A lot has changed since the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was launched in September 2023, most notably the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, which has positioned itself as a competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra series as one of the best smartwatches on the market, meaning there's a lot of interest in what the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will bring.
Apple's event is just a few days away on September 9, and we're about to find out if all the rumors and leaks are true. The watchOS 11 announcements at WWDC 2024 gave us a better idea of what we can expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3, but there are very few guarantees.
We've rounded up all the leaks and rumors we've heard so far about the wearable. We've also pooled our thoughts to come up with a list of features and improvements we'd like to see in the Apple Watch Ultra 3. While we gave the current model 4.5 out of 5 stars in our Apple Watch Ultra 2 review, there's still room for improvement in the new edition.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A new Apple Watch Ultra
- When does it come out? It will most likely be announced on September 9th.
- How much will it cost? Probably at least $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Rumored Release Date and Price
Apple is known for releasing its products on a fairly regular pace, so we’re expecting to see an Apple Watch Ultra 3 at the upcoming Apple Event on September 9. This follows the same pattern set by the original Apple Watch Ultra, which launched in September 2022, and the Ultra 2, which launched the following year.
Like previous models, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will launch alongside new iPhones. This year, that's the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Oh, and let's not forget the Apple Watch 10 (we might even see an Apple Watch SE 3 appear, too).
As for pricing, we haven’t heard anything specific on that front. We know the Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799/£799/AU$1,399, and Apple typically matches the price of its new devices with those it replaces, so we’d expect the Apple Watch 3 to be priced similarly, or perhaps slightly more expensive.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Leaks, Rumors, and watchOS 11
While we'd like to report that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be a revolutionary and innovative upgrade over the current model, in reality it's unlikely to be very different from the smartwatch it replaces. Sources suggest that the third-generation version will be more or less the same as the second-generation one.
This apparently applies to both the internals and the design – good news if you loved the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but not so good if you were hoping for a little change in 2024. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is powered by the same Apple S9 chip as the Apple Watch 9, compared to the Apple S8 in equivalent smartwatches released in 2022.
One of the rumored upgrades is a switch from the current OLED technology to a microLED display. This would make the new watch's display brighter and more battery-friendly, a real win-win. However, it's not certain which Apple device will be the first to feature microLED displays, which could also make their way to iPhones and iPads.
In fact, more recent reports suggest that microLED technology might not be ready in time for the upcoming September event – we may have to wait for the Apple Watch Ultra 4 to see it on an Apple smartwatch.
This is all a little disappointing, especially when there have been rumored design and form factor changes to the Apple Watch 10 (or should I say Apple Watch X?). It's possible that Apple is saving major updates to the Apple Watch Ultra for 2025 rather than significantly transforming both of its watches at the same time.
What we do know is that watchOS 11 will arrive at the same time as the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch 10, bringing with it a smarter widget stack, a new Vitals app to surface important health metrics, more customization options, and a Training Load feature to assess the impact of workouts on your body.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: What we want to see
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 might not be a huge technological leap forward from the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but we still have some ideas about how Apple could improve its most capable smartwatch yet.
1. A cheaper price
Lower prices are always welcome, and while we understand that the premium materials used in the Apple Watch Ultra don’t come cheap, surely Apple can find some compromises to offer a cheaper version of the Ultra? There’s a not inconsiderable $400 / £400 / AU$750 difference between the starting prices of the Apple Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and an additional smartwatch model could bridge that gap nicely.
2. More design options
Right now, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available with just one case option: the standard silver titanium. The three bands (each available in three colors) give you some customization options, but we'd like to see more choice when it comes to both the case surrounding the display and the bands you can get with it. If there aren't too many changes to the watch's specs or design, then Apple can at least give users more customization options. Perhaps an all-black option?
3. More exclusive features
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a number of exclusive features that set it apart from the Apple Watch 9, including an Action button and a siren button that you can use to call for help. We'd like to see even more of these improvements added to make it worth the price increase over the standard model, perhaps in the form of exclusive apps for more advanced outdoor activity tracking or a more advanced set of sensors for more detailed health insights.
4. An improved Siri
We’ve heard a lot about Apple Intelligence updates coming to Siri on iPhones, iPads, and Macs later this year, but so far there’s nothing for Apple Watch or watchOS 11. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 could be the perfect showcase for a smarter Siri that gives better answers and can provide more information — a key upgrade for a device where voice control is often preferable to tapping the screen with your fingers and thumbs.
5. Longer battery life
The Apple Watch Ultra 2's battery life of up to 36 hours isn't too shabby, but it's not improved in this regard over the original Apple Watch Ultra, and it's still insufficient if you want to take the wearable into the mountains or the middle of nowhere for a few days. A combination of a larger battery capacity, a more efficient chipset, and some software optimizations should allow for even further battery life extensions.
