Apple Watch Ultra 3 Preview: Lather, rinse, and repeat
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Intro
Well, Apple DID not announce a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at its September 9, 2024 "It's Glowtime" event, but merely revealed a new Black Titanium color option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. That's as good as the potential updates we expected for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Honestly speaking, we’ve been more than satisfied with both the first and second Apple Watch Ultra models, but things might start to feel a bit stale if Apple releases the same watch for a third year in a row.
What's changing, and what's staying the same? Who is actually the Apple Watch Ultra 3 for?
What’s new:
- New Apple S10 chipset
- Software improvements and functionalities likely coming
- Probably new bands and/or band colors
- Hopefully a larger battery and better battery life
Read more: Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: Virtually no changes, but do we even need any?
Table of Contents:
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Specs, Models, and Prices
There will be a single 49mm version of the Apple Watch Ultra 3. No smaller version is on the horizon.
The smartwatch will support LTE, GPS, and Wi-Fi, and will likely start at $799 like its predecessors.
All the essential Apple Watch Ultra 3 specs are available in the table below:
| Specs | Watch Series |
|---|---|
| Models (Size, Weight, Prices) | 49mm, 49 x 44mm, 61.4gr, $799 |
| Processor, RAM, Storage | Apple S10 chip |
| Software | watchOS 11 |
| Battery and Charging | >564mAh Magnetic charger, 80% in 60 mins |
| Sensors | HR, blood oxygen, altimeter, ECG, skin temperature sensor, HDR G-sensor, always-on altimeter, ambient light sensor, depth gauge, blood pressure monitor |
| New features | IP6X, 10ATM water resistance Double Tap |
New here in comparison with the previous generation are likely the new Apple S10 chip, which will hopefully improve the efficiency and optimization, as well as the rumored blood pressure monitoring functionality, which might or might not make it to Apple's next Ultra smartwatch.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Design, Sizes, and Bands
Nothing new on the smartwatch front
We expect and are pretty confident that Apple won't change the design of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at all. In fact, it will surely be a carbon copy of the Apple Watch Ultra 1 and 2. The same titanium case with sapphire screen, a raised side frame shielding the large digital crown, and an Action Button on the opposite side.
A pretty decent design, clean and functional, so it might be not that bad that Apple isn't changing the design for the sake of change.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will likely remain available in a single 49mm version, and we have zero reasons to believe that Apple is planning a smaller version of the Apple Watch Ultra for people with smaller wrists.
We hope that Apple finally introduces different case color options with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, as the standard titanium shade that the Apple Watch Ultra 1 and 2 were available in got old pretty quick. Titanium surely can get painted, so we expect more color options.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will remain an IP6X dust-resistant smartwatch that is rated to withstand up to 10ATM of water pressure, or up to 100 meters. However, Apple advised against diving with previous Apple Watch Ultra models deeper than 40 meters––this recommendation will possibly stand.
The display of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will remain a 1.92-inch OLED one with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits or more. We don't expect higher brightness, but who knows?
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Software & Features
Apple's watchOS 11 will be available on board the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The software is already available in beta and comes with a pretty decent selection of software improvements:
- Training Load exertion ranking: Assesses effort based on heart rate, elevation, pace, and physical traits, providing a 10-point effort score to help athletes optimize their training.
- Vitals app: Tracks health metrics like sleep and heart rate, offering weekly reports and alerts for abnormal data.
- New SmartStack predictions: Enhances app suggestions and user experience.
- Check-in feature for friends: Allows users to stay connected by sharing status updates.
- Dynamic Watch faces: Automatically selects watch faces from user photos.
- Improved sleep tracking: watchOS will finally understand the concept of naps and while be able to track those.
Just like Apple's previous Ultra smartwatches, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will have the 86dB emergency siren, which could very well save your life in dire situations. It seems to be catching up, as Apple's rivals are also adopting similar helpful features (the Galaxy Watch Ultra has an emergency siren as well).
The same applies to the dive computer functionality, which provides key data while diving, like live water temperature, current depth, and time underwater. Definitely a decent feature if you dig underwater activities.
