This past April marked the 10-year anniversary of the Apple Watch. Those early aluminum, stainless steel, and—yes—18k gold models launched without a clear idea of what they were for. Apple wanted its smartwatch to be a fashionable timepiece, a fitness tracker, a cellphone, a music player, a turn-by-turn navigator, and more. It seemed obvious that the Apple Watch could eventually replace the iPhone. A decade later, that is not only not the case, it’s looking like it may never be, though the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is ever closer (but still a far way off) from that dream.
Starting at $800, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is not cheap. That’s the same price as an iPhone 17—a whole damn computer with great cameras, not an accessory for your phone. The first Apple Watch Ultra targeted adventurers and outdoorsy types like divers, justifying the price and large size as fitting for these groups of people who want a bigger screen, longer battery life, more precise GPS, and a customizable Action button.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the biggest and most feature-packed smartwatch that Apple sells, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to upgrade. Pros Big screen
Big screen Satellite connectivity is useful for emergencies
Satellite connectivity is useful for emergencies Even longer battery life
Even longer battery life Rugged and durable
Rugged and durable Sleep Score is great Cons Too still huge
Too still huge Still $800
Still $800 Only two colors
Fast forward three years, and I see people donning Apple Watch Ultras on their wrists even if they’re not going mountain climbing or scuba diving. My sister gifted her husband an Apple Watch Ultra because he’s got a big wrist. I have several friends with dainty wrists, and yet they don’t seem to care that the Apple Watch Ultra looks massive because the screen is large and the battery lasts for 2 to 3 days on a single charge. The Apple Watch Ultra is no longer just for enthusiasts; Ultra just means you get the most features in Apple’s smartwatch lineup.
That pretty much sums up the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It’s still the same design as the first and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, except now it has some more stuff. Do you need all the new features? Read my helpful little guide here. Otherwise, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is just a better version.
Same Ultra design, now 3D-printed
I am not an Apple Watch Ultra user. I understand its appeal and, hell, I even like some chonky watches like G-Shocks, but I find the Apple Watch Ultra just too bulky; the case is too thick and the screen is too big. More power to you if these are things you want. The 49mm titanium case—in natural or black—is rugged, and the display is big by design. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is better at surviving unpredictable outdoor weather and conditions compared to non-Ultra models, but anybody who simply wants the durability or easier-to-see display could appreciate it. Who am I to tell you that a smartwatch is too big if you want it? For the same reasons some people prefer the tank-like iPhone 17 Pro Max over the super slim iPhone Air and its tradeoffs, I’m more a regular Apple Watch “Series” guy than Ultra.
Invisible to the naked eye is how the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is produced. This time, instead of being CNC’d out of a block of aluminum, Apple is 3D-printing the cases using 100% recycled titanium, which not only wastes less of the metal, but is more environmentally friendly since it doesn’t require new mining. I’m not out here bashing my Apple Watch Ultra 3 review unit against rocks, so I can’t confirm the rigidity of the 3D-printed case, but I did have some startling contact with my kitchen cabinet doors and a pile of 40-pound cat litter boxes, where I thought I might have scuffed or chipped the black case. But nope, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 suffered no damage. Not even a scrape.
On the whole, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is virtually the same smartwatch as the Ultra 2. The screen is so minimally bigger because Apple thinned the black bezel around it that it’s not even measurable with a ruler. Nor does Apple even have an official display size spec for it. All of that’s to say you won’t be seeing more content on the sapphire crystal display. The screen is also equally as bright as the Ultra 2. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 display uses a more advanced LTPO 3 display technology versus LTPO 2, but that’s really more for power efficiency than making the screen any more visible.
There’s a new “Waypoint” watch face with a compass that I like the look of, even though I don’t need to know which direction I’m facing riding on the subway from Queens to Manhattan or Brooklyn. The watch face is also not exclusive to the Ultra 3; Ultra and Ultra 2 owners can get it with the watchOS 26 update.
Inside is a new S10 chip, but nobody is begging for more performance in the Apple Watch Ultra 3. watchOS 26 is as zippy and responsive as on my Apple Watch Series 9. If there’s anything the S10 chip enables, it’s 5G and satellite communications—two firsts for Apple Watches.
If you cannot entertain the idea of a big smartwatch on your wrist, even with the upsides of a larger screen and longer battery life, Apple is happy to sell you an Apple Watch Series 11 or an SE 3. Smartwatch size, after all, is a matter of personal preference. Though, you will only get the highest water-resistance rating (100m) on the Ultra models.
More health tracking features
Even though the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is mostly a spec bump update, there are two features—hypertension notifications and Sleep Score—that may sway you if you have a first-gen Ultra or an Apple Watch model that isn’t getting the two features via watchOS 26.
I went into more detail on hypertension notifications and Sleep Score in a previous write-up. I’ve found both features to be very useful. Hypertension notifications work in the background after initial setup and are something you hope to never receive. Essentially, your Apple Watch Ultra 3 will send you a notification if it detects signs that you may have high blood pressure. The smartwatch isn’t measuring your blood pressure (it’s not a medical diagnosis), but merely using data from the optical heart rate sensor to correlate it against a “machine learning-based algorithm” for patterns typical of hypertension. The feature is FDA-cleared, which is different from FDA-approved, and means that Apple has demonstrated that hypertension notifications are safe and effective compared to other similarly marketed devices.
The same way I hope my Apple Watch will never have to call emergency services to alert them that I’ve fallen down, there is no reason not to turn on hypertension notifications. It’s a precautionary feature that could mean the difference between life and death. Since Series 4, Apple has positioned the Apple Watch not as a healthcare provider replacement, but as a health guardian. Hypertension notifications are just another addition to the Apple Watch’s, er, watchful eye.
