6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements.

apple watch ultra snow
While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way.

By the time the Ultra 3 is announced in September, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived, leaving plenty of room for enhancements, especially for users coming from a first-generation Apple Watch Ultra. Here are all of the major new features we're likely to see in the Apple Watch Ultra 3:

Hypertension Detection

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that blood pressure monitoring should be the next major health feature for the Apple Watch, coming first to the Ultra 3.

apple watch series 7 ecg
The rumored feature would not provide exact systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements, instead tracking whether a user's blood pressure is trending upwards and sending an alert if hypertension is detected. After receiving an alert, the Apple Watch user could provide the information to a medical professional for additional testing.

Hypertension is known as a silent killer because it can go undetected and undiagnosed, leading to heart damage and death. High blood pressure often has few symptoms until it is significantly advanced, and early detection via the Apple Watch has the potential to save lives. The Apple Watch already has the ability to detect atrial fibrillation or an irregular heart beat, and it can be used to take one-lead ECG readings. There is also a blood oxygen monitoring feature, but it is disabled in current models in the United States due to patent issues.

The company has apparently been working on the capability for the last several years, and based on rumors, Apple originally wanted to debut it in 2024.

Brighter Display With Faster Refresh Rate

One of the consequences of Apple choosing to not update the Apple Watch Ultra in 2024 was the Apple Watch Series 10 surpassing it in terms of display technology. It seems highly likely Apple will at least bring parity to the Ultra this year.

apple watch series 10 display
The Apple Watch Series 10 gained an LTPO3 OLED always-on Retina display, while the current Ultra features LTPO2 technology. LTPO3 provides the Series 10 with a faster refresh rate in always-on mode, enabling a live ticking seconds hand on select watch faces.

Similarly, the Apple Watch Series 10 has a wide-angle OLED, allowing it to be up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. It seems inevitable that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will get both of these display enhancements.

New Chip

Following two years without a refresh, it seems highly likely that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will feature a new chip.

s9 chip apple watch
The current Apple Watch Ultra features the S9 chip, but with the 2024's Apple Watch Series 10, Apple introduced the S10 chip. While the S10 is not more powerful than the S9, it is more compact.

A newer chip would free up some internal space inside the Ultra for other components such as a larger battery. If Apple opts for an S11, it could be more powerful or feature new built-in capabilities.

Satellite Connectivity

Last year, Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will gain satellite connectivity—a feature currently exclusive to the iPhone.

Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone YT
The feature would allow Apple Watch Ultra users to be able to connect to a satellite network to send texts when cellular networks and Wi-Fi are unavailable. When satellite connectivity first launched for the ‌iPhone‌, it was limited to emergency text messages, but in iOS 18, Apple expanded it to allow users to send texts to anyone.

Satellite connectivity would help Apple to better compete with companies like Garmin that offer dedicated satellite hardware for use in off-grid emergencies. The Apple Watch Ultra is aimed at hikers, scuba divers, and adventurers, and satellite connectivity for the device would add another layer of safety for activities that are not near cellular towers. Apple is apparently hoping that this feature will be a key feature motivating people to upgrade to a new Apple Watch Ultra.

Currently, Apple still does not charge for satellite connectivity, and there is no word yet on what the company might charge. All iPhones come with two years of connectivity for free, and that will also likely be the case for the Apple Watch Ultra.

5G Connectivity

According to Gurman and The Information's Wayne Ma, Apple plans to eliminate the Qualcomm modem used in the Apple Watch Ultra with the third version of the device. Rather than using the C1 modem or another custom Apple chip, Apple plans to switch from using Qualcomm units to MediaTek ones. MediaTek is one of the few companies capable of designing 5G modems.

MediaTek's modem chip adds support for 5G RedCap, a 5G service that's designed for connected devices and wearables that do not need standard 5G speeds. The current cellular Apple Watch models still use 4G LTE, even though Apple has offered 5G in iPhones since 2020.

Redesigned Back and Faster Charging

The Apple Watch Series 10 introduced a completely reengineered metal back with a larger charging coil and an integrated antenna.

apple watch series 10 back sensorApple Watch Series 10's redesigned back.

The Apple Watch Ultra currently features a ceramic and sapphire crystal rear, rather than metal. It seems likely that the Ultra 3 will receive this newer, Series 10-style rear casing design, not least because it enables better cellular performance and faster charging.

The new metal back enabled the Series 10 to charge to 80% in just 30 minutes–15 minutes faster than the Series 9. With the older back design, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 takes 60 minutes to charge to 80%.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 2
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
18 weeks ago
Can’t wait for hypertension, but, gotta bring back SpO2 or no buy from me
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
titanium69 Avatar
18 weeks ago
Yes! Faster Refresh rate... I can finally start playing shooter games on the watch.

Useless & gimmicky..... as usual

Increase the god damn battery life... right now it`s on par to the memory of goldfish with alzheimers
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thefrost Avatar
18 weeks ago
How about increasing battery life?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Howard2k Avatar
18 weeks ago

The grotesque AWU needs to become lighter, slimmer, and smaller.
Just buy the lighter, slimmer, and smaller AW that already exists maybe?

"The Mac Mini needs to be more like a laptop" :D
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lwii2boo Avatar
18 weeks ago
Ultra 2 charges with same speed range as S10. It takes around 2x more time to full charge Ultra 2 because battery capacity is around .. 2x.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maszaikasza Avatar
18 weeks ago

I hope they drop the orange button.
I hope they add another button so I can finally stop struggling with gestures when my hands are sweaty or when I’m wearing gloves. It’s a sports watch, for God’s sake.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)