Want to buy an Apple Watch Ultra or maybe you just bought a new Apple Watch Ultra, but you’re not really sure if it’s original or fake? Read on to know how to spot a fake Apple Watch Ultra and distinguish it from the original.
Nowadays we have so many extremely well-built Apple Watch Ultra replicas that we’re not really sure sometimes just by looking at the device if it’s actually an original watch made by apple. In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how to identify if an Apple Watch Ultra is fake or original.
How to spot a fake Apple Watch Ultra
Real Apple Watch Ultra vs fake Apple Watch Ultra design
An original Apple Watch Ultra and the fake Apple Watch Ultra share some similarities in their design, but the real Watch Ultra is larger and chunkier than the fake Apple Watch Ultra.
The original Apple Watch Ultra follows the same design principles that Apple has always had for the watch, with a rectangular shape and rounded edges and corners. While keeping the rounded sides with silver titanium, the face of the Apple Watch Ultra is flat.
Counterfeit Apple Watch Ultra meanwhile, don’t feature a flat display. Having said that, it’s worth noting that some replica Apple Watch are also more streamlined in their design, with a curved display. So you should not use this as the only way to spot a fake Apple Watch Ultra.
Made from titanium, a genuine Apple Watch Ultra is designed to be able to withstand more extreme environments.
The fake Apple Watch Ultra meanwhile, is made from either aluminium or stainless steel, depending on the clone and it comes in 44mm and 45mm case options, so quite a bit smaller than the original Watch Ultra.
Turning over to the rear of the Apple Watch Ultra, you’ll find a new ceramic back. This cream ceramic material replaces the metal from previous models. Not only does it give the Apple Watch a different look, it once again adds to the durability of this smartwatch (notice a trend here?). You’ll also find four pentalobe screws which allow you to crack open this bad boy with ease.
The titanium sides extend slightly above the face to offer some protection. On the crown side of the watch, there’s a new crown guard. This elevates the Digital Crown and side button above the side of the watch. It lets you press the buttons more easily with gloves on, and offers more rugged protection.
On the other side of the watch is a new customizable Action Button and redesigned speaker grill. You’ll also find a microphone in each corner of the Apple Watch Ultra. There are dual speakers on the original Watch Ultra, as well as a three-mic array with beamforming.
The clone Apple Watch Ultra on the other hand, has a single speaker and microphone. In addition, the function button on genuine Apple Watch Ultra is more prominent than the one on a clone Apple Watch Ultra.
Heading to the front, the new flat face gives the genuine watch a nicer feel straight on, and also offers some protection. The new Action Button and crown guard offer extra functionality and give the watch a more fleshed-out look. It is a great, polished design, that’s quite different from a replica Apple Watch Ultra.
The side button has its own housing that protrudes from the case and the digital crown has deeper ridges, making both easier to control if your fingers are sweaty, dusty or wearing gloves.
You can’t miss the bright orange Action button on the left of the Apple Watch Ultra. It sits flush with the case and has an indentation that helps you feel it under your thumb.
The Digital Crown on the original Apple Watch Ultra is more tactile than the one on the fake Apple Watch Ultra, allowing it to be used when wearing gloves.
Real Apple Watch Ultra vs fake Apple Watch Ultra packaging
It’s not just the Apple Watch Ultra itself that’s been redesigned—the packaging has too. Apple has opted for a squarer box than the regular rectangular one.
What’s in the Apple Watch Ultra box?
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apple Watch Ultra Band
- Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable
- Paperwork
Opening the box up, and you’ll see an image of a mountainscape printed on the packaging. On the top of the stack is a new set-up book, below which is the Apple Watch and strap. There’s also Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m). To be precise, the packaging is quite a bit nicer than what you get with the fake Apple Watch Ultra.
Real Apple Watch Ultra vs fake Apple Watch Ultra bands
The Apple Watch Ultra comes with a choice of three new watch bands: a textile Alpine Loop, an elastomer Ocean Band and a nylon Trail Loop. These are also more rugged straps with secure fasteners that fit the larger 49mm frame.
However, the majority of fake Apple Watch Ultra bands were not designed with the Apple Watch Ultra’s form factor in mind and thus don’t fit well with the Apple Watch Ultra.
Besides, if you find a band that’s not Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, or Ocean Band in the Apple Watch Ultra box, that’s a bad sign. Each of the above Apple Watch bands have hardware that matches the titanium finish, making them a great fit for the Apple Watch Ultra. Fake Apple Watch Ultra bands are made of cheap materials that don’t match Apple Watch Ultra titanium finish.
Real Apple Watch Ultra vs fake Apple Watch Ultra features
While a genuine Apple Watch Ultra run on watchOS, a clone Apple Watch Ultra run on an Android OS disguised to look like watchOS.
While the original Apple Watch Ultra come with inbuilt apps such as Fitness, Messages, ECG, Walkie-Talkie,and a Blood Oxygen app, as well as features like Fall Detection, Car Crash detection, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular rhythm notifications and cycle tracking with ovulation estimates, a clone Apple Watch Ultra doesn’t offer such apps and features.
Counterfeit Apple Watch Ultra also don’t have other notable features such as Compass Backtrack, advanced sleep tracking with sleep stages and access to the Apple Watch app store, among the usual Apple Watch features like smartphone notifications and multiple exercise modes.
The Watch Ultra does have a couple of extra features over the fake Apple Watch Ultra like the siren, Night Mode on the Wayfinder face and the programmable Action button as well as the ability to use it as a dive computer.
Real Apple Watch Ultra vs fake Apple Watch Ultra price
Apple products are known worldwide for their premium prices compared to any other products. Of course, we acknowledge the existence of deals and promos across the board that could have possibly let you buy an authentic Apple Watch Ultra for dirt-cheap. So just because you got your Apple Watch Ultra for $600 or less doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fake – although it’s likely.
You can get an Apple Watch Ultra for $799 from any Apple store.
If you got your pair brand-new for under $600 from a Black Friday sale or some other super-low discount price, then either you’re lucky, or your Apple Watch Ultra is not authentic.
Real Apple Watch Ultra vs fake Apple Watch Ultra Serial number
Serial Number makes it easier for Apple consumers to check the authenticity of their Apple products. Serial Numbers are unique to each model of the Apple product. The Apple Watch Ultra has that unique Serial Number as well.
Apple runs a website that lets users check if their products are still under warranty. This is great for checking real products, of course, but it also has the added benefit of telling you when you’re using a fake product.
To check if the Apple Watch Ultra is fake or original, you’ll just need it’s serial number. Thankfully, it’s easy to find the serial number for the Apple Watch Ultra.
remove the band from the watch, then look for the serial number inside the band slot.
Once you have the Apple Watch Ultra serial number, head to the Apple’s Check Coverage website and enter it into the field at the top, then fill out the CAPTCHA and click Continue.
If you’re brought to either a page that asks you to enter the purchase date, or one that tells you what warranty options you have available, your Apple Ultra is legit. But if you instead get an error message saying that Apple is “unable to check coverage for this serial number,” it’s definitely a fake Apple Watch Ultra.
Real Apple Watch Ultra vs fake Apple Watch Ultra conclusion
The original Apple Watch Ultra and the fake Apple Watch Ultra share a few core features, though the genuine Watch Ultra has many extras, along with a larger and more rugged build.
At first glance, it is quite easy to mistake a clone for an original Apple Watch Ultra, as the makers pay high attention, especially to the Watch appearance. If you look closely using all the methods discussed in this guide, you can spot a fake from a genuine Apple Watch Ultra.