The Apple Watch Ultra has already established its extreme durability in online tests so far. This resilience may or may not be due to claims that its newly flattened display is made with high-end sapphire rather than just tempered glass like in many other wearables.
Then again, one of its ancestors of the same alleged spec (a Watch 3 variant around $1300) didn’t perform as well as one would expect when tested on the popular channel JerryRigEverything.
Now, the same YouTuber has set out to test Apple’s latest claims of achieving an 8 on the Mohs hardness scale (rather than “scratches at level 6, with deeper grooves at level 7” as usual), with other watches of different brands but with similar “sapphire crystal” claims.
This gave channel host Zach Nelson a chance to once again break out the Electronic Diamond Tester to test the screens of all 3 wearables, alongside the ubiquitous Mohs set of picks. The vlogger reported that all made squeaking noises as soon as the latter rose to 6, although none exhibited high-pitched scratching up to level 8.
Additionally, all 3 screens emerged with positive results from the Diamond Tester (which measures thermal conductivity rather than hardness) as well as gruesome new scars at the end of the clip.
Nonetheless, Nelson concluded that, of the 3, the Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar came closest to the chain’s benchmark Tissot watch crystal (not to mention the actual synthetic sapphire ball). In addition, its ability to recharge in the sun has also been verified.
These results might be just as well, considering the Fenix 7 flagship remains priced at US$799.99 even with Black Friday 2022 pricing. Still, it seems that when you search for a “Sapphire smartwatch,” it can be just as good to opt for a roughly $300 Galaxy Watch5 from Samsung as a $799 Watch Ultra from Apple.
I became a professional writer and editor shortly after graduating. My degrees are in biomedical sciences; however, they led to some experience in the field of biotechnology, which convinced me of its potential to revolutionize our health, our environment and our lives in general. Over time, this turned into an all-consuming interest in other aspects of technology: I can’t write enough about the latest electronics, gadgets and innovations. My other interests include imaging, astronomy and streaming. Oh, and coffee.
The Apple Watch Ultra has already established its extreme durability in online tests so far. This resilience may or may not be due to claims that its newly flattened display is made with high-end sapphire rather than just tempered glass like in many other wearables.
Then again, one of its ancestors of the same alleged spec (a Watch 3 variant around $1300) didn’t perform as well as one would expect when tested on the popular channel JerryRigEverything.
Now, the same YouTuber has set out to test Apple’s latest claims of achieving an 8 on the Mohs hardness scale (rather than “scratches at level 6, with deeper grooves at level 7” as usual), with other watches of different brands but with similar “sapphire crystal” claims.
This gave channel host Zach Nelson a chance to once again break out the Electronic Diamond Tester to test the screens of all 3 wearables, alongside the ubiquitous Mohs set of picks. The vlogger reported that all made squeaking noises as soon as the latter rose to 6, although none exhibited high-pitched scratching up to level 8.
Additionally, all 3 screens emerged with positive results from the Diamond Tester (which measures thermal conductivity rather than hardness) as well as gruesome new scars at the end of the clip.
Nonetheless, Nelson concluded that, of the 3, the Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar came closest to the chain’s benchmark Tissot watch crystal (not to mention the actual synthetic sapphire ball). In addition, its ability to recharge in the sun has also been verified.
These results might be just as well, considering the Fenix 7 flagship remains priced at US$799.99 even with Black Friday 2022 pricing. Still, it seems that when you search for a “Sapphire smartwatch,” it can be just as good to opt for a roughly $300 Galaxy Watch5 from Samsung as a $799 Watch Ultra from Apple.
I became a professional writer and editor shortly after graduating. My degrees are in biomedical sciences; however, they led to some experience in the field of biotechnology, which convinced me of its potential to revolutionize our health, our environment and our lives in general. Over time, this turned into an all-consuming interest in other aspects of technology: I can’t write enough about the latest electronics, gadgets and innovations. My other interests include imaging, astronomy and streaming. Oh, and coffee.