2025 has been a significantly bigger year for Apple Watch fans than 2024. Maybe it was due to managing expectations better – after all, everyone expected the Apple Watch Series 10 to be a much bigger milestone than it actually was – but it certainly feels a lot more exciting this year to test Apple’s wearables.
Four new wearables (three Watches and the new AirPods Pro 3) might have something to do with my excitement levels. Chiefly among these is the updated Apple Watch Ultra 3, the brand’s flagship smartwatch, which only saw a minor update last year.
Improvements this year include a larger display, thinner borders, longer battery life, satellite communication, hypertension notifications and 5G connectivity, as well as various WatchOS 26 updates, such as Workout Buddy, Sleep Score, and more. Are these good enough to warrant an upgrade, though?
Before getting into all the new stuff, it’s worth mentioning what hasn’t changed from the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The case size and materials are the same: it still measures 49 mm × 44 mm × 12 mm and is made of titanium with a sapphire crystal front. The Ultra 3 remains water resistant to 100 metres (WR100) and is generally rugged for outdoor use.
The heart rate sensor, SpO₂, ECG, sleep tracking, and atrial fibrillation detection are all still present, and the general Apple Watch experience remains the same. We’ve also seen the dual-band GPS (L1 + L5 or multiple bands) before, as well as all the health, fitness and wellness features Apple Watches are renowned for.
When pixels meet patience
Of the new bits, it’s best I start with the display. Apple says it’s the largest they’ve ever made, and the “most advanced technology with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3.” I still have the Ultra 2 with me, and the difference between the two panels is quite striking, despite the same brightness levels (3,000 nits).
Pictures don't really serve the panel justice (left: Ultra 2, right: Ultra 3)
As with previous mainline Apple Watches, the company focuses on low-angle readability of the Ultra 3, but it’s not that important for everyday use. It’s not like we’ll squint at the smartwatch while it’s rotated away, right? Unless you want to sneak a peek at the time during a boring meeting (we’ve all been there), but that’s not a typical mass use case scenario.
The contrast looks better, and the same luminosity also feels more intense; plus, the colours pop more on the Apple Watch Ultra 3. The company claims that the power efficiency of LTPO3 enables a faster refresh rate in Always-On mode without affecting battery life, which I’ll discuss below.
Signals in the silence
Physically, that’s all the changes worth mentioning. The rest of the updates are either under the hood or software-related. I’ll start with satellite messaging, a hot topic in wearable circles these days (see also: Google’s Pixel Watch 4 and Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro).
Essentially, the watch features built-in, two-way satellite communications, allowing it to send and receive certain types of messages, share your location, and contact emergency services even when you're off the grid (i.e., without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage).
There are three different features bundled under this category: Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite (non-emergency texting) and location sharing via satellite. The former is included with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 (i.e. you don’t need an active carrier plan for that).
As for the other two, you do need an active carrier plan associated with the watch. All of the satellite communication features (emergency, messaging, location) are offered free for two years after activating the watch.
It’s not easy to test any of these features on-grid, but the Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers a demo version of the feature, allowing you to connect to Globalstar satellites. The company operates the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation that Apple uses for its satellite-related functions (they also have a 20% ownership stake in Globalstar, but that’s not relevant).
The quiet threat
The Ultra 3 now also features 5G connectivity via a new modem and antenna system, which is said to deliver faster cellular performance, improved coverage, and enhanced power efficiency. For this, you need an eSIM and a plan, but it allows you to use the watch without an iPhone in sight for messages and even calls.
Moving on to WatchOS 26, one of the headline new features is hypertension notifications. Just like sleep apnea, which was all the rage a year or two ago, hypertension – also known as chronic high blood pressure – supposedly affects 1.4 billion adults worldwide, and Apple is evidently keen on drawing more attention to this “silent condition.”
The only issue is that I don’t have hypertension. I have a Garmin Index BPM that I used to calibrate the Whoop MG when I tested it, and it confirmed that my blood pressure is normal (phew). Of course, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 doesn’t have an inflatable cuff; instead, it uses the optical heart sensor to track data over 30-day periods.
An algorithm then analyses changes in pulse wave patterns to look for signs of high blood pressure. If patterns suggest hypertension, the watch sends a notification, prompting the user to confirm with a traditional cuff-based blood pressure reading and share results with a doctor.
Long story short, you won’t see any sign of hypertension notifications ever unless you have hypertension. This somewhat reactive approach focuses on detection rather than prevention, although the wearable itself offers many suggestions for staying healthy in general.
Dreams, scored and tallied
Sleep Score is another BIG feature of WatchOS 26. Practically all other wearables have offered this feature for years – I wonder why it took Apple so long to launch it. The Ultra 3 gives you a score between zero and 100 after each night’s slumber, based on three factors: duration (1-50), bedtime (1-30) and interruptions (1-20).
It’s far from being the advanced sleep tracking technology that others, like Huawei (see also: Huawei Watch 5 review), use, but it’s a first step in the right direction for Apple. Gamification makes it more enjoyable to track and improve one's health, providing easy-to-understand ways for people to monitor their sleep, stress, and activity levels.
Apple already has a ton of gamification features in other areas (e.g. Rings), so it’s really strange that the company hasn’t provided a Sleep Score until now. Others, such as Samsung, even offer sleep archetype analysis (i.e. Samsung Sleep Animals), while Oura tracks circadian rhythms (read my Oura Ring 4 review for more info on this). Anyhow, I hope to see more advanced sleep tracking capabilities in the future WatchOS iterations.
Voices in your ear
Another WatchOS 26 improvement is Workout Buddy. It’s a new coaching feature powered by Apple Intelligence that gives you real-time motivation during exercise. It analyses your fitness history and current workout data, then delivers timely voice prompts, including pep talks at the start, encouragement during tough stretches, and a summary when you finish.
Workout Buddy reminds me of Spotify DJ with its bubbly approach and encouragement. I’ve never required this workout class-like attitude in either of the sports I pursue, and I don’t like it here, either. That is my option, though, and I appreciate some people might find it motivating that an AI coach cheers them on as they run.
That said, Workout Buddy works in the sense that it does what it claims to do: provide pep talks, real-time feedback, etc. If you’re into that kind of thing, you’ll enjoy this feature. I should also mention that the Workout app can now provide automatic music selection via Apple Music (subscription required) for your workouts, which is a pretty cool feature.
A few more hours in the tank
Battery life just levelled up. Officially, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 can last for 42 hours on a single charge, but in my experience, it can last up to three days if you don’t abuse the GPS feature. I tracked an outdoor run and wasn’t fiddling with the watch too much, but I wore it continuously, and still, after three days, the battery was on 9-10%.
Charging is fast, too. The Apple Watch Ultra 3’s battery went from 20 to 100% in around 70 minutes – colour me impressed! Better still, 15 minutes of charge gives you around 12 hours of usage. It’s not mind-blowingly long battery life, but it’s better than it used to be. After 11 years, I think we deserve a little boost in battery life. I want to see this improve every year from now on.
So, is the Apple Watch Ultra 3 an essential upgrade? No, it isn’t. It’s brighter and has a longer battery life, and the WatchOS 26 enhancements are also handy. However, the new watch looks and feels the same as its predecessor, so if you have an Ultra 2, I wouldn’t rush to the nearest Apple Store to get an Ultra 3.
That said, we’re seeing better and better Apple Watch deals these days, so who knows: maybe there will be an offer on the Ultra 3 this Black Friday, and if that’s the case, one might want to reconsider their options.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available now at Apple US, Apple UK, Apple AU and Apple EU for the recommended retail price of $799/ £749/ AU$1,399/ €899.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.