2024 marked the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch after the very first model was unveiled in September 2014 and went on sale in April 2015. Since then, the wearable has become globally popular and the market leader when it comes to smartwatch adoption.
The Apple Watch Series 10 was announced during Apple's September event, offering the largest display and thinnest design to date. But the widely-predicted Apple Watch Ultra 3 was nowhere to be seen.
Instead of a new model, Apple announced a new color option (Satin Black) and bands for the current Apple Watch Ultra 2. But as 2024 gives way to 2025, the rumors are starting to circulate about exactly what Apple has planned for the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Updated December 11
• Apple Watch Ultra 3 tipped for satellite connectivity, 5G and blood pressure tracking.
• Apple may have just leaked an image of the new Apple Watch.
• Apple's launch event on September 9th held no new announcements for the Apple Watch Ultra 3
• The new Apple Watches may get significantly more energy-efficient LTPO OLED displays.
• The Ultra 3 will likely sport the same design as its predecessors.
• Apple's next-gen watches may feature sleep apnea and hypertension detection.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 remains one of the best smartwatches available in 2024 and, likely, 2025. But with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra earlier in the year, it's no longer the only full-featured, tough-built flagship wearable out there. The Galaxy Watch also boasts impressive features not found on the Apple Watch, including AI-backed sleep analysis and FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection.
Apple seems to be working on a new Ultra smartwatch to rival Samsung, but it remains unclear when it will arrive. Here’s everything we know so far about the next iteration of Apple’s flagship smartwatch, including predictions for price, design, battery life, features and its overall outlook.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 cheat sheet: Biggest rumors
- Release date prediction: 2025
- Price prediction: from $799 and up
- Design: Same basic design as the Ultra and Ultra 2 but possibly with a larger 2.12-inch screen
- Display: A more energy-efficient display may come in the form of microLED or LTPO
- Chip: S10 (likely to be similar to S9)
- Features: Possible sleep apnea detection; hypertension detection, satellite connectivity, blood pressure tracking
- Software: watchOS 11
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Price and release date
Apple's Glowtime launch event occurred on September 9, 2024, where we saw the debut of the Apple Watch 10 alongside a new color option and watch bands for the Ultra 2 and the forthcoming iPhone 16. For fans of Apple's higher-end smartwatches, here's how the Apple Watch 10 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 3 might compare.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated the reason we didn't see the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in 2024 was due to Apple's needing more time to develop “innovative health management features.”
Whatever the reasoning, it's highly likely we'll see the Watch Ultra 3 launch in September 2025 alongside the iPhone 17 family. The price is somewhat harder to gauge but we can make a guess based on the fact the first two generations cost $799, and it seems unlikely Apple will raise this already high price of entry by much. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra significantly undercuts Apple's Ultra models at $649.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Design
Given Apple has stuck with broadly the same design over its first ten years of smartwatch manufacturing, it would be surprising if the company was planning big changes for the look of the Watch Ultra 3.
However, there is one eyebrow-raising rumor about its appearance. According to the supply chain market research firm TrendForce, the next model will be even bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and its sizable 1.93-inch panel. The report (from December 2023 — so a long time ago) claims the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s screen will grow around 10%, clocking in at 2.12 inches.
The current model already feels large on the wrist (our wearables guru Kate Kozuch writes of the need to sometimes take it off at night for a good night’s rest), so that feels like a bold move. But it’s not clear at this point how much of that size increase can be achieved by reducing the watch’s bezels or if Apple has innovative ways to reduce the weight, so it’s best to keep an open mind for now.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Specs and features
The most recent leaks and predictions suggest the Apple Watch Ultra 3 could be a sizeable upgrade over the current generation. Despite Apple’s ongoing legal fight with Masimo over the blood oxygen monitor, rumors claim the Watch Ultra 3 could be Apple’s first wearable to contain blood pressure monitoring. This would provide an early warning of hypertension which is responsible for nearly 13% of all deaths worldwide, according to the WHO.
Rather than putting an exact figure on diastolic or systolic levels like an on-the-arm cuff, it's believed Apple's system will work more like the sleep apnea detector, merely informing the wearer that their pressure may be high. Which then raises the warning flag for the user to visit their healthcare provider.
Other rumored new features are largely around connectivity improvements Apple is likely to make. According to Gurman's sources, the Ultra 3 will apparently be the first wearable to feature satellite connectivity, allowing the dispatch of emergency messages for those off the grid and without mobile signal via the Globalstar satellite network.
There’s also predicted to be a boost in the regular connectivity, with the adoption of 5G over the 4G LTE tech in current models. However, this doesn’t appear to be for any advanced functionality, and looks to be a consequence of the ongoing move away from Intel, which provided the old modems. The new supplier will apparently be MediaTek, and the modem will be a 5G Redcap number, “aimed at internet-connected devices and wearables that typically don’t require fast data connections.”
Finally, the last big specs upgrade we've heard about stems from TrendForce predicting the Apple Watch Ultra would adopt microLED technology in its screen. That would theoretically give it the ability to be both brighter and thinner than OLED, which could be quite a big upgrade. However, this particular rumor seems a little more sketchy given another report suggested that we may have to wait until 2026 for a microLED Apple Watch screen.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Outlook
For now, it sounds like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 upgrade will be a decent upgrade over the Apple Watch 2 with notable improvements to health features and connectivity — even if the design doesn't improve too much.
Apple Watch upgrades tend to be incremental from year to year, and there wasn’t much to write home about in last year’s Ultra upgrade. So while Apple Watch Ultra 2 owners may not feel the need to upgrade, there could be enough here to tempt Apple Watch Ultra or regular Apple Watch Series 9 or 10 wearers to make the jump.
As for when we'll see it? There's been no hard leaks yet but our best guess is alongside the next iteration of the iPhone at a launch event in Cupertino in September 2025.
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