Hands-on experience with Apple Watch Ultra and AirPods Pro

CUPERTINO, Calif. — The Apple Watch lineup doesn’t often get major changes or major new features, but that didn’t happen at Apple’s September product launch event today. In addition to modest updates to the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE, the company introduced the Apple Watch Ultra, a rugged and full-featured step up from the Series 8.

Of course, this is not the first rugged smartwatch on the market, and depending on your needs, it might not even be the best. But this is the first step into this world from a company that has dominated the smartwatch market for years.

Ultra is noticeably larger than its counterparts – you can even say that it has a completely new aesthetic. The screen slides out loudly from the titanium body, rather than smoothly folding to the sides, as in other models. And the big new action button is hard to miss.

The SE looks a little different than its predecessor, but unobtrusively. On the other hand, the Series 8 is indistinguishable from the Series 7 at first glance.

AirPods Pro

We also enjoyed the quick demo of the new AirPods Pro. Apple promised improved noise cancellation and we had the previous generation for comparison. The showroom was loud, and while we can’t say for sure it was twice as good as Apple claimed during the event, the difference was noticeable.

On the other hand, we didn’t test one of the other big new features: the ability to scan the head and ear with the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera to improve spatial audio. This will have to wait for a later review.

In any case, here are a few minor aesthetic differences between the headphones and their case.