2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch. The Cupertino company’s first smartwatch was unveiled in September 2014 and went on sale in April 2015.
The Apple Watch 10 was announced during the Apple September event, which officially took place on September 9, and Apple said it'll feature the largest display and thinnest design to date. But what about the Apple Watch Ultra 3?
Sadly, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 was absent from Monday's big event, with Apple instead announcing a new color option (satin black) and bands for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. You can catch up on all the new announcements about Apple's latest smartwatch line-up on our Glowtime event live blog. Given all the rumored new features and design upgrades for the Ultra 2's successor, Apple definitely seems to have something in the works, but when it'll hit store shelves is anyone's guess.
Updated September 9
• Apple may have just leaked an image of the new Apple Watch.
• Apple's launch event on September 9th held no new announcements for the Apple Watch Ultra 3
• The new Apple Watches may get significantly more energy-efficient LTPO OLED displays.
• The Ultra 3 will likely sport the same design as its predecessors.
• Apple's next-gen watches may feature sleep apnea and hypertension detection.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 remains one of the best smartwatches available in 2024, but with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra earlier this summer, it's no longer the only full-featured, tough-built flagship wearable out there. The Galaxy Watch also boasts impressive features not found on the Apple Watch, including AI-backed sleep analysis and FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection.
Apple seems to be working on a new Ultra smartwatch to rival Samsung, but it remains unclear when it will arrive. Here’s everything we know so far about the next iteration of Apple’s flagship smartwatch, including predictions for price, design, battery life, features and its overall outlook.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 cheat sheet: Biggest rumors
- Release date prediction: 2025
- Price prediction: from $799 and up
- Design: Same basic design as the Ultra and Ultra 2 but possibly with a larger 2.12-inch screen
- Display: A more energy-efficient display may come in the form of microLED or LTPO
- Chip: S10 (likely to be similar to S9)
- Features: Possible sleep apnea detection; hypertension detection
- Software: watchOS 11
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Price and release date
Apple's Glowtime launch event occurred on September 9, 2024, where we saw the debut of the Apple Watch 10 alongside a new color option and watch bands for the Ultra 2 and the forthcoming iPhone 16. For fans of Apple's higher-end smartwatches, here's how the Apple Watch 10 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 3 might compare.
Earlier this year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that we shouldn’t expect the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in 2024 due to Apple's lack of activity; he suggested that the company might need more time to develop “innovative health management features.” Later Kuo changed his mind and suggested an updated wearable could release in 2024, but that didn't come to pass.
With limited design intel to go on, the price is somewhat harder to gauge. That said, the first two generations cost $799, and it seems unlikely Apple will raise this already high price of entry by much unless there are some significant unknown upgrades still under wraps. By comparison, the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is $649.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Design
Given that Apple has stuck with broadly the same design over its first ten years of smartwatch manufacturing, it would be surprising if the company was planning big changes for the Watch Ultra 3.
However, there is one eyebrow-raising rumor about its appearance. According to the supply chain market research firm TrendForce, the next model will be even bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and its sizable 1.93-inch panel. The report from December 2023 claims that the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s screen will grow around 10%, clocking in at 2.12 inches.
Given the current model already feels large on the wrist (our wearables guru Kate Kozuch writes of the need to sometimes take it off at night for a good night’s rest), that feels like a bold move. But it’s not clear at this point how much of that size increase can be achieved by reducing the watch’s bezels or if Apple has innovative ways to reduce the weight, so it’s best to keep an open mind for now.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Specs and features
Bad news: unless Apple has been extremely effective at blocking leaks, it doesn’t sound like the Watch Ultra 3 is going to offer any big, exciting new features. Indeed, the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has cautioned fans to expect “almost no” hardware upgrades in the upcoming wearable.
Part of this might be related to Apple’s ongoing legal fight with Masimo over the blood oxygen monitor. Unless Apple finds a workaround or reaches an agreement with Masimo, the rumored sleep apnea and hypertension detection may fail to make any Apple Watch this year — Ultra or otherwise.
However, one big upgrade may still be coming. Last year, TrendForce predicted that the Apple Watch Ultra would adopt microLED technology in its screen. That can be both brighter and thinner than OLED, which could be quite a big upgrade.
But when it'll materialize is anyone's guess. The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that it had been canceled “for the foreseeable future” due to disappointing performance from the planned supplier. More recently, a couple of reports suggest Apple may already have an alternative lined up.
Given another report suggested that we may have to wait until 2026 for a microLED Apple Watch screen, consider this one a slim possibility for the time being.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Outlook
For now, it sounds like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 upgrade, whenever it does materialize, will be a lowkey one. That’s not altogether surprising: Apple Watch upgrades tend to be incremental from year to year, and there wasn’t much to write home about in last year’s Ultra upgrade. Since the Apple Watch Ultra 3 was absent from Apple's big September launch event, it's possible we could see it announced sometime next fall.
