When Apple Watch arrived in 2015, there was no way to send or receive data without an iPhone or wifi. Now these things can talk to space. It’s wild. Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the first version to include satellite connectivity, a feature introduced with iPhone 14 just three years ago. It comes standard in every Ultra 3 and enables the ability to contact emergency services without a cellular connection. Over the last few days, we’ve been testing Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11. Check out our early impressions below. Satellite The feature is free to use for two years from the date of purchase. Apple hasn’t said when or how much emergency SOS via satellite will cost when the trial ends. It also hasn’t started charging for the feature on iPhone. Instead, Apple recently extended the trial period for 14 and 15 models through September 2026. When it comes to testing satellite connectivity, there are four components: Connecting Apple Watch Ultra 3 to a satellite Contacting emergency services using SOS via satellite Sharing current location with a contact via satellite Sending a message to a contact via satellite An active cellular plan is required for Messages and Share Location to work via satellite when out of LTE or 5G network coverage. Emergency SOS via Satellite, on the other hand, does not require an active cellular plan. Like on iPhone 14 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 3 lets you run a connection demo to see how satellite connectivity works without being in an emergency situation. The demo turns off cellular radios to temporarily allow the satellite connection. Otherwise, satellite connectivity is only possible when no cell network is available. While there’s no Satellite app, satellite features can be accessed from multiple places: a watch face complication, a Smart Stack widget, a Control Center tile, or the Action button if assigned as a control. Apple Watch Ultra 3 will also suggest establishing a satellite connection if you go out of cellular coverage. Once invoked, the connection demo experience lets you try connecting to a satellite or practice the Emergency SOS via Satellite process. The experience also explains how Messages and Send Location features work. Messages, for example, can send and receive iMessage or text messages via satellite, view 30 days of recent conversations, and send and receive Tapbacks and emoji. Send Location lets you share an update every 15 minutes using satellite connectivity when cellular connectivity is unavailable. The built-in, two-way satellite connection experience is just like on iPhone. Apple Watch Ultra 3 needs a clear view of the sky to establish a connection. The system will tell you which direction to move for the nearest satellite (left, right, or turn around). If a connection fails, it can take up to 10 minutes for the next satellite (in low earth orbit) to be positioned for potential access. In most instances, the connection demo experience works flawlessly. It can’t work indoors, and in some cases, you may be able to see the sky, but nearby trees will prevent establishing a connection. This requirement will limit how useful satellite connectivity can be, but it’s still impressive that an Apple Watch can even do this now without an iPhone. During my first few days with Apple Watch Ultra 3, I haven’t yet managed to track down an outdoor area without cell coverage. That’s rather impressive for cell coverage in rural Alabama where I’m testing, but I’m sure I’ll run into a test area soon enough. For that reason, I wasn’t able to test Messages and Share Location via satellite in the wild. However, the satellite connection demo allowed me to test the process in a variety of environments. I didn’t find the watch to perform any different than the phone in terms of speed or reliability, which is a positive sign. Emergency SOS via Satellite is really a last line of defense against being off the grid when you or someone with you needs help. Still, if you leave your phone behind, damage your phone in an accident, or the battery just dies, Apple Watch Ultra 3 can make the difference between being stranded and being connected. The life-saving potential is all right there in the hardware. Apple Watch Ultra 3 is even able to trigger Emergency SOS via Satellite without user input. For example, if a hard crash or fall is detected and you’re unresponsive, all the pieces of Emergency SOS can work together to find help while you’re off the grid and unable to call for help. 5G Satellite connectivity isn’t the only new way Apple Watch Ultra 3 connects. For the first time, Apple Watch Ultra 3 now supports 5G cellular connectivity. iPhone 12 brought 5G connectivity to the Apple ecosystem in 2020. As of 2025, 5G joins LTE cellular connectivity on Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE 3. The lack of 5G in recent Apple Watch models has started to feel like a bigger omission as 5G coverage takes over LTE coverage. For that reason alone, it’s great to see Apple Watch add 5G connectivity now. When connected to cellular, the Cellular tile in Control Center will show LTE or 5G, depending on which network you’re using. You can also tell by tapping the status indicator in Control Center, which will display the carrier and cell network type. Apple says the new 5G modem is also more power efficient while supporting faster internet speeds, which is not what you might expect. The dual antenna system on Apple Watch Ultra 3 is also able to respond to signal strength, using a single antenna when signal strength is high and both antennas simultaneously to maintain connection strength in low signal areas. If cellular performance was too unreliable or power hungry in the past, the addition of 5G connectivity has promise. Further usage in more environments is required to make any conclusions though. Display The other notable advancement with Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the display. The surrounding bezel has been reduced by 24%, allowing Apple Watch Ultra 3 to reclaim the title of largest display in an Apple Watch. This isn’t a dramatic increase in terms of screen real estate, but it does have the effect of making Apple Watch Ultra 3 look more modern. The first two models were knocked from the start for having thicker