Yeah, $400 is probably a stretch, but I could imagine there may be some carrier deals at some point. In 2021 TMo was offering a deal where a good-shape iPhone XS could be traded in for a brand new iPhone 12 mini. So maybe there’s hope.
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That price though, for something that is ultimately disposable…
And yes, many Garmin watches are overpriced too.
Size comparison from the Verge, 41mm S7, 44mm SE, and the 49mm Ultra. Definitely something I’d want to try out before buying.
For a high speed rundown of the features by DCRainmaker, see his hands-on video.
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What a slanted presentation, wearing the smallest watch on the larger upper forearm and the Ultra on the thinnest part of the wrist. With the band hanging loose, yet.
It should be three photos with the watches on the wrist, where people actually wear them, and snug up the bands to fit. Is that so hard? But no, they had to make the difference look more drastic than reality. Very helpful. 
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Nor the Watch 8, which still doesn’t have anything that’ll tempt me to upgrade from my SE 1. And since I’m not an extreme alpine backpacking scuba diver the Ultra would be a waste for me. Just extra weight on my mild day hikes.
I’m good for at least another year as far as those two devices go. The big test will be if they put miniLED or OLED on the iPP 11. I love this device and a better version would be a delight. Fortunately (or unfortunately) that seems unlikely and a mere M2 bump is pointless IMHO. It’s already plenty powerful with the M1.
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It is! Oh my! In fact, I used to have the OG iPhone SE as my main phone back in the day, which is the poster child and granddaddy of the mini phone camp, and I still have the wee beastie as an emergency backup phone. Crazy coincidence, today as well, but I pulled it out of the drawer today, unaware of your post, because I had been meaning to jailbreak it, and I am appalled by how tiny the thing is. I may have loved it once upon a time for its svelte size as a college student but as a working professional, I afore my iPhone 12 Pro Max phablet sized screen, so trying to do minor work on that tiny, itsy burst thing? What, is this a phone meant for ants? It looks like a good kiddie phone but a good two years in the drawer later, I would much rather go big or go home. And I think that as smartphone apps have gotten smarter and more information centric, the trend has been towards larger displays because others have arrived to the same conclusion and general consensus as I have. The OG iPhone SE was good for its time, and has maybe a valid place as a low cost teenager beater, but I think that ship has sailed and the mini hype has deflated into a very slim niche.
I hear you! Their phones are masterpieces of design so it is no coincidence that they now have reached a huge milestone and have a greater than 50% hold on the US smartphone market. Their problem I feel is they have made their phones so superior in design and craftsmanship that length of ownership can very comfortably be longer than a couple years and your average user will not feel any compelling reason whispering within the depths of their soul telling them to break down and upgrade. Well, and also I am a tablet guy first, PC builder second, headphones aficionado third, and so on putting the smartphone at around five or six on the list so preference prioritization puts down the brakes on me being first to go out and buy one.
However, my Apple Watch Series 4 was really starting to show its age and the Ultra had this amazing array of features which made it an insta-purchase from an upgrade prospective. So just when I thought I could waltz through all of this year’s full course of Apple events without them so much as having the remotest chance of luring me into a purchase, I gave into their siren consumerism song of Apple and made the on-the-spot day-of post-event purchase and preorder their new flagship Watch. Darn you, Tim Cook! You got me!
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That would be my downfall as well!
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I think the flowery language from the Apple presentation has inspired you to make ever more poetic posts! 
Congrats on the purchase, when does it arrive? BTW I"m sure you’re aware, but the dive computer functionality is an app that costs $10/mo. Not too bad for an occasional diving trip, still a little annoying that it’s not just a function of the watch itself.
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That last gives me pause, as I think it’s yet another way to raise prices without raising prices. Tesla I think had a major hand in getting this trend going charging extra for what is essentially a software switch to turn on performance mode or BMW putting the hardware for heated seats in all the cars, but charging owners an ongoing fee to actually use it.
OTOH, the argument could be made that this actually makes a device more cost effective for many, as it gives the owners the option to pay for what they need/use…
So that being said, I mentioned I’m thinking about the new watch ultra, though my ardor has cooled a bit and I think it will take a deal to get me to switch.
As I mentioned before I do have a Garmin Fenix, but it’s a purpose driven device for mountain biking, hiking and running and is not my everyday wear watch. And I remind myself that I have tried multiple times to use the Apple watch as an everyday wear, but it has felt redundant to the point of annoying since I always have my phone with me.
So Apple if you are listening, I might be amenable to the ultra if you offer me a decent trade in on my Garmin.
