Apple was expected to announce the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in September 9 at the company's "It's Glowtime" event alongside the iPhone 16, but that didn't happen. Instead, Apple released a black version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2. So when will we see the third-generation model, and what will the differences be? Keep reading to learn what the rumored changes are.
When Apple Watch Ultra 2 debuted in 2023, key new features included a 50% brighter display, a faster S9 chip, a "Double Tap" gesture for interacting with the watch without touching the screen, on-device Siri, and increased internal storage. Unfortunately, the next version of the device is unlikely to reach those lofty heights. Here's what the rumors say.
Display Technology
Initially, it was believed that Apple was working on an Apple Watch Ultra with a microLED display, which would provide increased brightness, better contrast, and improved battery efficiency. However, these plans appear to have been postponed indefinitely. Apple worked on microLED display technology for several years, but the project was scrapped in 2024 and there are no current plans for a microLED Apple Watch in the near future.
On the flip side, Apple is rumored to be adopting new low-energy OLED panel technology in new Apple Watch models to further reduce the power consumption of its always-on display. If that's the case, it's unlikely that Apple would use the technology in its latest Series model without also bringing it to its latest Apple Watch Ultra model.
New Features
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to include improved health tracking capabilities, and early rumors suggested that blood pressure monitoring could be one such new feature.
The blood pressure monitoring featuring would let users know if their blood pressure is trending upward, and will provide an option for users to note what they were doing when hypertension occurred. Specific blood pressure numbers will not be provided, though.
That said, the development of this feature has reportedly encountered significant challenges. The hypertension detection feature has proven to be insufficiently reliable during testing, raising concerns about its integration into the refreshed design, which may delay its release until the following year.
Apple is also working on noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology for a future version of the Apple Watch, although that is unlikely to be included in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 if it is released in 2025 as expected. The feature is still a few years away, but in early 2023, Apple reportedly hit a milestone in development, creating a proof-of-concept model that is viable, but needs to be sized down to fit into a wearable. As of early 2023, blood glucose monitoring was said to still be three to seven years away from launching.
Colors
Apple currently offers the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black and natural titanium colors, and it is likely to offer the Ultra 3 in the same colors, or at least we have not heard any rumors claiming otherwise.
watchOS 12
One thing we can be sure of is that Apple Watch Ultra 3 will run watchOS 12, the next version of the Apple Watch operating system. Apple is expected to preview the software during WWDC in June 2025, and users can expect a range of updates and improvements, with the possibility that some Apple Intelligence features will form a part of the update.
