14 DAY TRIAL // Apple Watch Ultra is Apple’s latest and greatest smartwatch, and unsurprisingly, it comes with unique capabilities (though I bet some of them would make their way to the standard Apple Watch when the next generation launches in 2023).
One of these new capabilities is a built-in siren, which is a great way to ask for help during emergencies.
In fact, this is precisely why it’s been created, though the siren can also be used to draw attention to a certain location whenever you believe you’re in danger.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Ultra built-in siren.
First and foremost, just how loud is it? According to Apple, the siren produces 86-decibel sounds, which is, well, loud. To help you understand how much 86 decibels actually means, just think that the sound press level (measured in dB) in a quiet room is approximately 30 dB. During a conversation, it increases to 50dB, while the busy traffic generates 90 dB. A jet engine generates sounds measured at approximately 110dB.
Just like the Apple Watch Ultra siren, a home alarm produces over 80dB.
Given it’s supposed to be used during emergencies, the siren available on the Apple Watch Ultra uses a distinct sound signature that you haven’t heard elsewhere. This means that if you get lost in the woods and start the siren, the sound it produces should be easily recognizable from a far distance.
There are two alternating patterns in the siren, the first of which emphasizes distress and the presence of an emergency. The second is mostly an SOS pattern that tells people who hear it that you need help.
Apple says that the Apple Watch siren can be heard by up to 185 meters (some 600 feet) away, but it goes without saying that in a very quiet environment, such as in a forest during the night, the distance is substantially increased. The siren can sound for several hours until the device runs out of battery, with the two patterns repeating in a loop.
There are times, however, when the siren is automatically paused, such as when you receive a phone call. On the other hand, if you listen to music (though I don’t know who would actually be in the mood for listening to some tunes when screaming for help), the siren would just keep sounding as per the aforementioned settings.
Worth knowing is that the sound produced by the siren isn’t as loud when the Apple Watch Ultra is wet. So if you went swimming with the smartwatch, you may notice that the siren sounds at a lower volume, mostly because of the water in the speakers. Once the smartwatch gets dry, however, the siren goes back to 86dB.
Worth knowing is that you can always cancel the siren during the countdown that you see on the screen when starting it. This a feature that particularly comes in handy whenever you accidentally launch this feature, so you can stop it before it produces an alert.
“You can cancel Siren during the countdown. If you are holding the Action button, release the Action button to cancel. If you initiated the countdown by dragging the Siren slider, rest the palm of your hand on the watch display for at least three seconds to cancel,” Apple explains.
As said, the siren is currently exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra, but there’s no doubt it would sooner or later make its way to other models as well, likely as soon as 2023.