**My Wife Ditched Her Apple Watch Ultra for a Casio (And You Might Too)**
When Apple released the Watch Ultra, it was touted as the ultimate smartwatch for adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts. However, for some users, it turned out to be more hype than substance. My wife, who was initially excited by the Ultra’s features, recently switched to a classic Casio watch – and here’s why.
The Ultra Is True Overkill
The Ultra was designed for extreme activities like hiking, scuba diving, and mountaineering. But for the average person, these features are unnecessary. My wife, while an avid outdoorswoman, realized that she rarely used the Ultra’s specialized capabilities. For most everyday scenarios, a standard Apple Watch or even a Bluetooth-enabled Casio would suffice.
Fitness Features Don’t Need a Smartwatch Anymore
Smartwatches were initially popularized for their fitness tracking capabilities. However, today, many regular watches offer basic fitness tracking, eliminating the need for a smartwatch. Bluetooth-enabled Casio watches, for instance, can connect to an app and provide step counting and other essential data. For the average person who doesn’t require comprehensive fitness monitoring, a dedicated fitness tracker is no longer necessary.
Constant Charging Is an Utter Pain
One of the biggest drawbacks of smartwatches is their short battery life. While the Ultra boasts up to 18 hours of battery life, it still requires daily charging – a chore that my wife found highly annoying. In contrast, Casio’s G-Shock watches offer up to six years of battery life, while fitness Bluetooth models last up to two years. This extended battery life eliminates the constant need to charge, offering a hassle-free experience.
You Can’t Escape Notifications (Or Deal With Them)
Smartwatches are notorious for bombarding users with notifications from their phones. While the Ultra is no exception, its inability to fully interact with notifications was a major frustration for my wife. In most cases, she still had to pull out her iPhone to respond or interact with the notification, rendering the watch’s notification feature redundant.
The Ultra Keeps Waking Her Up at Night
Despite the Ultra’s extended battery life, its overnight charging still posed a problem. The watch’s display would randomly light up during the night, disrupting my wife’s sleep. Even turning off the watch before charging didn’t resolve the issue, as it would often restart during the charging process.
Obvious Features Are Still Missing From the Ultra
Another disappointment with the Ultra was its limited functionality when used independently from an iPhone. Despite having a cellular model, it lacked basic capabilities such as watching videos, browsing the web, or running popular apps independently. This dependence on the iPhone made the Ultra less versatile than expected.
In conclusion, while the Apple Watch Ultra is undoubtedly a capable device, it may not be the best choice for everyone. Its specialized features, short battery life, constant notifications, and limited functionality outside of an iPhone ecosystem made it less practical than expected for my wife. Casio’s classic watches, on the other hand, offer a more convenient and practical solution for everyday use – proving that sometimes, simplicity trumps sophistication.
Divya 
Mehek