My first Apple watch, a Gen 5, was a surprise birthday gift from my family. It wasn't something I was thinking about, as I've been a fan of analog, solar-powered watches for years. And I didn't care for the way the early Apple watches went dark when you weren't looking at them, nor the need to charge a battery every day. But I loved that Apple watch (still do, my wife now wears it happily). I found it incredibly handy, especially after moving to work-from-home due to the pandemic -- picking up phone calls and keeping up with Outlook tasks is huge. AND, weirdly, the pesky "activity rings" encouraged me to get back into an exercise routine (just to shut them up) and I lost weight that had been bothering me for years. As a result, I've really gotten involved in the Apple health environment, linking my scale and tracking my various measurements. It's been a great motivator to keep improving my physical shape.So, why the big, expensive Ultra? We do like to get outdoors (kayaking and nature photography here in Florida) so I've got a use for a durable, GPS-enabled device. And that Gen 5 was a little small for my maturing eyes. This watch handles all of that, and offers even more health data (Blood O2, etc.). And it hasn't disappointed.LikesLooks -- important in a watch. I'm not a huge guy, but all this "It's too BIG" hullabaloo is nonsense. It looks terrific on my wrist and is just as comfortable to wear as the smaller Gen 5 watch (thank you, titanium/ceramic construction).Productivity -- It would be hard to go back to having to check my phone for calendar reminders, weather activity updates, etc. And even without a paid cell plan, the Ultra of course lets you answer calls on your wrist so long as your phone is nearby. It's a great help in a work-from-home environment.So many complications!The larger face on the Ultra 2 allows more complications, in a more readable fashion, and the Ultra-specific watch faces show them off to great effect. I don't know if I need to know my altitude, compass heading, number of steps, outside temp, day, date, time, battery status, and upcoming Outlook tasks all at once, but I really enjoy having that ability now.OutdoorsI've used the Ultra for exercise tracking (works great, of course) and it's had no trouble banging around the yard, but so far no nautical outings or hikes to test the backtrack or other GPS features to track distance (and keep you from getting lost!). But I'm sure glad to have them.BatteryI mean, more would be better, but my Gen 5 was running out of juice after about 15 hours, and the Ultra 2 is generally in the 70-80% range after the same period. I still charge it every night, but I don't worry about it giving up before then as I was starting to have to do.Not So LikesNone really so far. Okay, paying iPhone money for a watch is a lot. But to be fair, it's not hard to spend what the Ultra 2 costs on either a fancy outdoors watch like a Fenix/Garmin, or a more traditional high-tech watch like a Citizen, or a really nice looking watch from whomever.To me, this one covers it all. Attractive titanium case, Sapphire crystal, water resistant enough for diving; tough enough to take out boating or hiking, all in a multi-billion-transistor wrist computer with dozens of customizable watch faces, a compass, altimeter, depth gauge, heart monitor, blood oxygen sensor, sleep and exercise tracker, appointment reminder, music player and wrist telephone. Phew. And yes, it tells time, more accurately than a $200,000 Rolex that can't access the Internet. And it doesn't need to be reset twice a year for Daylight Savings Time. I wish the Apple bands were more plentiful and less expensive. I got the comfy Trail Loop, but it would be nice to have the Ocean too without paying another $99. But I've been wearing my existing silicone sport bands most of the time (large Gen 5-up bands fit perfectly) and Amazon has a staggering number of Ultra-compatible watch bands available (picked up a really nice SS mesh band for business outings for $27 and a leather one for about the same).Bottom lineIf you have an iPhone, an Apple smartwatch is a no-brainer. Yes, it's another thing to charge at night, but you're already doing that. And it is almost odd how handy it is having so much information available on your wrist -- once you have it, you won't want to be without it. I also think the exercise integrations are huge, whether you're a hardcore gym rat, or just need to make sure you didn't sit in a chair all day -- being able to track your improvements is a great motivator. It's been a game changer for me. I literally exercise in part to watch my "numbers" improve. Weird, but true.As for the Ultra -- the name's a bit much, and the price is steep, but if you want MORE of what Apple smart watches can do, in a bigger, more attractive, sturdier, more capable package, this is a great piece of gear. I couldn't be more pleased.Five big, smart stars.