Apple Watch Ultra 3 adds larger display, longer battery and satellite SOS to flagship smartwatch

Apple’s third-generation rugged smartwatch, the Watch Ultra 3, refines the company’s highest-end wearable with a marginally larger screen, longer battery life and satellite SOS messaging. Positioned above the standard Series 11 and Watch SE models, the Ultra 3 aims to bridge the gap between mainstream smartwatches and dedicated adventure watches.

Priced from £749 (€899/$799/A$1,399), the Ultra 3 carries a premium that reflects its hardware and feature set. It retains the same external dimensions as its predecessor and is available in natural or black titanium. Apple has reduced bezel size to accommodate a slightly larger display without increasing case dimensions, resulting in the largest screen fitted to an Apple Watch to date.

The screen is bright and more legible at angles, and now shows ticking seconds when idle. Apple covers it with super‑hard sapphire glass. Physical controls remain robust: a chunky digital crown and an armoured side button help prevent accidental inputs during activity while remaining usable with gloves. The watch supports Apple’s touch‑free gestures, including a double tap to press buttons or scroll and a quick wrist flick to dismiss alerts and return to the watch face.

Under the hood the Ultra 3 runs on Apple’s S10 processor, the same chip used in the Series 11, and ships with watchOS 26. The software update brings a refreshed design language to Apple’s watch platform and introduces new watch faces. Ultra‑exclusive faces include the Wayfinder and Modular Ultra, and a new Waypoint face provides a live compass with nearby points of interest. A selection of other faces such as Exactograph and Flux are also available.

Battery capacity has been increased by 6% compared with the prior Ultra. In everyday use with sleep tracking enabled the watch typically lasts more than three days between charges, with most users likely to recharge every third night. High‑accuracy activity tracking reduces runtime — the watch can deliver approximately 11 to 14 hours of continuous tracking when operating at its highest GPS fidelity. Charging to full takes around two hours, and the bundled USB‑C magnetic puck reaches about 50% in 30 minutes.

Connectivity has been upgraded. The Ultra 3 supports 5G on compatible plans and shows stronger cellular reception in weak 4G coverage areas. It also inherits Apple’s satellite SOS messaging capability from the iPhone, enabling emergency text‑based contact with services when out of cellular range. Satellite features can also be used for Find My location sharing and non‑emergency messages, although messaging via satellite to friends and family is currently available only in the United States, Canada and Mexico and requires a compatible cellular data plan.

Sport and health tracking are central to the Ultra experience. The watch includes a wide range of heart health features — ECG, abnormal rhythm notifications and blood oxygen monitoring — and introduces hypertension alerts that analyse 30 days of readings for signs of high blood pressure. Sleep scoring, wrist temperature monitoring and cycle tracking with ovulation estimation are among the other health tools provided.

For workouts the Ultra 3 carries forward advanced features from the Ultra line and improves tracking accuracy with a dual‑band GPS system. This configuration enhances positioning in challenging environments such as dense urban canyons or wooded areas; Apple says the dual‑band GPS in the Ultra matches or beats top competitors in urban GPS stress tests. The watch tracks distance, pace, cadence, running power, training load and heart rate zones, supports structured workouts and offers a precise track detection mode for laps. It also supports cycling, swimming, triathlon profiles and is rated to 100 metres water resistance with dive support to 40 metres, plus at least 22 additional activity types.

An orange action button remains a distinguishing physical control and can be customised to start a workout, activate a torch, trigger a stopwatch or record voice memos. The Ultra 3 also supports Apple’s Workout Buddy AI coach, which provides guided feedback and encouragement during activities when paired with Bluetooth headphones. This feature requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later to operate.

Apple reports the Ultra 3 contains more than 40% recycled material across components including cobalt, copper, gold, lithium, rare earth elements, steel, titanium and tungsten. The battery is designed to retain at least 80% of its original capacity after more than 1,000 full charge cycles and can be replaced by Apple for £95. Out‑of‑warranty damage repairs are quoted at £489. Apple offers trade‑in and free recycling for devices and publishes an environmental impact breakdown.

Compared with adventure‑focused rivals, the Ultra 3’s battery life is improved versus previous Apple Watches, but it remains shorter than the week‑long runtimes offered by some dedicated outdoor watches. The Ultra 3 is not a radical overhaul of its predecessor; most additions are iterative refinements, with satellite SOS arguably the most significant new capability for users who venture beyond cellular coverage.

Overall, the Ultra 3 represents Apple’s most capable smartwatch for iPhone owners, combining premium materials, a large and bright display, comprehensive health and fitness features and improved battery life. It will appeal to buyers seeking a versatile device that balances everyday smartwatch functions with advanced tracking and emergency satellite connectivity — provided they accept the price premium and dependence on an iPhone.

• Case size: 49 x 44 mm; thickness: 12 mm; weight: 61.8 g
• Processor: S10; storage: 64 GB; OS: watchOS 26
• Water resistance: 100 metres (10 ATM); dive to 40 metres
• Sensors: HR, ECG, SpO2, temperature, depth, dual‑band GPS, compass, altimeter
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, Wi‑Fi n, NFC, UWB, satellite, optional 5G/eSIM

Key Topics

Apple Watch Ultra 3, Rugged Smartwatch Design, S10 Processor, Watchos 26, Dual-band Gps Accuracy, Satellite Sos Messaging, Extended Battery Life, Super-hard Sapphire Glass, Titanium Case Finish, 100 Metre Water Resistance, Ecg And Spo2 Monitoring, Hypertension And Sleep Tracking, Workout Buddy Ai Coach, 5g And Esim Connectivity, Customizable Action Button