Yeah, it’s a cool app (and I mentioned it in my reviews as well).
The challenge is, it’s a challenging app in terms of the user interface and complexity. And it’s nowhere near as ideal as having core things like power meter support (primarily for triathletes honestly), and navigation/routing native.
Thats probably why he went through as much time explaining how the App worked 
It would be nice if these things were native, but I do feel that it is the core of Apple that smart watches/ phones are enhanced by the ability to put apps on them, otherwise they would just be phones and watches, not smart watches or phones, after all it’s how people like TR/Zwift e.t.c have grown to the level that they have, because they can install there training software on any tablet / phone / computer, and long gone are the days that they would have also had to produce their own hardware, I can’t see why Apple wouldn’t would change this for Sports Watches (if the Ultra really is a sport watch)
Having said all that, I’m not interested in the Ultra, and I should have said most review I have watched (I will change that now)
I am sure you have reached out to Apple, but apart from boiler plate marketing speak, do you have an idea why they didn’t add support for power meters?
I really don’t get it, the automatic transition feature is very much niche, but I would expect everyone in that niche to own a power meter. I’d love to go on endurance rides or track my commute only with an Apple Watch.
I don’t want to get into an argument about semantics, but why aren’t Apple Watches sports watches? To me that’s a bit like saying that people who own a Peloton aren’t cyclists.
I would have thought it was more like saying that everybody who has a bike is a cyclist, it’s not what it is, it’s what you do with it, I suppose it depends of you view the Apple Watch as Sports Watch, or a small computer on your wrist that can run apps and has features that make it suitable for using as a sports watch. I’d be more interested in the later as it allows running of desperate apps (Dexcom, can be done on a Garmin but not without a internet connection) but not in this version
but like you say, don’ want to get into a argument about semantics, about this
Can’t it be both, a small computer on a wrist and a sports watch? Basically anything we use is a small computer. My power meter is a small computer with wireless connectivity and firmware updates. My headphones are composed of three small computers (one for each earbud and one for the charging cradle).
To me it looks more like what I reckon you’d call a sports watch is tailored for a much narrower purpose, whereas the Apple Watch is much more general purpose. If history is any indication, the niches will get smaller and smaller, and Garmin’s watch line-up will move into smaller and smaller niches. Or Garmin will eventually become one or more apps for the Apple Watch (backed by services in the cloud), just like dedicated word processors (hardware + software) have morphed into a software-only word processor.
Why not ?, Garmin watches are basically small computers, with the OS not allowing you to upload applications, is my downstairs TV not a TV because it runs android and allows apps to be installed on it ?
Anyway, later, we are arguing semantics
Yes, you are right, but the lack of an app ecosystem will be fatal for such a device. To go with your TV example, a TV that doesn’t support apps is not a general purpose computing device. But the question is whether this matters. If e. g. all I want to do is beam content from my iPad to my TV, my TV can be dumb as rocks. Ditto if I connect a Roku or an Apple TV to it.
But I don’t think smart watches are like modern TVs, they are more like smartphones in that their utility explodes once you have access to a rich app ecosystem.
IMHO either Garmin will have to open up its watches and make them more general purpose. Or Garmin’s watches will only survive in very small niches.
Hypothetically speaking, suppose Garmin released a Garmin app for the Apple Watch (or several), which implemented most if not all of the features you find on a 955. For how many people would the Apple Watch 8 (normal or Ultra) be way more than good enough?
Conversely, how do you weigh advantages of Apple Watches? Say, you want to listen to a podcast while on a run, what do you do? With an Apple Watch that isn’t a problem, many podcast clients (e. g. Overcast) allow you to sync content to the Watch. For the same reason did the Apple Watch have wireless (Apple) Pay and music earlier than Garmin watches. Those things are super useful.
However, Garmin is not stupid, they are launching lots of additional features, including various cloud-based services. That’s smart for two reasons: (1) it gives them a Plan B while keeping their customers locked in. And (2) it currently differentiates their product from Apple’s.
So I don’t think Garmin is doomed, I’m merely saying that Garmin is in a much more difficult spot in the long run. And perhaps it needs to reinvent itself and its business model.
Is the coming low power workout mode exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra? If not I think the Watch 7/8/SE look very promising. Likely enough battery life for more or less every activity, smaller form factor, much lower price and I imagine much easier to wear in the office under a shirt. Might miss the extra button but don’t care about diving specs or the siren.
Boiling the ocean is tricky. Picking specific battles for launch day was where they were, and then other battles for CY2022 (e.g. the upcoming track running mode, upcoming virtual pacer, upcoming ultra-low power mode, etc…). I don’t know if/when Apple will add power meter support, but I’d wager a fair bit that they will. Just like I’d wager even more we’ll see navigation/routing. The same goes for recovery-related metrics, and also probably HR broadcasting.
