Apple Watch Ultra 3. The largest and greatest smartwatch for iPhone users is the Apple Watch Ultra 3. 5G, satellite SOS and texting, a larger screen, a longer battery life, and the same tough build are all features of the third-generation watch. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a sophisticated yet incredibly powerful sports smartwatch, and sure, it costs a lot of money.
The third version of the biggest, most durable, and most audacious Apple Watch returns with a larger screen, longer battery life, and satellite messaging for emergencies in remote locations.
While retaining all of the functionality of an iPhone smartwatch, Apple has positioned the Ultra 3 as its response to adventure watches such as the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro. It is more expensive than the Series 11 (£369 and higher) and the Watch SE 3 (£219), starting at £749 (€899/$799/A$1,399), which is roughly £50 less than the 2023 model.
The Ultra 3 initially resembles its two-year-old predecessor almost exactly. It comes in natural or black titanium, and although it is the same size overall, the bezels are slimmer, giving it a little larger display—the largest on an Apple Watch to date.
Wider angles make the screen substantially brighter, which facilitates quick reading. It now displays ticking seconds even when it is not in use, just like the Series 10 and 11. One of the best screens on any watch, the display is incredibly brilliant and shielded by ultra-hard sapphire glass.
Controls and Design
Even when wearing gloves, they are nevertheless simple to operate because to their big crown and sturdy side button, which assist minimize unintentional pushes during workouts.
The Ultra 3 has the same great touch-free gesture controls as the Series 11 and is powered by the same S10 CPU. You can rapidly flip your wrist to dismiss alerts and notifications or go back to the home screen, or you may double-tap your thumb and index finger to activate buttons or scroll.
With nightly sleep tracking included, Apple was able to pack in a 6% larger battery that lasts little over three days on a single charge. It will require charging every third night for the majority of users, which is roughly a full day more than any other Apple Watch. Nevertheless, it is not as long-lasting as Garmin’s adventure timepieces, which may last up to a week.
Using the provided USB-C magnetic charger, it takes roughly two hours to reach 50%.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
5G and satellite connectivity
The Ultra 3 provides improved reception in poor 4G locations and supports 5G, if your plan permits. Additionally, Apple has integrated its free satellite SOS messaging, which was previously accessible on the iPhone, into this watch. Even when you are outside of cellular coverage, you can still text emergency services thanks to this.
Although it’s currently only available in the US, Canada, and Mexico, the satellite link may also be used to send messages to friends and family and track your location via Find My. A suitable data plan is necessary for both features.
Watch faces and software
The Ultra 3 has a redesigned interface and multiple new watch faces, yet it runs the same watchOS 26 as the Series 11. Additionally, a new Waypoint face has a live compass that displays nearby points of interest. It joins other Ultra-exclusive faces that are rich in data, such as Modular Ultra and Wayfinder.
Details
Dimensions of the case: 49 x 44 mm
12 mm in thickness
61.8g in weight
S10 processor
64GB of storage
System software: watchOS 26
Water resistance: 100 meters (10 ATM)
Heart rate, ECG, SpO2, temperature, depth, dual-band GPS, altimeter, and compass are among the sensors.
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, NFC, UWB, satellite, and optional 5G/eSIM connectivity
Outstanding Tracking of Sports and Health
The majority of health metrics are easily recorded against your wrist by the elevated sapphire-glass sensor cluster on the back.
With features like ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, irregular heart rhythm alarms, and a new hypertension alert that examines 30 days of data for high blood pressure patterns, the Ultra 3 provides the same comprehensive health and fitness tracking as the basic Apple Watch.
For simpler sleep analysis, wrist temperature monitoring, menstrual cycle tracking, and ovulation estimate, a new sleep score metric has also been introduced.
Ultra 3 includes more fitness options, such as an action button to initiate workouts rapidly. Ultra is unique in that you can wait for a GPS lock before starting.
Its dual-band GPS is a standout feature that significantly increases accuracy in difficult situations like crowded cities or forested paths. It is one of the most precise GPS systems on the market, on par with or even better than expensive running watches.
Distance, pace, cadence, running power, dynamics, training load, and heart rate zones are just a few of the metrics it monitors. It boasts accurate track detection, allows structured interval training, and offers modes specifically designed for swimming, cycling, triathlons, and diving (down to 40 meters).
You may personalize the bright orange action button to do a variety of things, such start the stopwatch, make voice memos, turn on the flashlight, or start exercises.
The Ultra 3 is a truly remarkable sports watch when you consider its huge, bright screen and 11–14 hours of battery life while tracking with great accuracy.
Additionally, it supports Apple’s recently released Workout Buddy AI coach, which uses Bluetooth headphones to provide encouraging cues when engaging in activities like cycling, walking, jogging, and hiking. A minor drawback is that it only functions if you have an iPhone 15 Pro or later in your possession.
Sustainability
According to Apple, the Ultra 3’s battery may be changed for £95 and will still have at least 80% of its original capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles.
The cost of fixing physical damage is approximately £489.
More than 40% of the watch’s components are recycled, including steel, titanium, tungsten, cobalt, copper, gold, lithium, and rare earth elements. Additionally, Apple provides free recycling programs and trade-in choices.
Cost
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at £749 (€899/£799/A$1,399) and comes in two colors with a variety of strap options.
Conclusion
Although the Ultra 3 is the largest, strongest, and best Apple Watch to date, it isn’t a significant improvement over the previous model.
The majority of the advancements are enhancements rather than revolutions, with the exception of the new satellite SOS capability, which has the potential to literally save your life.
It’s a pleasure to use thanks to the additional software features, particularly the wrist-flick gesture, plus the longer battery life and larger, brighter screen.
This is the ideal Apple Watch if you’re looking for one that stands out and feels high-end. As long as you don’t mind charging it every few days, the Ultra 3 is still a great training partner, though die-hard athletes may still prefer a specialized sports watch like a Garmin.
It’s just the greatest Apple Watch to yet, but don’t anticipate a significant improvement over the previous Ultra models.
Advantages
Wonderful exhibit
Sturdy but stylish design
Wrist flicks and double taps
Battery life of three days
Satellite SOS/messaging and 5G
Outstanding tracking of health
Dual-band GPS for accurate tracking of activities
Additional action button
40-meter diving capabilities and 100-meter water resistance
Extended software support
Cons:
Very costly
Only compatible with iPhones
No watch faces from third parties
Not a significant improvement over Ultra 2
reduced battery life compared to competing adventure watches.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Review: Best Smartwatch for iPhone.
