The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is Apple's most expensive and rugged smartwatch, designed for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. Priced starting at $799, it was released in September 2025 and offers several key upgrades over the previous generation.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Price: Starting at $799
- Release Date: September 19, 2025
- Chip: S10 (same performance as S9, but smaller)
- Display: 1,245 sq mm LTPO3 OLED, up to 3,000 nits brightness, slimmer bezels
- Battery Life: Up to 42 hours normal, 72 hours in Low Power Mode
- Connectivity: 5G, satellite (Emergency SOS, messaging, Find My), UWB, Bluetooth 5.3
- Health Features: Hypertension alerts, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep apnea detection, ECG, sleep tracking, temperature sensing
- Activity Features: Depth app, Tides app, Compass with Waypoints and Backtrack, siren (86 dB)
- Design: 49mm titanium case, flat sapphire crystal, Action button, available in Natural or Black Titanium
Design and Display
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 retains the same 49mm aerospace-grade titanium case as its predecessor but features slimmer bezels, increasing the viewable display area to 1,245 square millimeters. The LTPO3 OLED display reaches 3,000 nits brightness and maintains that brightness at wider viewing angles. The always-on display now includes a ticking seconds hand. The watch is available in Natural Titanium and Black Titanium, with the black finish using a diamond-like carbon coating for added scratch resistance.
Performance and Chip
The S10 chip powers the Apple Watch Ultra 3, with a 64-bit dual-core processor and a four-core Neural Engine. While it doesn't offer performance improvements over the S9, it enables new gestures like Double Tap and Wrist Flick (introduced in watchOS 26). Storage remains at 64GB.
Battery and Charging
Battery life has been improved to 42 hours on a single charge (up from 36 hours on Ultra 2). In Low Power Mode, it can last up to 72 hours for multi-day adventures. Fast charging charges to 80% in 45 minutes, and a 15-minute charge provides up to 12 hours of use.
Connectivity
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the first Apple Watch to support 5G networks. It also gains satellite connectivity for Emergency SOS, messaging, and Find My when Wi-Fi and cellular are unavailable. The second-generation Ultra Wideband chip enables Precision Finding for iPhones and AirTags, as well as integration with Car Keys and HomePod.
Health and Safety Features
Health monitoring includes a new hypertension alert feature that analyzes heart rate data over 30 days to detect possible high blood pressure. Blood oxygen monitoring remains but in the U.S. readings are only available in the Health app due to a patent dispute. Sleep apnea detection uses the accelerometer to identify breathing interruptions during sleep. ECG, fall detection, crash detection, and temperature sensing (for fertility planning) are also included. The siren is 86 decibels and can be heard up to 600 feet away.
Activity and Outdoor Features
Dedicated apps include the Depth app for diving (with a depth gauge and water temperature), a Tides app for tide information, and the Compass app with Waypoints and Backtrack. The Action button can be customized to launch workouts, set waypoints, and more. The Wayfinder watch face includes a night mode and the Modular Ultra face offers the most complications of any Apple Watch face.
Durability and Water Resistance
The watch is certified to MIL-STD-810H for extreme temperatures (–4°F to 131°F) and is water resistant to 100 meters (WR100) with EN13319 certification for diving. It supports recreational scuba diving to 40 meters, as well as kitesurfing and wakeboarding.
Comparison with Other Models
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is sold alongside the Apple Watch Series 11 (starting at $399) and Apple Watch SE 3 (starting at $249). The Ultra offers superior battery life, satellite connectivity, a siren, larger display, and more rugged build compared to the Series 11, while the SE lacks blood oxygen and ECG sensors.
Source: MacRumors News