Apple Watch Ultra 3 First Look: Incremental Upgrades and One Very Big Addition

Introduction

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the latest version of Apple’s flagship smartwatch, the bigger and more expensive alternative to the Apple Watch Series 11. The price stays the same in the US at $799, but UK buyers actually get a slightly cheaper watch this year at £749 rather than £799 for the Ultra 2. There are a handful of design tweaks plus new features arriving through both hardware and software, and after several days of real-world running with it, this is our early take on what has changed and whether it matters.

Design and Display

The titanium case returns in natural or black finishes, and the case size stays the same at 49mm. Apple now lists the thickness as 12mm, but that is simply a change in how it is measured; it is the same thickness as before. Weight also stays roughly the same at 61.8g for the black model, a couple of grams heavier than the natural titanium version.

The display is the most visible hardware change. It now measures 1.93 inches, made larger by shrinking the bezels rather than growing the case, and Apple claims it is the largest screen ever fitted to an Apple Watch. It peaks at 3,000 nits of brightness and dims all the way down to 1 nit so it will not dazzle you at night. In practice, though, the improvement is marginal next to the Ultra 2, which already had an excellent big and bright panel.

Elsewhere it is familiar territory: the three-button layout including the Action Button that sets the Ultra apart from the two-button Series watches, a digital crown, 100 meters of water resistance, dual-band GPS, and the same sensors and chips under the hood, including pulse oximetry.

Battery Life and Charging

Battery is where the Ultra 3 makes real progress. General use is now rated at 42 hours, up from 36, and full GPS workout tracking stretches to 14 hours, up from 12. A low power mode extends that to 72 hours. Fast charging has also improved: Apple says 15 minutes on the plug delivers 12 hours of use, and around 50 minutes of charging gives roughly 12 hours.

Early testing backs the claims up broadly. After two full days including two hours of GPS run tracking and medium smartwatch use, the watch sat at 24%. Each of two roughly hour-long runs burned around 8 to 9%, which is a little thirstier than the official figures and slightly more than the Ultra 2 averaged in earlier testing, though the rate should even out on longer runs. Overnight drain came in around 9%, a touch better than the 10% of the Ultra 2. Realistically, two to two and a half days including three hour-long runs off a single charge looks achievable. That is still far from dedicated running watches, but it is the best battery life you will get from an Apple Watch, and the faster top-ups help smooth the gaps.

Satellite Communications and Health Features

The headline new feature is satellite communications. When you are off grid with no phone or cellular signal, the Ultra 3 can send SOS messages, and crucially those emergency SOS messages are free on the watch with no cellular plan required. Features like Find My and messaging via satellite do need a compatible plan. That free SOS is a notable contrast with Garmin’s satellite feature on the Fenix 8 Pro, which requires a subscription. For anyone who regularly runs into areas with no network coverage, this is a genuinely valuable safety upgrade.

On the health side, the Ultra 3 gains hypertension notifications, shared with the Series 11 and a couple of older models. The existing heart rate sensor tracks patterns in blood flow that could indicate high blood pressure; it is not a blood pressure monitor. If it spots possible signs after 30 days, you are prompted to take cuff readings for seven days and see a doctor. Sleep score also arrives via watchOS 26, rating your night out of 100 based on bedtime consistency, duration, and interruptions, with commendable transparency about how the score is built. Be aware, though, that we saw different scores from two Apple Watches worn simultaneously, so treat sleep stats with a pinch of salt. watchOS 26 also brings Workout Buddy, an AI feature that reads out workout details and encouragement during exercise, plus three new watch faces, the standout being the data-rich Waypoint.

Run Tracking and Accuracy

Across four days and four runs, GPS performance has been strong, closely matching a Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and the Series 11. On a 10-mile run at six-minute-mile pace, split paces on the Apple Watches and the Garmin all came in within seconds of each other. The Ultra’s GPS looks like a small step up on the Series 11, which weaved a bit more under tree cover, even though overall distances were very similar.

Heart rate results have been mixed so far. Early steady runs against a chest strap were largely reliable, with averages only two to three beats per minute higher and identical max heart rates. Later runs saw readings run notably too high, which we suspect will settle back to the usual mostly-accurate pattern; longer testing is needed. One very welcome software fix: the long-standing issue where split pace started absurdly slow and gradually corrected has now been resolved across Apple Watches, so splits are accurate from the moment a new split begins.

Early Run Tracking Verdict

Fundamentally, the core run tracking experience is very similar to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is no bad thing. The Ultra line has always offered some of the best run tracking available on a smartwatch, and the Ultra 3 continues that. You get seven mid-run data fields compared with six on the Series 11, accurate GPS, and now genuinely solid native structured workouts. What it still lacks is the training analysis depth and the battery endurance of a dedicated sports watch.

The battery boost, however, is noticeable in daily use. It is not a dramatic jump on paper, but every glance at the watch has revealed a bit more remaining charge than expected, and it should comfortably last two days. Combined with the fact that the Ultra has held its price while sports watches have risen around it, the Ultra 3 now undercuts watches like the Garmin Fenix while adding free satellite SOS.

Buying Advice

Whether the Ultra 3 is a strong upgrade over the Ultra 2 depends on what you value. The display change is barely noticeable in day-to-day use, the battery gain is welcome but modest, and the satellite communications will be transformative for some and irrelevant for others. If satellite SOS matters to you, this is the Apple Watch to buy. If it does not, the Ultra 2 or the more compact and less expensive Series 11 remain sensible choices, particularly for smaller wrists.

For runners who want the best of what Apple offers in run tracking and smartwatch polish, this remains the watch to get. It is still the smartest fitness watch in the business for daily life, third-party apps, and build quality, even if a dedicated Garmin still wins on battery and training analysis.

Conclusion

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is an incremental improvement for the most part, with one very big positive in free satellite SOS that will be a deciding factor for some buyers. Run tracking remains excellent, battery life is better than ever on an Apple Watch, and the price has even dropped in the UK. It is a lovely piece of kit, and the most capable running watch Apple has made, even if it still will not replace a dedicated sports watch for everyone.