand experience with the S70 but the Forerunner 965 is one of my favorites so I have to assume the S70 is a great watch for just about everything not just golf.

[@nickgliha557]

Great effort in the race! You'll get your redemption next time. One suggestion/thought...I believe the AW's piggy back off the phones GPS if the paired phone is connected which is a pretty big battery saver. It's possible that the watch would have ended up slightly higher with the iPhone taking the GPS load. Do you think this would have helped or been a larger drain than benefit having the constant ping between the two devices?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Thanks! In this case the watch wasn't paired to an iphone during the activity. In fact, the iphone that I use with this watch was left at home so it had no possibility of connecting. So the results you're seeing are purely from the built in GPS chip. Also, on all newer Apple Watches in Watch OS 10 they leverage the internal GPS chip and don't piggy back the phone like they used to.

[@nickgliha557]

@ChaseTheSummit didn’t realize that! Thanks man.

[@filip.gabriel]

What I was wondering was how enebling bluetooth and connecting a chest strap would affect the battery life. The watch doesn't have to use its hr sensor but the blutooth connection, transfering the hr reading from the strap to the watch... Does anyone have the answear?

[@DJ.Skyhawk]

Ready for a smaller version, akin to the Fenix S. I just don’t feel like I could sleep in the Ultra in it’s current size.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Pretty sure Apple sees the Series 9 as the “smaller version” of the ultra.

[@DJ.Skyhawk]

Yea no doubt. I have a titanium series 7, which I love. If I could get the ultra battery life in this form factor, that’s ideal.

[@DrDoinks]

Correct me if I’m wrong- but during an ultra, people take a few breaks to sit down/eat a bit right? Having a USB C PD/fast charging portable power bank would probably give you a few percentage points during a 5-10 minute rest, and those would definitely add up over time. Not ideal but I could see the occasional ultra runner see that as a decent alternatigr

[@ChaseTheSummit]

You’re not wrong but my breaks are typically 1-3 minute max. I carry a portable power bank with me but the act of removing the watch, and somehow securing the magnetic charger without it falling off while moving is a hassle compared to a lot of the “running watches” on the market that can survive the full event without a recharge. These tasks sound easy, but when you’re in the situation it’s a lot more frustrating 90 miles into a race with a brain that’s not 100% functional lol.

[@DrDoinks]

@@ChaseTheSummit oh wow, that indeed sounds like a pain lol. And like you said, unnecessary given the fact you’ve got other options and don’t have to worry about it. Makes sense that you’d want to focus on something else or attempt to catch a breather instead of throwing the watch on and off the charger… Keep wanting to try the ultra but the reliability of Garmin’s buttons while running is such a nice upgrade from my old Apple watch. great video!

[@pentachronic]

@@ChaseTheSummit Don’t forget the extra weight you have to carry with a power brick!!

[@howieboller5986]

I’m looking for a watch that is great for the outdoors with maps and battery life that will do good in situations with no service. The Garmin fenix 7 is a little to expensive and the Garmin instinct 2 is a little to simple, what would be a good watch in between those two?

[@wk633]

How about a refurbished Fenix 6 Pro? About $350 right now.

[@howieboller5986]

@@wk633 I’ll definitely take a look, is the forerunner 955 good for outdoor trips too, does it have reliable mapping for like backpacking.

[@gpfraser1]

At 8:24 you have the Ultra 2 listed a 2nd time when it should have listed the Garmin 965 stats

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Whoops. Copy/Paste error. Those are the correct numbers just the wrong title. Thanks for catching that.

[@KomengDeBatiste]

NO, this is not for me, I'm a SLOW 100Miler hehehe. Where I'm at this is a very expensive watch, and to have to OFF most features/functions just to get by, its just not worth it for me. BTW, I've preordered Vantage V3! The wait is killing me hehehe😅

[@ChaseTheSummit]

The VV3 looks great! Can't wait to get my hands on one myself!