When it comes to GPS accuracy, we are certain the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will follow the footsteps of its predecessors and come with dual L1+L5 GPS, which is more accurate than "standard" GPS, especially in metropolitan areas.
Double Tap, a useful functionality feature that arrived last year, will not only make a return to the Apple Watch Ultra 3, but will be more awesome than ever, as Apple is opening the API to third-party developers.
Apple Maps will also provide you with dedicated offline maps for hikes in all 63 US national parks, which sounds like great news for avid hikers.
And for all those who have elaborate smart home setups, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and watchOS 11 bring Ultra Wideband support for home keys, allowing you to unlock your front door as you approach your house.
Workout features
The Apple Watch lineup already supports a healthy number of activities and sports, but more insightful personal data might be the name of the game with the Apple Watch Ultra 3. One of the key new features of watchOS 11 is the Training Load metric, which will help you understand how the intensity of your workouts impact your body and training readiness over time.
For example, if you have a lower Training Load than usual, you might not be able to hit your usual activity goals, and vice versa––when it's above your average, you will possibly be able to achieve better results.
You can also create custom workouts for pool swimming sessions and the Apple Watch will automatically guide you through your custom timed intervals with haptic feedback.
Training Load in watchOS 11
Sleep tracking
Apple also has quite the comprehensive breakdown of your sleep stages, as well as other important data like respiratory rate and heart rate trends during sleep.
While informative, the data that Apple provides might be slightly on the leaner side when compared to the truly massive amount of information that Samsung gives you with its smartwatches.
What I’m really excited about is the revamped sleep tracking in watchOS 11. Now, sleep will be tracked even if you don’t enable the dedicated sleep mode. Plus, Apple has finally embraced the importance of naps and will track all your siestas. This feature has been a long time coming.
What I’m really excited about is the revamped sleep tracking in watchOS 11. Now, sleep will be tracked even if you don’t enable the dedicated sleep mode. Plus, Apple has finally embraced the importance of naps and will track all your siestas. This feature has been a long time coming.
Health features
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 might or might not arrive with blood pressure monitoring, the jury is still out if Apple has successfully made this health feature work consistently.
Aside from that, we will get the standard roster of continuous heart-rate monitoring, ECG, blood oxygen tracking, and more.
And watchOS 11 brings a focus to pregnancy, allowing women to track the gestational age directly inside the Health app.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Battery and Charging
At least two days of battery life, please
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will likely feature a battery in the same ZIP code as the one on its predecessor, which had a 564mAh battery inside. This will probably translate to a similar battery life as the previous Apple Watch Ultras.
Apple cites a 36-hour battery life for moderate usage, but that is based on "180 time checks, 180 notifications, 90 minutes of app use, and a 60-minute workout with music playback from Apple Watch via Bluetooth", which might be rather different from your own usage.
Personally, I've stretched the battery life to more than two days and a half with more frugal usage, but your mileage will vary.
A charging speed increase is not expected right now. It will probably take an hour to charge to 80% and an hour and a half to fully charge the watch.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Competitors
Currently, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has some pretty intriguing rivals.
Chief among these is the new Galaxy Watch Ultra. Samsung's top new premium smartwatch takes some inspiration from the Apple Watch Ultra lineup, boasting similar design, features, and functionalities, which isn't a bad thing. It runs Wear OS and only works with Android devices. The Galaxy Watch Ultra costs $649, possibly undercutting the Apple Watch Ultra 3's $799 price tag.
Another pair of competitors to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 are none other than its predecessors. Both the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are extremely similar to the upcoming smartwatch, and we probably won't be able to justify getting the new smartwatch if you're already using an existing Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Summary
Overall, Apple has taken the "never change a winning team" pretty close to heart with the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It's only scoring minor improvements in contrast to its predecessors, but is this such a negative thing?
Certainly not. It's obvious that Apple doesn't intend the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to be a must-have upgrade over the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2; instead, the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3 is aimed for those who are willing to upgrade from an older regular Apple Watch to the best large one Apple has in store.
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