It's been two years since Apple updated its rugged, ultra-premium Watch Ultra line, so it was long overdue for a replacement. Today, at its Awe Dropping event to launch the iPhone 17, the company has unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apple was naturally delighted to show off a broad number of tweaks that, in aggregate, more than make up for that additional year delay. The most notable new feature is satellite communication, letting you stay in touch no matter where you are in the world.
Watch Ultra 3 is equipped with a 5G modem, matching the change to both the Watch Series 11 and SE Series 3. But those other timepieces do not get the built-in, two-way satellite communication offering Emergency SOS and Find My, letting you share your location if you're in trouble in a remote area. With the Watch's existing fall detection capabilities, it'll also raise the alarm on your behalf if you're not able to respond to it in time. Find My will share your location once every 15 minutes, and users can even send and receive texts and tapbacks with contacts via satellites.
The Watch Ultra 3's new 3D printed case has had its display bezels shrunk to accommodate the "largest screen of any Apple Watch ever." More importantly, the display technology has been tweaked (LTPO3) with wide-angle OLEDs to improve off-angle viewing. So, if you want to check the time without making it obvious that you're checking the time, you won't be faced with an illegible screen any more. LTPO3 also is efficient enough that even in always-on mode, you'll be able to see a ticking seconds hand without activating the display.
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An even more welcome improvement (at least, for me) is in battery life, with Apple claiming Ultra 3 will survive for 42 hours on a single charge. Put the device into Low Power Mode and you will apparently be able to eke its life to 72 hours, which is unprecedented for an Apple Watch. The company says that the greater efficiency of its display, system-on-chip and new 5G modem has also helped improve the watch's longevity.
Naturally, you'll also get all of the software bells and whistles announced with the other Watch models today. That includes Hypertension alerts, so if the system detects a possible spike in your blood pressure you can get advice to get it checked out long before it becomes an issue. Similarly, the company is adding a Fitbit/Garmin/Oura/Insert-Other-Fitness-Provider-Of-Choice-esque Sleep Score feature to the Watch. Wear it to bed, and it will monitor your heart rate, temperature, blood oxygenation and respiratory rate (keeping an eye on possible sleep apnea) to score your sleep in the morning.
Apple commonly updates its devices annually, but the Ultra 2 has been top of the list for two years. It’s likely that the bulk of the company’s design focus in the previous cycle was on the top down redesign of the regular Watch. After all, the Watch 10 got a thinner case and, in the 46mm version, a display slightly bigger than the Watch Ultra. Plus, those in the know say that the S10 system-on-chip found in the 2024 models was just a smaller version of the S9 found in the Ultra 2. Consequently, there was little reason to upgrade the Ultra to the newer package since it already had plenty of room inside its beefy, rugged case.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available to pre-order today for $799, with shipments beginning on September 19. You can pick it up in "natural" or black titanium, with a new selection of bands
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Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple Watch Ultra 2 Apple Watch 10 Case Size 49mm 49mm 42mm, 46mm Display Resolution 410 x 502 374 x 446, 416x496 Max Brightness 3,000 nits 2,000 nits SoC Apple S9 Apple S10 Battery Size 564 mAh 327mAh
Apple's "Awe dropping" event is happening now. The company has announced the iPhone 17, iPhone Air and AirPods Pro 3 (with live translation and a heart rate sensor). Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 11, the Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 are all now official, too. Still to come, we expect Apple to unveil the new iPhone 17 Pro models as well as a final release date for iOS 26. Stay with Engadget for live coverage of the iPhone 17 launch. You can watch the Apple iPhone 17 event live on YouTube, too.