[@NickW90]

Watching this wearing my 965 and ultra 😂

[@valdius85]

Mate, dense is fine. I am tired of the "box opening" reviews. :) Apple should allow to use the iPhone as a GPS source through blootooth to save power on the watch. Most of these events require people to have a phone anyway.

[@ryanmullins5085]

Wonder how having a Bluetooth HR strap on each of them would impact the drain by having the OHR not have to run

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I suspect it would help but not by a huge margin.

[@davidward5381]

I was just curious, how far did you run on this workout.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

54 miles

[@mistereffo]

Hello Dave, I'm from France, a question with watch os 10 did it solve the problem of rain on the watch screen? (because of the drops he acts like he stops) Thank you

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Not sure they can ever "solve" this as it is a touch screen watch. Personally I use the "water lock" function when I'm running in the rain to prevent accidental taps.

[@markj4306]

I think the battery may last longer with Bluetooth on, as it will get more GPS data from your phone rather than the watch, and Bluetooth uses less energy than the GPS.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Not on the newer Apple Watches. After Watch OS9 Apple Watch relies on its internal GPS chipset instead of leveraging your phone. The only time it will leverage phone data is for map data while using "reduced accuracy mode" and not for positioning.

[@envihb]

Not working for me

[@NelsonRei-s8b]

Hello, first of all to say that I love your content, I would just like to have some help from you, I see that it uses application exercised by Apple itself but then how does which application see the map of the trail traveled? Thank you

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It doesn't unfortunately. The native workout app doesn't have a "map view" though you can load apple maps but that won't show your breadcrumb trail. For this, you'll need a third party app like "WorkOutdoors" which has that all built in.

[@SugarLandFishingBros]

Do you think it would be better to have Bluetooth ON and use a chest strap monitor as then the Apple Watch monitor would turn off thus saving battery life? Or do think it wouldn’t save enough to offset the fact there is Bluetooth?

[@DrDoinks]

Question: can the action button be programmed to switch between running info/metric screens on runs? (either with Apple or 3rd party app) Have done a lot of googling and haven’t found anything.. but it seems crazy to me that you apparently can’t press the button to switch between display of heart rate or pace, maps etc. The ONE thing holding me back from the Ultra is having to swipe between screens to display different data. It drove me crazy on my old Apple Watch which brought me to garmin in the first place

[@lukasbohm9760]

Workoutdoors app solves it :) you can program the buttons to change screens

[@lennygarrison6836]

Dave, question for you. Do you know if Garmin and Apple Watch batteries can be replaced? I know that the batteries degrade a few percent every year.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

They're not user replaceable. Garmin used to offer a. refurbishing option for around $50 but I think they stopped doing that and now offer most users a discount towards a new watch. Apple does not offer a service option either unfortunately.

[@matthiasschorghofer7129]

I don’t think that they degrade that much. I had more 700 charging cycles in 4.5 years on my iPad and use it almost everyday. And my watch I charge every 2 weeks in average so it should last much longer🙂👍🏾. Basically you could replace it on a Fenix also but you would have to go to a jewellery shop that they make it leakproof again

[@jjpracticingaloha]

It's Ultra for non ultra marathoners like me lol

[@Bullet_1987]

Q is would it survive IF you finished the race?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Depends how long it would have taken me. Like I said realistically I’d expect around 26 hours max out of the ultra 2

[@Bullet_1987]

@@ChaseTheSummit How long would it take for you?

[@cgarrett1974]

Should have been Apple Watch Ultra vs Epix Pro!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Epix Pro gets even more battery life but aside from that it’s pretty similar to the 965.

[@lowzyyy]

Actually when i turn off bluetooth on 255 i get extra 2 days. Its big difference

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It's a bigger difference when it comes to "standby" battery life but during a GPS activity it's not as noticeable though I'm sure it would squeeze out an extra hour or two!

