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Apple Watch Ultra 3

May 29, 2026 Twila Rosenbaum 6 views

Should You Buy the Apple Watch Ultra 3?

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is Apple's most expensive watch, starting at $799. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, it offers superior durability and features compared to the standard Apple Watch. Refreshed in September 2025, it is currently a good time to buy, with the next update expected no earlier than September 2026. The Ultra 3 brings a larger and brighter display, slimmer bezels, 5G support, and satellite connectivity. Compared to the Series 11, it has better water resistance, a more rugged enclosure, and longer battery life. However, its 49mm size may not suit smaller wrists.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3

The third-generation Apple Watch Ultra follows the 2023 model. Aimed at sports enthusiasts and athletes, it competes with fitness-focused smartwatches from Garmin. Apple states it is built for endurance, exploration, and adventure. It remains the largest Apple Watch at 49mm. The Ultra 3 is powered by the S10 chip, which, while not offering performance improvements over the S9, enables new gestures like Wrist Flick (to dismiss notifications) and Double Tap. Storage remains 64GB. The design is unchanged from previous models, featuring a lightweight aerospace-grade titanium body, flat sapphire crystal face, and an orange Action button. The display has smaller bezels, increasing viewable area to 1,245 sq mm, with 3,000 nits brightness and an always-on second hand. There are three microphones with beamforming, an 86-decibel siren, and improved battery life of up to 42 hours (72 hours in Low Power Mode). Fast charging achieves 80% in 45 minutes. Dual-frequency GPS provides accurate positioning. The watch operates in extreme temperatures (-20°C to 55°C) and is MIL-STD-810H certified. For water sports, it is WR100 and EN 13319 certified, supporting recreational scuba diving to 40 meters. A Depth app displays underwater data. The Wayfinder and Modular Ultra watch faces offer extensive complications. The Ultra 3 includes all health features of the Series 11: ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep apnea detection, hypertension alerts, sleep tracking, fall detection, crash detection, and temperature sensing. It features 5G cellular connectivity and satellite communication for emergency SOS, messaging, and Find My. The second-generation Ultra Wideband chip supports Precision Finding. The watch comes with sport bands like Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band.

How to Buy

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 launched on September 19, 2025, and is available from Apple and other retailers.

Design

The design is identical to the Ultra 2 and original Ultra, with slimmer bezels for more screen area. It retains the rounded rectangular shape with a rugged build. The case edges extend to the flat crystal display. The Digital Crown has coarser grooves for glove use. At 49mm, it is Apple's largest watch, weighing 61.6 grams. The Action button on the left is customizable and orange. Materials include aerospace-grade titanium in Natural or Black finishes (black uses a diamond-like carbon coating for scratch resistance). The case is 3D printed from titanium powder. Exclusive watch faces include Wayfinder (with compass and night mode) and Modular Ultra (with real-time data on the edge). A new Waypoint face offers live compass navigation. Durability is enhanced for extreme temperatures and certified to MIL-STD-810H. The flat sapphire crystal protects the display. Water resistance is 100 meters, suitable for kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and diving to 40 meters.

Always-On Display

The LTPO3 wide-angle OLED display has 24% thinner borders and a larger active area (1,245 sq mm vs. 1,185 sq mm on Ultra 2). It retains 3,000 nits brightness but with better viewing angles. The always-on display now shows a ticking seconds hand without raising the wrist.

S10 Chip

The S10 chip is a smaller version of the S9 with no performance difference. It has a 64-bit dual-core processor and four-core Neural Engine. It powers Double Tap and Wrist Flick gestures. Storage remains 64GB.

Health Features

The Ultra 3 includes a third-generation optical heart rate sensor and electrical heart rate sensor for ECG. It monitors low, high, and irregular heart rates. Hypertension Alerts use heart rate data over 30 days to detect possible high blood pressure. Blood oxygen monitoring is available (in the U.S., readings are processed on the iPhone due to patent issues). Sleep apnea detection uses the accelerometer to sense breathing interruptions over 30 days. The ECG app provides one-lead electrocardiograms. Sleep tracking monitors REM, Core, and Deep sleep stages. A new Sleep Score metric quantifies sleep quality. Fall detection and Crash Detection alert emergency services. Temperature sensing (two sensors) enables ovulation estimates and period predictions.

Activity Features

The watch tracks steps, calories, and workouts with Activity rings. The Depth app uses a depth gauge for underwater activities, showing time, depth, temperature, and duration. The Oceanic+ app (via Huish Outdoors) turns the watch into a dive computer. The Tides app provides tide information. The Compass app includes waypoints, Backtrack GPS, and a digital view with elevation and coordinates.

Battery Life

Battery life is 42 hours (up from 36 hours on Ultra 2). Low Power Mode extends to 72 hours. Fast charging reaches 80% in 45 minutes; a 15-minute charge provides 12 hours of normal use.

Microphone and Speakers

Three microphones with adaptive beamforming improve call quality in windy environments. Wind noise reduction algorithms enhance audio. Dual speakers provide louder volume for calls and Siri.

Connectivity

All Ultra models have cellular; the Ultra 3 supports 5G for faster speeds. Satellite communication enables emergency SOS, messaging, and Find My when off-grid. Emergency SOS is free without a cellular plan. The watch also has a W3 chip and second-generation UWB chip for Precision Finding and tracking AirTags. The 86-decibel siren can be heard up to 600 feet. GPS uses dual-frequency L1 and L5 for superior accuracy.

Depth Gauge and Seal Check

Apple offers Depth and Water Seal Tests to ensure the watch is operational for diving.

Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3

The Ultra 3 is sold alongside the Series 11 (starting at $399, aluminum or titanium, 42mm/46mm) and SE 3 (starting at $249, older design, fewer health sensors). The Series 11 lacks satellite, siren, and has shorter battery life.

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra

The 2026 models are not expected to have major design changes until 2028. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 may include a full redesign and improved sensing functions, including refined high blood pressure detection. Apple is also working on noninvasive blood glucose monitoring, still years away. A future version may support Touch ID.