Sleep Score is also the sleep tracking function that I think everybody has been waiting for. It’s catching up to other wearables and smartwatches, but in typical Apple fashion, presented better in every way. Sleep Score automatically kicks in when you fall asleep while wearing your Apple Watch Ultra 3. It measures duration, bedtime, and interruptions, and then presents them in a donut-shaped sleep ring along with a score. You’ll see your sleep classified as very low, low, OK, high, or excellent. You can scroll to see more detailed sleep data or open up the Health app on your paired iPhone to get even more in-depth metrics. All of this information is presented very clearly and in easy-to-understand charts.
I likened Sleep Score to Activity Rings. Seeing a “low” Sleep Score every morning really did make me want to achieve “OK” or even “high.” I’ll be impressed if I ever see “excellent,” given how erratic my sleep is. But that’s the whole point of Sleep Score—to help you build daily routines that improve your sleep. We commoners may think burning the midnight oil is the way to get ahead, but sleep is health, and health is wealth. Billionaire Bill Gates and multimillionaire Arianna Huffington attribute good, consistent sleep as the secret to living longer and healthier lives. Huffington even wrote a whole book on sleep and its unappreciated powers. (My cats, Lemons and Kiwi, who sleep 12+ hours every day, also corroborate that good sleep is essential to happiness.)
Now, am I saying the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has been successful at bullying me into winding down at my set schedule every night and getting enough shuteye? I wish it were, but I’m only human, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t prone to ignoring my Sleep Score on some days to stay up and rot my brain with Netflix and Switch 2. Maybe you’re more disciplined than I am. I have tons of friends who are addicted to closing their Activity Rings because it’s gamified in a way. If seeing a number and a donut that gets thicker or thinner helps you sleep better, then why the hell not?
You don’t need to buy an Apple Watch Ultra 3 to get hypertension notifications or Sleep Score. Hypertension notifications are free in watchOS 26 for Apple Watch Series 9 and later, or Ultra 2. If you have an Apple Watch Series 6 and later, SE 2, or Ultra and later, the update also adds Sleep Score.
Peace of mind with 5G and satellite comms
Some half a decade after 5G promised to revolutionize smartphones with wicked fast data speeds and make poor connections a thing of the past, the cellular connection is finally available on all three 2025 Apple Watch models. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really translate to any noticeable real-world benefit. Cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is not considerably faster than on my Apple Watch Series 9. Built-in 5G is more for futureproofing. One day, 4G networks will be turned off the same way 2G and 3G networks were sunset. But that’s many years ahead, and who knows if the Ultra 3 will even be functional by then.
However, the new wireless connection exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 that you might appreciate is satellite connectivity. Like the feature on iPhones, the satellite connection on the Ultra 3 works the same. You can use it to communicate with emergency services (Emergency SOS), send messages to contacts, or share your location via Find My app. How you access satellite services on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 tells you how Apple intends people to use the feature: not often, and likely only when you can’t connect to a 4G or 5G cell tower. There’s no satellite app on the honeycomb “home screen.” Instead, you access satellite services by adding a shortcut button within Control Center.
Using satellite services on the Ultra 3 works just like on a supported iPhone. First, you need to be outside to establish a connection to a satellite in the sky. Then, you move your wrist left and right to connect, which can take a few seconds depending on where you are and what your line of sight to the sky is. Once connected, you can tap through buttons for the three features; you don’t need to keep your wrist aimed at the sky anymore. It works well, and contacts you send messages or your location to will see a label that you communicated via satellite. This is for them to know that you’re out of civilization range and may need aid if you haven’t made it safely back.
Again, the fact that satellite services is an opt-in setting, not an app, that you need to turn on within Control Center tells you it’s for either emergencies or just check-ins. You won’t be using satellite services daily, unless you’re living off the grid all the time. But even then, satellite connections are not as fast as cellular. It’s a nice feature to have for those just-in-case moments, but you have to ask yourself whether it’s worth buying a gadget with reassurance features you’ll hopefully never need to use.
Apple’s biggest and best smartwatch, but it may not necessarily be yours
The same way an iPhone 17 Pro Max is just a newer iPhone with improved features, an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is still just an Apple Watch. You get some new stuff because it’s the shiny new smartwatch, but it’s fundamentally the same device. It’s no longer like the early days of the Apple Watch when new features felt foundational with each generation or two.
Do you really need a big, thick smartwatch with all its features? Could you make do with fewer features to save some money? The Apple Watch Ultra 3, specifically, has everything that Apple could fit into a 49mm case design. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right fit for your needs and wrist size. If my Apple Watch Series 9 didn’t work just fine (and get hypertension and Sleep Score with watchOS 26), I would consider the Apple Watch Series 11 over the Ultra 3 simply because of its smaller size (I don’t need an Action button or up to 42 hours of battery life). The Apple Watch SE 3 is an incredible value for $250 if you want just the basics, but it’d be a downgrade from my model. Before I picked up a Series 9, I had a Series 4, and before that, the original “Series 0.” That’s the thing about Apple Watches—they last several years until software updates make them too slow or incompatible with iPhones.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is an excellent smartwatch if its size and feature set appeal to you. But you absolutely don’t need to upgrade if you have a model from recent years. Get the Apple Watch size that literally fits your wrist best or has the features you want the most. As for Android users, you’re out of luck again since you still need an iPhone to set up any Apple Watch. Fortunately, there are great Wear OS options like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8, Google’s Pixel Watch 4, and the OnePlus Watch 3 series.