The yo-yoing of information surrounding Apple’s potential next generation of Apple Watch Ultra continues on. A new leak suggests that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will come out later this year.
In a report from MacRumors, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that a new Apple Watch Ultra 3 is likely to be released in 2024. A 180-degree flip from previous reports that Apple wouldn’t release a new watch at all this year.
Since 2021 Apple has been dealing with an ongoing lawsuit with Masimo that has currently led to a ban on Apple selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the United States. That ban officially started in January of this year.
Masimo sued Apple claiming that the Cupertino company infringed on a medical technology patent owned by Masimo. Specifically, Masimo claimed patent infringement on the blood oxygen sensor technology that first appeared in the Apple Watch Series 6 with its SpO2 reader.
The US International Trade Commission issued an initial ban in October of 2023. Apple appealed that decision but the US Federal Court of Appeals denied the motion to pause the ban.
Since then, Apple has pulled the Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from the shelves and used software to disable the disputed features in watches that have already been sold.
The ban doesn’t affect the Apple Watch SE (2022), which doesn’t carry the blood oxygen sensor. For it’s value, the SE is the best Apple Watch, so worth a purchase if you’re looking for a new Apple Watch. It’s also possible that an Apple Watch SE 3 would will come out this year.
Assuming that Kuo’s assessment is correct, we wouldn’t expect to see many or any big upgrades to a potential Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year. Previously, Kuo believed that the Ultra 3 wasn’t in the development schedule for Apple.
We’re assuming that Apple would be attempting to cover the tech resulting in the current ban. There are also rumors that the Ultra 3 will get a microLED screen.
It’s also been leaked that the potential Apple Watch Series X (or 10), will have blood pressure sensing and sleep apnea detection. Those features would certainly end up in an Ultra 3 as well. They are definitely upgrades that we want to see.
We are coming up on the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch. Though, depending on when you count it, that anniversary might be this year or next. If Apple is still dealing with the fallout of the US watch ban, we might see a 10th anniversary celebration and watch in 2025.
