Apple has officially unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and this year’s rugged wearable is packing some serious upgrades — think satellite connectivity, 5G cellular, and the largest Apple Watch display ever. Priced at $799, it’s available to pre-order now and ships on Friday, September 19.
A Bigger, Smarter Display
The Ultra 3 looks familiar at first glance, but Apple has made the display a lot more useful. Thanks to LTPO3 and wide-angle OLED tech, the borders are 24% thinner without increasing the case size.
The always-on display now refreshes once per second instead of once per minute, so the seconds hand actually ticks — a tiny but oddly satisfying detail for those who’ve been waiting.
Apple also optimized 20+ watch faces to take advantage of the faster refresh rate, including Stopwatch and Timer — a small change, but it makes the watch feel more “alive” than ever.
Battery Life: From Long to Longer
Apple knows Ultra users push their watches hard, so battery life got a major bump. You now get:
- 42 hours of regular use
- 72 hours in Low Power Mode
- 20 hours of GPS workouts with heart-rate monitoring
- And if you’re in a rush, 15 minutes of charging = 12 hours of battery
That’s a serious step up for marathon runners, hikers, and people who just forget to charge their watch at night.
Satellite Connectivity Changes Everything
The headline feature is easily satellite support. If you’re off the grid — no Wi-Fi, no cell towers — Ultra 3 can still:
- Contact emergency services if you crash or fall
- Text contacts, send emoji, and even Tapbacks (if they’ve messaged you within the last 30 days)
- Share your location every 15 minutes via Find My
And it’s not just a gimmick. Apple re-engineered the antenna to double the signal strength and reach satellites moving 15,000 mph overhead. All satellite features are free for two years — after that, expect a subscription.
Health and Fitness Get Smarter
Apple’s doubling down on health:
- Hypertension detection: The watch tracks how blood vessels respond to your heartbeat over a month. Apple says it could help identify over a million people with undiagnosed high blood pressure in the first year. (Pending FDA approval.)
- Sleep Score: Based on duration, consistency, wakeups, and sleep stages, using data from 5 million nights of sleep.
- Workout Buddy: Apple Intelligence–powered coaching with real-time spoken motivation, available in English at launch.
Meanwhile, the Workout app redesign makes it easier to build custom workouts, set pacers, or race your previous routes. Music and podcasts can even auto-play with specific workouts.
Built for Adventure
The titanium case still comes in natural and black, with 100m water resistance and the most accurate GPS Apple has ever put in a sports watch.
New band options include:
- Trail Loop with reflective yarn
- Fresh colors for Ocean Band and Alpine Loop
- Hermès additions, including the Scub’H Diving band in rubber with titanium buckle
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Early Thoughts
This feels like the year the Ultra really earns its “do-it-all” title. Between satellite texting, longer battery life, and hypertension detection, Apple clearly wants Ultra 3 to be more than just a sports watch — it’s edging into safety essential territory.
Whether you’re a marathoner, diver, or just someone who forgets their iPhone on road trips, Ultra 3 might be the most compelling upgrade in Apple’s wearable lineup.
Pre-orders are live now in over 50 countries, with in-store availability on September 19.
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