As to the 14 pro. I’m actually interested, unexpectedly, but it will take hands on (which we hopefully will get Friday) before I decide. That being said, my carrier is offering decent deals IMHO to entice me to trade in my 13 Pro.
PS: The new Airpods pro are a slam dunk for me and I will be ordering at launch.
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One more thing (see what I did there…) Almost everyone we hear gossip/rumors from was certain that we were going to get an announcement of a new standard iPad, fueled lately by the $279 sales prevalent now.
But only a brief few mentions, so perhaps this actually gives further credence to the idea that there will be an iPad even later this fall.
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Interestingly Hihiheadgehog, I couldn’t disagree more with you about the mini 13. I see absolutely no particular function for a giant phone and I’m a working adult. I love my iPhone mini 13. It’s actually ergonomically the correct size for my hands. It fits in my pocket, and still does everything I need a phone to do, has a fantastic camera, etc.
I know many/most people want a bigger phone. But I definitely think there is a market for the iPhone mini 13. I also had an old iPhone SE for years and years and I knew a lot of people who had it as well. I definitely don’t want a bigger phone.
The iPhone mini 13 let me happily upgrade for the first time in years! I actually originally got the second generation SE back in 2020 (?), But I’m much happier with a 13 and it’s a smaller size and improved camera.
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BTW I’m curious on folks thoughts on this. It actually is an issue for me and my engineers as we often switch SIM/Networks for multiple reasons in our business.
OTOH, we are niche-est of niches for that need.
Apple kills off the SIM tray on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro in the US | Engadget
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I actually have a second SIM card (but I’m no international spy @DoobiesOobies) but given how good the international LTE coverage on my TMo plan is, and given that most calls are now data based (bye bye overpriced voice calls) I find I rarely use the second SIM anymore. Still nice to have, but I won’t be terribly sad to lose that second slot.
(This forum is so passive aggressive: “You’ve posted more than 23% of the replies here, is there anyone else you would like to hear from?” 
)
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There are a lot of operators that do not offer e-sims.
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So not to join @JoeS in how the forum thinks you may be conversing too narrowly, but this feature just swung me significantly toward buying one of the ultra watches.
I’m a very casual diver, but a regular swimmer and this feature is potentially very beneficial for me as I have had hypothermia more than once, because of an inherited trait of being relatively insensitive to the temperature of my environment. (I’ve also had heat stroke several times as well).
If nothing else, it shows a level of thought about what a very personal device can/should do. Something that’s seems a bit lacking on the android side, thought the forthcoming Pixel watch may help there.
Apple Watch Ultra Can Check the Water Temperature As You Dive and Swim - MacRumors
BTW: With the pixel watch also coming soon, do we need to consider a separate smartwatch subsection?
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I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one feeling this way. I do like notifications and a quick glance at weather, but other than tracking my daily walks It does feel like it’s rather redundant. I think you’ll especially feel that way if you use the always on feature of the 14 Pro - my son dropped his watch long ago with always on Galaxy phones.
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That’s an issue we face as well as company with global customers.
I don’t know what country you are in but one thing we’ve discovered in the last couple of years is that though they often don’t broadcast it, many companies actually do have e-sim options available though they make you jump through hoops to get it. Especially in several Asian countries
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I’m kind of thinking the same thing as typically my phone is usually sitting within easy reach/glance as I go through the work day.
It’s a feature I definitely use a lot on my work s22 ultra
Don’t hold your breath for Apple adding RCS support to Messages…
Just a one-off from Epic’s discovery in their lawsuit against Apple:
Epic cites Apple executives saying the company decided not to develop a version iMessage for Android phones as early as 2013 to avoid causing harm to the company. “The#1 most difficult [reason] to leave the Apple universe app is iMessage . . . iMessage amounts to serious lock-in” said a former Apple employee in 2016.
*To which Phil Schiller, an Apple executive in charge of the App Store, said, “Moving iMessage to Android will hurt us more than help us.”
The document also said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering and the executive in charge of iOS, was afraid that “iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove [an] obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.”*
PCWatchReview :vb-agree:
My wife owns an apple watch from last generation. I have not been the least bit tempted to own a digital watch. First, they remind me of the old Casio Quartz Watches with the Red LED display. Second, they seem too fragile for me. I wear an analog watch and have my Note 10 with me at all times. Both give me time at a glance.
I don’t dive anymore but I do sail quite a bit. I wear a Promaster Dive Watch when I do, as it keeps errily accurate time, doesn’t need a battery and is completely water proof (not water resistant - what ever that means). However, I must admit that the new Apple Ultra caught my attention. The Apple Watch needs this kind of ruggedization but this iteration seems a bit large and needs some more refinement. It is an interesting development, however.
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