bezels than what we were used to on Series models. It also uses a new display technology first adopted by Apple Watch Series 10 last year that allows it to show updating seconds on a watch face, even in always-on display mode. This feature works with more than 20 analog and digital watch faces as well as the Stopwatch and Timer apps. That’s up from three on Apple Watch Series 10 a year ago (and zero on Apple Watch Ultra models). This is perhaps the one hardware change that I appreciate the most on a daily basis. Like the bezel situation, lacking ticking seconds in always-on display mode made the Ultra 2 feel old compared to the Series 10. I’m pleased to see that difference go away this cycle. Battery The other change I’ll appreciate comes between charges. Apple Watch Ultra was already a battery life powerhouse, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 goes further to become the model with the longest battery life ever. Apple says to expect up to 42 hours of normal use. That compares to up to 18 hours of normal use on Apple Watch Series 10 and earlier, and up to 36 hours on the first two Apple Watch Ultra models. In my experience, Apple Watch Ultra battery life was already bonkers. I would regularly see a 10% low battery alert on a year-old battery several hours before the watch actually died. Apple says new numbers come thanks to a 6% increase in battery capacity, the more power-efficient display, and 5G modem. Apple Watch Series 11 similarly gains additional battery life, a first for a Series model, promising up to 24 hours of normal use. That’s thanks in part to an 11% increase in battery capacity in the 46mm model and 9% in the 42mm model. Both Ultra 3 and Series 11 promise impressive fast charging stats as well. For Apple Watch Ultra 3, 15 minutes of fast charging can deliver up to 12 hours of normal use, and five minutes of fast charging can support eight hours of sleep tracking. For Apple Watch Series 11, 15 minutes of fast charging enables up to 8 hours of normal use, and around 30 minutes of fast charging takes you to 80%. Admittedly, my Apple Watch usage has been anything but normal since testing Ultra 3 and Series 11. For that reason, I’ll need more time to collect battery life performance data, but the promise of more battery life is welcome. Stay tuned for more insight in the coming weeks. watchOS 26 Other aspects of Apple Watch Ultra 3 arrive with watchOS 26, the latest software version released this week. Hypertension notifications are new to Apple Watch Ultra 3 (and available on Apple Watch Ultra 2 as well as Apple Watch Series 9 and later). For the first time, Apple Watch is able to notify users of signs of chronic high blood pressure. It works by just wearing Apple Watch for at least 14 days over a 30-day period. If patterns of hypertension are detected, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and other supported models will alert you that possible hypertension has been detected. Sleep score is also new to Apple Watch Ultra 3 and available on all Apple Watch models running watchOS 26. A score between 0 and 100 is assigned after each sleep session, including naps. Duration makes up 40 points, time in REM and Deep sleep make up 10, bedtime consistency makes up 30, and sleep interruptions account for 20 minutes. Apple Watch has supported sleep tracking for several years now, and last year sleep apnea notifications were added. The new sleep score feature is the first time Apple has provided more insightful information beyond just hitting a sleep duration goal, reducing the need for third-party apps for finding utility in sleep tracking. Ultra 3 conclusion Apple Watch Ultra 3 is an impressive update to an already established Apple Watch line. Even longer battery life, new display technology, and the inclusion of 5G and the first-ever satellite connectivity for an Apple Watch make it a standout model in the overall lineup. It’s only a matter of time before we start learning about how satellite connectivity has helped save lives. If you’ve been holding out for an Apple Watch Ultra update, Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a more significant upgrade than Ultra 2. If it’s your first Apple Watch or if you’re coming from a Series or SE model, you’ll be blown away by the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s ability to just deliver so much more of everything that makes Apple Watch great. Apple Watch Ultra 3 pricing is unchanged with each model including 5G and satellite connectivity for $799. While prices vary based on band selection, every Apple Watch Ultra 3 includes the same specs. Series 11 conclusion Apple Watch Series 11 is a less significant update compared to Apple Watch Series 10, but it’s a major upgrade for anyone coming from older models. While it lacks satellite connectivity, it gains 5G, 2x more scratch resistance glass on aluminum models, and the new space gray color shown in this review. What’s amazing to me with the Series 11 upgrade is promised battery life gains. Apple Watch Series 10 pulled off a magic trick last year by being the first Apple Watch to go thinner, and it did it without compromising on 18-hour battery. Now, Apple Watch Series 11 maintains the same impressive case design while physically increasing the internal battery capacity in both size options to deliver up to 24 hours of battery life. This means you can use Apple Watch Series 11 for 18 hours and still track six hours of sleep, or use Series 11 for 16 hours and track eight hours of sleep. We’ll need more time to collect our own data, but simply adding more battery capacity in the new design from last year is impressive. Apple Watch Series 11 pricing is unchanged with models from $399. SE 3 value Apple Watch SE 3 is the third new Apple Watch in the lineup this year. While we haven’t had time to test the new entry-level model, Apple Watch SE 3 looks great on paper (and in person). It gains an always-on display for the first time, adds support for sleep apnea notifications, temperature sensing, wrist flick and double tap gestures, speaker media playback, 4x more crack-resistant glass, and optional 5G. Many of these features were only introduced in the last year or two, and 5G connectivity is brand new this year, making Apple Watch SE 3 an incredible value with models priced from $249.