Late-fall walks through muddy trails and early-winter sprints along fog-shrouded coasts both require one thing: a buddy who can keep up without leaving you behind. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is that companion, a tough titanium slab that confidently enters the harsh stuff. For the everyday person who values endurance over having the latest bells and whistles on their watch, the Ultra 2 provides a seamless marriage of toughness as well as brains for a price that is a steal to say the least, or more specifically $599 (was $799).

When you put the Apple Watch SE 3, priced at $199.99 (was $249), on your wrist, the first thing you notice is how light it is—27 grams for the 40mm version, so light that you forget it’s there until your phone vibrates and the screen goes on without your touch. That always-on display, which was previously reserved for more expensive models, now glows at 1,000 nits, bright enough for a sunny sidewalk and dim enough for a midnight scroll through tomorrow’s weather.

In a world where most smartwatches feel more like fragile extensions of our phones, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 comes along as the rugged one that can take a pounding and keep rolling. For $699.99 (was $799), you get a device that can handle everything from weekend hikes to daily commutes without missing a beat – or so the promise goes. But does it really live up to that tough-as-nails reputation, especially for people like you and me, and not just hardcore trail runners?

Photo credit: Chase The Summit
Apple is continually improving its smartwatch lineup and the Series 11 is the latest example. This one is brand new and has all the features that made the Series 10 a daily must have. Amazon has already dropped the base aluminum model to $389 from $399, so now is the time to pick one up before the Black Friday craze kicks in.