Still king a year on?

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Introduction

Apple’s Ultra line has never been for everyone, and the Ultra 3 doesn’t try to change that, but if you’re someone who actually leaves the house and loves adventure, it could be the one for you.

Now in its third iteration, the Ultra 3 sits above the Series 11 and the Watch SE 3 as the priciest and most rugged watch in Apple’s current line-up. It’s aimed at hikers, open-water swimmers, ultrarunners and anyone who wants an Apple smartwatch that can survive a few days away from a charger, all without looking out of place in a boardroom when at work. 

Its case size and titanium build are largely unchanged from the Ultra 2, but this year’s model adds a larger display with wider viewing angles, satellite-based SOS calling, 5G, and a longer-lasting battery with faster charging. I’ve worn the Ultra 3 as my main watch for months to see whether Apple’s most expensive watch earns its keep.

Design and Screen

• Same 49mm titanium case and single size as the Ultra 2
• Thinner bezels provide a larger display
• Chunkier and heavier than the Series 11, yet still comfortable

There’s no mistaking the Ultra 3 for anything other than an Apple Watch Ultra. The 49mm titanium case is unchanged in size compared with its predecessors, and there remains just one option, so if you thought the Ultra or Ultra 2 were too big, your opinion will remain the same for this model. Colour options are the same too, with either Natural or Black, the latter introduced with the Watch Ultra 2 in 2024.

It’s a big watch, and next to the Series 11, the difference in bulk is noticeable the moment you strap it on. At roughly 62g, it’s around double the weight of the smallest Series 11.

That said, I didn’t find it uncomfortable to wear day or night, including during sleep tracking, and the extra heft on my wrist stopped registering after the first week, despite my reasonably small wrists. As with the other Apple Watch Ultra models, the Ultra 3 has thicker ridges on the Digital Crown and a raised guard around it and the side button, making it easier to operate than the Watch Series 11 with cold or wet hands, or when wearing gloves.

Apple has trimmed the bezels around the screen on this model, however, freeing up more usable space without increasing the footprint of the case. Overall, it’s an excellent watch screen (especially now it’s bigger), easy to read in direct sunlight and visible from wider angles than previously, too. The sapphire crystal covering it is also claimed to be Apple’s most durable yet, and after months of gym sessions, dog walks and general knocks, mine still looks brand new.

Performance and Software

• Runs on the same S10 chip as the Series 11
• watchOS 26 brings Liquid Glass, Double Tap and Wrist Flick
• Action button gives quick access to whatever you choose

Apple has equipped the Ultra 3 with the same S10 chip that powers the Series 11, so if raw speed is what you’re after, the upgrade over the standard model doesn’t lie in the processor. That said, everything about using the Ultra 3 day-to-day feels snappy: apps open quickly, watch faces swap instantly, and Siri requests handled on the watch itself are responsive.

Software-wise, it’s currently running watchOS 26, bringing the layered, translucent Liquid Glass look to menus and widgets, along with the Double Tap and Wrist Flick gestures that let you dismiss calls and notifications with one hand.

Both are just as useful here as on the Series 11, arguably more so if your hands are full on a trail or mid-set at the gym. It will also be compatible with watchOS 27 when it arrives later this year, adding features like Siri AI, along with a couple of extras, such as a single-tap gesture for scrolling through the Smart Stack one-handed and a dynamic app grid that pulls up your most-used apps when you press the Digital Crown.

Like the Ultra 2, the Ultra 3 also has an extra hardware button. Alongside the Digital Crown and the usual side button (a single press for Control Centre, a double press for Apple Wallet), there’s the orange Action Button on the opposite edge, which can be set to trigger a workout, a shortcut, or a compass waypoint with a single press. Press and hold it to sound the built-in siren, access your medical ID, or start an emergency call – all of which could come in very handy.

Tracking and Features

• Reliable heart rate and GPS accuracy
• Sleep Score but no readiness score
• Satellite SOS

Fitness tracking is where the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is designed to shine, and it largely delivers. Across gym sessions, I compared its heart rate readings with a chest strap and found they matched almost exactly, including the same peak during hard intervals. I also had marathon runner, Kieran Alger, test the Ultra 3 for a full 26.2-mile race, and while the GPS wasn’t pinpoint-accurate to the official course, the logged mileage was close enough not to throw off their pacing or splits.

Sleep Score is on board here too, as with other Apple Watch models, breaking a night down into duration, consistency and disturbances for a mark out of 100, but I found it just as generous as on the Series 11 (even if that’s necessarily a bad thing).

My scores regularly sat in the mid-90s on the Ultra 3, noticeably higher than on the same nights measured by my Oura Ring and EightSleep system, both of which put me closer to the high 80s or low 90s. I’d still like to see Apple pair this with some kind of daily readiness and stress score, both of which rivals already build in, but for now, that’s not something offered here.

What the Series 11 can’t match is the Ultra 3’s connectivity when things go wrong (hopefully they won’t, but you can never be too sure). Alongside 5G, which allows this smartwatch to operate untethered from an iPhone if you’ve got a data plan, there’s Emergency SOS via satellite, letting you reach help even with no cellular coverage. 

I tried the built-in demo mode rather than a live emergency, but it’s reassuring to know the option is there. It also sits alongside a 100m water rating and a 40m depth certification for recreational diving. Hypertension notifications, which analyse your heart rate patterns over a rolling 30 days for signs of chronic high blood pressure, are here too, though that feature isn’t exclusive to the Ultra 3 and is also available on the Ultra 2 and Series 9 through 11.

Battery Life

• Up to 42 hours per charge, or 72 hours in Low Power Mode
• Comfortably better than Series 11
• Fast charging tops up 80% in around 45 minutes

That brings us to battery life, which is one of the biggest reasons to pay the premium for the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apple rates it for up to 42 hours of everyday use, with up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.

That aligns with what I saw on days when I did at least one GPS-tracked workout: I was topping up roughly every other day rather than nightly. A one-hour run used around 8% of the battery, while marathon tester Kieran used 18% his 2 hour 54 minute marathon.

It’s still not the multi-day stamina you’ll get from a dedicated Garmin or Coros watch, but it’s better than the Series 11, and the charging speed helps take the sting out of it, too. A 45-minute top-up gets you to 80 per cent, while a 15-minute charge is enough for about half a day’s use if you’re in a hurry to get out of the door.

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