Today marks ten years to the day since Apple unveiled the first ever Apple Watch. And — wouldn't you know it — there just so happens to be another Apple event taking place today at Apple Park. And while the iPhone 16 series is almost certain to be the star of the show, the most premium Apple Watch could sit this one out.
Widespread speculation Apple would unveil the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at today's "Glowtime" event seems has been shut down by Bloomberg's resident Apple tipster, Mark Gurman. According to Gurman, Apple won't unveil the Watch Ultra 3 at today's event but will introduce a black titanium colorway for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 instead.
If true, that would leave more room for the almost-certain Apple Watch 10 (or Apple Watch X) as well as the rumored Apple Watch SE 3 to fill out the wearables news from today.
I don’t expect Apple to announce an Apple Watch Ultra 3 tomorrow. Instead, I expect the Ultra 2 sticks around and — finally — gains a black color option. I also wouldn’t rule out a delay to the new Watch SE.September 9, 2024
Other sources have been inconsistent on Apple's plans for the Ultra 3. Earlier this year, supply chains analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed we shouldn’t expect the Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year because Cupertino was working to develop “innovative health management features” and needed more time. However, since then, Kuo has changed tune and suggested the Apple Wath Ultra 3 would likely be released in 2024 in September.
Amazon seems to be thinking a new Apple Watch Ultra is on the way because the retailer has currently got a strong discount on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, possibly in a bid to shift stock. Right now, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is down to $689 at Amazon.
New features take time
The biggest reason for a possible delay to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the reported new health features. These are believed to be sleep apnea detection, blood glucose monitoring, and blood pressure readings. The last two in particular may have hit the skids due to Apple’s legal fight with Masimo over the blood oxygen monitor.
Being able to detect sleep apnea (a common but serious sleep disorder characterized by breathing interruptions during sleep) could be a really useful health feature for the Ultra 3. And it's believed to work in tandem with an upgraded ECG sensor capable of picking up more accurate results. But it obviously takes time to develop.
So if Gurman is correct, Apple may have decided to focus on the Series 10 this year and hold the Apple Watch Ultra 3 for another 12 months. This would give the company more time to produce a larger and more detailed upgrade than we saw from the initial Apple Watch Ultra to the Ultra 2.
Meanwhile, the introduction of a black titanium finish would be the first new color option we've seen for the Ultra variant. While the standard Apple Watch comes in a variety of sizes and colors, the Ultra and Ultra 2 have stuck resolutely to a 49mm case size and titanium color.
At least there's not long to wait to find out. Apple's Glowtime event is set to kick off at gets underway at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET / 6 pm BST and you can follow all the announcements on our live blog here.