[@jpalipio3453]

Wow that's huge. Looks like the Apple watch ultra will be eating into the forerunner sales quite a bit.

[@mortenvinther8940]

Definitely not. People that buy a forerunner wants the most advanced metrics and data as possible and AWU2 wont give your that. Its severely behind anything releated to health tracking compared to Garmin unfortunately. If anything, more and more people will ditch the AWU2 because of no major improvements compared to the AWU1 and switch to garmin for superior stats and tracking.

[@ayowser01]

​@mortenvinther8940 that's what she said 😀

[@TRXFRMR41-th7vd]

I set out to run 1 mile got to end of my drive way looked at my Apple Watch Ultra 2 saw it was lunch time and went back inside and made a big roast beef sandwich.

[@philoustetou]

Why didn't you use multi gnss on the Garmin? It would have been fairer !

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Because this was a real race for me and the Garmin was my backup in the event the Apple Watch didn’t last. Yes, it would have been a more fair comparison. I’m just sharing my experience. I suspect they would have been similar in multi-band mode. I wish Apple allowed us to customize GPS modes!

[@philoustetou]

@@ChaseTheSummit Do you know an iOS app that records battery discharge during a workout ? This would be interesting for testing ! Thank you for you video 👍🏻

[@mrjkstark]

10:10 Can't you now download maps for offline use for the AWU as well?

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Yes... well kinda. You still need to have your phone on you and connected via bluetooth to your watch. The map data is stored on the phone and not directly on the watch. Another thing to note is that map data is stored in Apple Maps and isn't integrated into the "workout" app at all so you need to continuously jump between apps to get the information you need. Apple Maps also doesn't support GPX file import.

[@hamwhacker]

@@ChaseTheSummitI have a Garmin 6X. Screen is perfectly adequate for me, both in bright sunlight and at night. Battery life is at least 2 full days while recording gps and showing a map. Works in wet weather. And because the map is on the watch it doesn’t need an iPhone to work. Ever since getting it, I don’t wear my Apple Watch (2nd gen). Battery life is king for me. Without it I am just wearing a £400-600 piece of junk. Apple Watch is still only half the battery life of a garmin. Probably less

[@BrunoDECOURCY]

Hence WorkOutDoors!

[@tonybowen455]

@@ChaseTheSummit Gah no gpx!

[@Jay-sd9ye]

Didn't you already do this test... I'm confused.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Not with the Ultra 2 and not with 16+ hours of real world use with these specific settings.

[@Jay-sd9ye]

@@ChaseTheSummit so it was the ultra 1?

[@RunnerRemRem]

The Ultra is running multiband all the time, there’s no settings for the GPS. For the sake of comparing the Ultra and the 965 battery performance, you should have set up the 965 on multiband.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

You’re not wrong. However this was a real race for me and my Garmin was my backup device to the Ultra 2 so I had it set in GPS Only to have some headroom if I needed it. I suspect the Garmin would have still come out on top in multiband mode. It should be noted that the Garmin was also running navigation the entire time from a pre made GPX file to keep me on course which also drains battery.

[@mortenvinther8940]

965 would beat it everyday regardless of what GPS mode.

[@RunnerRemRem]

Agree with both of you, the question is not if the Ultra would beat the 965. The question is how far behind is the Ultra. Comparing GPS battery life is useless if both GPS are not set on the same mode.

[@nachot6592]

The fact that you had enough battery anxiety to turn them off when leaving home is ☠️

[@ChaseTheSummit]

Not really anxiety. I just wanted to set the stage for the test without introducing any variables like phone calls or notifications before the race.

[@JacobBumgarner]

@ChaseTheSummit yep. I appreciated that you thought ahead to do this.

