2024 didn’t deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 fans had been hoping for, but the latest leaks and rumors all point to a nailed-on release in 2025. Apple is expected to bring the third iteration of its rugged adventure watch to the masses in September alongside the iPhone 17 later this year.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is definitely the best smartwatch going right now, thanks to its rugged titanium shell, excellent battery life, display, and more. So what does 2025 hold for the Apple Watch Ultra 3? Can we expect an exciting new design? What about new safety features or other improvements?
2025 is shaping up to be a big year for the Apple Watch, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 should be joined by the launch of the new Apple Watch SE 3 and the Apple Watch Series 11. Throw watchOS 12 into the mix and we’ve got ourselves a blockbuster. Here’s everything we know about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 so far.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A new Apple Watch Ultra
- When is it out? Most likely announced September 2025
- How much will it cost? Probably at least $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
Apple Watch Ultra 3: rumored release date and price
Apple always releases its new watch models in September at its iPhone event. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 didn’t materialize in 2024, so we’d expect it in 2025 instead. That’s also the opinion of the inimitable Apple Insider Mark Gurman. Reporting in January, he revealed that Apple’s 2025 slate of products includes a new Apple Watch Ultra 3, Series 11, and SE 3 coming in September.
In terms of pricing, there’s no indication that Apple will depart from its current pricing structure of one Apple Watch Ultra model in the region of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399. Apple usually keeps the pricing fairly similar, and for reasons we’ll come to it seems unlikely the price will increase.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: leaks, rumors
Rumors abounded in 2024 that Apple was planning to adopt a microLED display for the Apple Watch Ultra, however, the latest reports indicate this has been shelved indefinitely. Writing in March, Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that microLED wouldn’t add significant value to the Apple Watch.
One of the biggest rumored upgrades is the inclusion of satellite connectivity and Reduced Capability 5G which could drastically improve the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s communication features. The satellite connectivity is likely a safety feature for emergency services communication, although it may also be for sending messages over satellite waves like the iPhone 16 lineup. 5G would seriously boost the Ultra’s data capability when it comes to navigation and streaming, as well as communication and voice call improvements.
Those are all under-the-hood changes, however, top insider Mark Gurman warns that Apple is not planning any kind of redesign. He says the Apple Watch SE 3 is the only model we should expect to get a new look, while the Ultra 3 and Series 11 will stay roughly the same.
Perhaps the biggest rumored change to the Ultra 3 could be the advent of new high blood pressure detection. According to reports, Apple is planning a new health monitoring feature for blood pressure. While it won't be able to give specific blood pressure readouts, it may well be able to detect hypertension, similar to the workings of its sleep apnea detection feature. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports we can expect this feature in the Ultra 3 and the Series 11.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: what we want to see
All the signs are that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 isn't going to be a huge jump forward in tech from the Apple Watch Ultra 2 – but we still have a few ideas about how Apple could improve its most capable smartwatch.
1. A cheaper price
Lower prices are always welcome, and while we do understand the premium materials used on the Apple Watch Ultra don't come cheap, surely Apple can find some compromises to offer a cheaper version of the Ultra? There's a not-insignificant $400 / £400 / AU$750 difference between the starting prices of the Apple Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and an additional smartwatch model could bridge that gap nicely.
2. More design options
Right now the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is available with just one casing choice: standard silver titanium. The three straps (each available in three colors) give you some customization options, but we'd like to see more options when it comes to both the casing around the display and the straps you can get with it. If there's not much changing with the watch specs or design, then Apple can at least give users some more personalization options. Maybe an all-black option?
3. More exclusive features
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a number of exclusive features to differentiate it from the Apple Watch 9, including an Action button and a siren button you can use to call for help. We'd like to see even more of these upgrades added to make the hefty price jump from the standard model worth it – perhaps in the form of exclusive apps for more advanced outdoor activity tracking, or a more advanced set of sensors for deeper health insights.
4. An improved Siri
We've heard plenty about the Apple Intelligence upgrades that are coming to Siri on iPhones, iPads and Macs later this year, but as yet there's nothing for the Apple Watch or watchOS 11. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 could be the perfect showcase for a smarter Siri that gives better answers and can provide more information – a key upgrade for a device where voice control is often preferable to tapping at the screen with your fingers and thumbs.
5. Better battery life
The up-to-36-hours battery life on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 isn't too bad at all, but it there wasn't any upgrade in this department over the original Apple Watch Ultra, and it still falls short if you want to take the wearable away for a few days in the mountains or into the middle of nowhere. A combination of a bigger battery capacity, a more efficiency chipset, and some software optimizations should be possible to extend battery life even further.
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