All the latest news and rumours around the Watch Ultra 3, Apple’s premium rugged smartwatch that’s set to arrive next year
The Apple Watch Ultra range of smartwatches is the premium end of rugged outdoor accessories. So how can the company improve over its Apple Watch Ultra 2 that launched in September 2023?
Rumours have been doing the rounds suggesting we might see some impressive upgrades when the new model arrives. So, here’s all we know so far about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 smartwatch.When will the Apple Watch Ultra 3 be released?
Apple has yet to confirm a release date for the Ultra 3, of course, and although the previous releases for Ultra generations (see below) suggested it would arrive in September 2024 with the iPhone 16 range, Apple only announced the Watch Series 10.
Since then, Mark Gurman has said in his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg that the Apple Watch Ultra (and next generation of Apple Watch SE) will be updated in 2025.
“Some of this is because Apple’s hardware innovation has slowed down, so it makes sense to save up two years’ worth of features to make a bigger splash.” said Gurman on Apple switching to a two-year refresh cycle.
The wait goes on then, but Apple did announce a new edition of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in September that might tickle your fancy (below).
It’s called Black Titanium, has a satin finish and has a matching back strap (Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band) along with a new Titanium Milanese Loop band.
It includes the new sleep apnea detection feature (FDA clearance pending) and is available to buy now for £799/$799.
Here’s when the last two generations made their debuts:
Apple Watch Ultra – September 2022
Apple Watch Ultra 2 – September 2023
How much will the Apple Watch Ultra 3 cost?
Again, there have been no announcements regarding any potential costs of an updated Apple Watch Ultra, so we look to the models that have been released so far to give us some guidance.
Here’s how the two previous generations have been priced:
Apple Watch Ultra – $799/£849
Apple Watch Ultra 2 – $799/£799
As you can see, Apple seems to have settled on a price point for its Ultras, with the UK even getting a price cut to bring it into line with the US figure.