Apple Watch Ultra 4 Expected Later This Year

After they did AWU1 dirty with watchOS 27, I’m not putting up $800+ to upgrade. I love my AWU1. And 5 years of updates is the rough benchmark Apple set. It would be no trouble to strip the SiriAI junk out of watchOS 27 for the underspec watches.

No way I'm falling for this trap again, they'll likely cut the watchOS support too soon.

I am debating whether I should abandon Apple Watch and get the Garmin Fenix 9 when it comes out. Any thoughts?

A $20 digital watch will last as long as the battery allows but an Apple Watch Ultra will become useless without constant software support.
Imagine buying a fully loaded Mercedes with only 10,000 miles of powertrain warranty after paying A lot for it 😬
I feel the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be obsolete in 4 years even tho the specs will be excellent.

It would be no trouble to strip the SiriAI junk out of watchOS 27 for the underspec watches.

They would probably become the most desirable Apple Watches to own.

I am debating whether I should abandon Apple Watch and get the Garmin Fenix 9 when it comes out. Any thoughts?

I’ve switched back and forth between Garmin (Instinct 2X Solar) and Apple Watch (Series 4, 7, 10, Ultra 2 and 3) and even this bare-bones Instinct 2X Solar is leaps and bounds better than than anything Apple Watch. I keep coming back to Apple Watch convincing myself it’s going to be better but it never is and I just always go back to my Garmin. Apple Watch is just doing too much and the battery life is horrendous.
I’m not here to convert anyone or trash on Apple Watch but in terms of battery life and features, the Garmin outperforms Apple Watch on all fronts in my eyes. It will differ for folks depending on what you want out of your device and your use cases: I have basically all smart features turned off on my Garmin Instinct 2X so it functions as just a health and running device, something I don’t have to charge every day or constantly top up, and something that tells me the time consistently/without fail, and syncs all data with my iPhone.
Instinct 2X measures heart rate 24/7 every second, I wear it 24/7 (so sleep tracking, etc.) except in the shower, track my runs (5-10 miles every other day with GPS), etc. Essentially, I’m using it the exact same way I use my Apple Watch Ultra 3 right now and does almost everything the Apple Watch does but the battery lasts me about 20 days or so. Only thing missing for me is onboard music storage, that’s it. Plus I have solar charging on Instinct to bolster it up and stretch it out. I’m going on about 4 years with this Instinct 2X and it’s holding up like day one! I literally just decided to sell my ultra 3 and upgrade my Instinct 2X to an Enduro 3 which is sort of right below the Fenix, which is what you’re asking about.
Reason I’m upgrading: the Enduro 3 lets me add music on board and now I won’t have to carry an extra device (either the Apple Watch or a small mp3 player) on my runs. Plus it has an optional touch screen if I want it, otherwise buttons can be used. Battery on Enduro 3 is even better than the instinct 2x and it still has solar charging. The next upgrade from Enduro 3 is the Fenix 8 (or eventual 9). Since I don’t use my smart watch as a cell phone replacement, I don’t think I need to pay an extra few hundred for speaker and microphone on the Fenix. If you’re wanting a microphone and speaker and ability to trigger and use siri, maybe you’d want the Fenix 8 but otherwise the Enduro is right below that.

I say get the Fenix if you’re a runner, hiker, someone who gets battery anxiety, or someone who wants the use a plethora of watch faces, or someone who wants a better device. I was always scared to leave the tight Apple ecosystem but after taking the leap with this watch, I can safely say Garmins fit right in and frankly just do things better. It’s a whole different class of device frankly. I feel it even has a more accurate sleep scoring system and the HRV reading it gives is actually accurate and lines up with how I’m feeling.
I can’t say a bad thing about Garmin devices personally. Go for the Fenix or at least give it a shot!