by Jason Snell
Apple Watch Ultra takes on Garmin
Dedicated Garmin sports watch user Thomas Ricker, at The Verge, about the growth possibilities for Apple Watch Ultra:
By pricing the first generation of the Ultra at $799, Apple has a lot of ceiling to roll out new Ultra editions in the years ahead that differ in features and capabilities. I’d readily pay more just to have Apple’s new emergency SOS satellite messaging on my wrist in addition to cellular data so that I can leave my phone (or Garmin InReach) behind when running remote trails or kitesurfing off the coast of the Western Sahara. Garmin, for example, sells a dizzying array of watches at every possible price point that sometimes differ only slightly in capabilities.
Garmin is the market leader in $500+ smartwatches. There are plenty of low-price, low-profit categories that Apple has no interest in entering. But a high-price, high-profit category that’s got an entrenched leader whose software game doesn’t match up to Apple’s? That’s a huge area of opportunity for Apple—and Apple Watch Ultra.