I don’t think folks realize just how focused they are on this segment. In all my conversations, they really do understand where their gaps are - very precisely. And they keenly understand they aren’t the first player here.
The challenge I think Apple has isn’t plugging these holes, but rather, them internalizing how to plug/solve these holes in an “Apple way” that feels easy but tackles what are relatively complex and sometimes techie things (e.g. route file formats, etc…). And with that, figuring out how to make a device that’s useful for endurance athletes, while still useful for everyone else. The action button is a good example of that. For all the talk out there, it’s really not that practical today for endurance athletes. It’s just not being used correctly in hard-to-use situations (rain/snow/gloves/etc…). It’s very limited. These are things Apple will solve, but they’ll take (some) time.
All Apple Watches from Series 4 onwards support a new Low Power mode. That seems to be in addition to Low Power mode for athletes, which hasn’t been released yet. In this Low Power mode, the regular Series 8 is supposed to get up to 36 hours battery life.
Yes, I meant the Low power mode for athletes. It’s gonna be interesting to see how long battery that setting will result in for regular Watch models. If it adds enough time without being total garbage in HR and GPS accuracy I don’t see much point in getting an Ultra.
Apple has a tendency to do that. Another one that comes to mind is sleep tracking: Apple was super late. But, at least if this review is any indication, Apple’s implementation of sleep phase tracking seems to be of high quality. (I am sure you know of this channel already. What I find interesting is that the host doesn’t just benchmark smartwatches and sleep trackers against one another, but against what seems to be the best thing shy of a sleep lab study.)
I’m more optimistic with features that only require updated software rather than new hardware. Ultimately, any Apple Watch with Bluetooth can connect to a power meter, so we don’t need to wait for new hardware. Ditto for heart rating broadcasting (so please, Apple, please).
Makes sense. Although I find Apple’s priorities surprising, they have put so much effort into a tri mode with automatic transitions, but did not prioritize power meter support?!? 
Tariq from Smartbiketrainers posted an instastory that the Apple watch ultra can read power readings from a kickr 6. thought this was super interesting cause I’ve never seen any Apple watch able to read power before.
Also trainerroad team, it’s getting tiring to have double heart rate monitors when working out. can we please get heart rate readings from apple watches asap?
Posted something similar earlier in this thread
Mark Lewis (I know he’s only a You Tuber) has gone from a Fenix 7 and seems to be sold on keeping Ultra, but does make some comments about the battery life, not that it won’t do his events (ultra marathons), but rather that you need to make sure that you have charged it before the event unlike the Fenix
Can you broadcast heart rate from an apple watch? I used to broadcast from my Fenix 6/7 and works fine.
I’m loving my Ultra. Have had it for a few weeks and its rock solid, good HR measures, comfortable to wear, and the new running metrics are very useful.
There is a bit of fiddling to get things set up in the new running system which is mildly annoying at first. But I have configured it so one button push puts me into workouts to select and then one tap and I’ve started. Paired with my bluetooth headphones I can basically get out the door and running in a few seconds. Super convenient.
The WorkOutDoors app is actually very nice and has tons of customization and works with power meters. Still lacks a little bit for specific workouts as right now really only Wahoo and Garmin have the ability to have workouts from TR pushed to them, I don’t see that changing.
The one thing I noticed with WorkOutDoors is that it seems to drain my battery significantly faster than the native workout application. On my Watch SE (from 2021) the WorkOutDoors app will drain my watch bettery from 100% to 0% in about two hours. I get double that easily with the apple workout app. I wonder how much of that battery drain is from pairing the power meter vs just maybe inefficiencies in the workoutdoors app.
The other thing, I’ve had the WorkOutDoors app crash on me a few times mid workout. I’ve never had that happen with the native app.
Apple doesn’t support that natively. I’ve seen solutions like NPE’s Heartbeatz (Heartbeatz)
I’ve an Apple Watch Ultra now and have been using it for a few weeks. When I ride, I use my Karoo 2 or Roam along with a chest strap. On the trainer, I use a Kickr with a chest strap. Don’t really use it much for cycling. Or in other words, I really don’t have a need to use a watch when cycling at all. But I’ve tested it using WorkOutDoors and that app pairs fine with my Kickr.
yep, same observation here. Short 15min commute will drain the battery by 10% (with the watch paired to my power meter). I was hoping I could ditch my head unit for those rides, but with this kind of battery drain that would be a no for now…
Apple has now announced the release of WatchOS 9.1, available Monday, October 24. It includes the improved battery mode for running, walking, and hiking. Will be very interesting to see how much the battery life is improved and what it means to HR and GPS accuracy. Unfortunately it seems to be available only for the Ultra, Series 8, and new SE.