[@MrHenkfromHolland]

You compare two different watches

[@mlegrand]

This video could almost be called "Best Settings for Long GPS Battery Life On Your AWU 2". #getAllOfDemViews

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I had a long list of titles and landed on this 🤷‍♂️

[@mlegrand]

@@ChaseTheSummit - I'm just thinking you could use something very similar to this content with a new title and thumbnail a week from now. I guess it all depends on what people are searching for to find these videos. 🤷‍♂

[@AdvUK-s4h]

What a stupidity to disable everything ,I have a plastic kid watch you should wear that , it has pre disbled everything 😅

[@ChaseTheSummit]

It was an experiment to see how much battery could be squeezed out of the Ultra 2 in an endurance sport like Ultra Running. Clearly you're not an endurance athlete so feel free to keep everything enabled. 👍

[@amshaq007CR7]

Nar it was a great video.bye

[@amshaq007CR7]

First❤ hi chase

[@mrnicbst]

It's crazy how the Garmin's GPS only setting looks better than the Apple multi-band implementation...

[@nickedwards1445]

Basically buy a Garmin. Apple is for folk who want to pay for their coffees with their watch.

[@benw4401]

I’ll leave my phone at home, track my workout when I bench press your dad, then call your mom after.

[@strongerthanyouallday]

Running is boring.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

You might have stumbled across the wrong channel lol.

[@dkts01]

A bit unfair that the one was on dual band for all the 16 hours and the other one on gps only

[@ChaseTheSummit]

You're not wrong however there's no way to disable multi-band on the Apple Watch which is frustrating. This was a "Real Race" for me so I wanted lots of battery life headroom on the Garmin which is why I used "GPS Only Mode". It still provides good accuracy with great battery life. I wish Apple would allow us to customize that. I suspect the Garmin would have still came out on top in Multi-Band mode simply because it's a much different watch with a lot less features.

[@dkts01]

@@ChaseTheSummit :) I know that still garmin would be ahead just wondering by how much ! In any case great video again :)

[@JasonRaneses]

Apple’s whole approach is blunt and for the general masses. After using the AWU 1 and 2 they are definitely mislabeled as being for extreme fitness. I’m currently enjoying my Fenix 7 Pro.

[@rgmALC]

@@JasonRanesesMislabeled? People are running ultra marathons with them. Yes, there are longer races, but to say they are mislabeled is a bit much.

[@JasonRaneses]

@@rgmALC How you evaluate the AWU as a serious activity tracker is in part subjective, but right now it leans more objective even with the latest generation. Using this review from Dave as one example, he had to heavily disable core capabilities on the device to even hit a reasonable battery % to meet less than his target distance. On the other side, there is no question or anxiety on the 965 making it that long in the field. Let alone an Epix or Fenix. This is not a Garmin specific pitch, Coros would have done fine here too, admittedly with their own limitations. I really tried to use an AWU as a daily driver smartwatch + as a Garmin replacement. It is just not ready at the moment to do that. Apple has even pulled back on their own marketing of the AWU for athletes despite how it was originally framed at launch. Apple silicon on the watch lineup is probably 1-2 generations away from being viable in this context, if you were to extrapolate out how well their other chips are performing. The software side also needs to catch up. Time will tell if Apple decides to continue to limit their native apps and rely on 3rd party developers. For the latter, the competition is good, but everyone will need to expect to pay evergreen subscription fees for apps. I'd actually prefer to be rocking an AWU given I'm deep in the Apple ecosystem otherwise. Fingers crossed they get there.

[@jc2044]

I don't understand why keep flying in circles about the battery lasting less than 48 hours. In reality, for outdoor use, a watch's battery should ideally last for over 96 hours to be truly useful.

[@ChaseTheSummit]

I suppose that depends on what you're doing.

[@TRXFRMR41-th7vd]

I turn nothing off and get three days on normal power mode. Also can you talk without using them annoying talking hands!!!!!!!!!

[@ChaseTheSummit]

But can you comment without using those annoying comments?

[@theartificialsociety3373]

Truth is Apple watches are not for serious people.