It might’ve only recently gotten back into the wearable game, but given Motorola was one of the architects of the smartwatch as we know it today, you should always sit up and take notice when it reveals a new model. The Motorola Watch Ultra could be a return to form for the firm, with luxe looks, LTE connectivity and Wear OS smarts. It also continues Motorola’s partnership with fitness expert Polar for health and wellness insights.
Due later this year, the Watch Ultra will land in a single 46mm size hewn from stainless steel. Each watch will bundle two straps in the box – one silicone, one genuine leather – so you can mix and match to suit your style or workout routine. Quick release lugs should speed up that process and I had no complaints about comfort. Naturally the colours have been approved by long-time collaborator Pantone.
Gorilla Glass 3 protects the circular AMOLED screen, which blends nicely into the outer bezel. It looked perfectly sharp and bright on my wrist during a brief demo, although I can’t say how well it’ll hold up outdoors under strong sunshine.
I found the casing to be particularly chunky, although maybe that’s because I’m still wearing the svelte Google Pixel Watch 5. Anyone that likes a watch with real wrist presence will surely be happy here. The stainless steel is tough, too, being both IP68 and 5ATM water resistant.
The big change here is Wear OS; Moto’s most recent smartwatch used an own-brand operating system in pursuit of better battery life. That means you’ll get access to the Play Store for adding all the third-party apps you could want, rather than be limited to Motorola’s own.
The firm has still added a bunch of bespoke software, though, including its own Qira AI assistant. There wasn’t anything on show during my hands-on that made it stand out over Gemini, however.
It could be the fitness focus that gives the Watch Ultra an edge over other Android-friendly wearables. Polar’s sports science has been applied across more than 100 activity types, with heart rate and SpO2 being used for multi-stage sleep tracking and a stamina report (think Garmin’s Body Battery metric) that’ll tell you how hard to push – or not – based on your recent exercise.
Battery life is pegged at 50 hours of active use, which should mean a comfortable two days between charges. Motorola reckons a 15 minute top-up is enough for a further 24 hours of use.
When it launches in North America, the UK and Europe in the coming weeks, the £369 / €429 Watch Ultra will be a direct rival to the 41mm Pixel Watch 5 and just narrowly undercut the Samsung Galaxy Watch9. You’re getting a bigger screen and bigger battery for your cash – not to mention double the number of straps included in the box – which could make it a good pick for those wanting maximum bang for their buck.
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