The Apple Watch Ultra 3 has the most features of any Apple smartwatch, but you may not need to buy it if you want two of its best features.
This past April marked the 10-year anniversary of the Apple Watch. Those early aluminum, stainless steel, and—yes—18k gold models launched without a clear idea of what they were for. Apple wanted its smartwatch to be a fashionable timepiece, a fitness tracker, a cellphone, a music player, a turn-by-turn navigator, and more. It seemed obvious that the Apple Watch could eventually replace the iPhone. A decade later, that is not only not the case, it’s looking like it may never be, though the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is ever closer (but still a far way off) from that dream.
Starting at $800, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is not cheap. That’s the same price as an iPhone 17—a whole damn computer with great cameras, not an accessory for your phone. The first Apple Watch Ultra targeted adventurers and outdoorsy types like divers, justifying the price and large size as fitting for these groups of people who want a bigger screen, longer battery life, more precise GPS, and a customizable Action button.
Fast forward three years, and I see people donning Apple Watch Ultras on their wrists even if they’re not going mountain climbing or scuba diving. My sister gifted her husband an Apple Watch Ultra because he’s got a big wrist. I have several friends with dainty wrists, and yet they don’t seem to care that the Apple Watch Ultra looks massive because the screen is large and the battery lasts for 2 to 3 days on a single charge. The Apple Watch Ultra is no longer just for enthusiasts; Ultra just means you get the most features in Apple’s smartwatch lineup.
That pretty much sums up the Apple Watch Ultra 3. It’s still the same design as the first and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, except now it has some more stuff. Do you need all the new features? Read my helpful little guide here. Otherwise, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is just a better version.Same Ultra design, now 3D-printed
I am not an Apple Watch Ultra user. I understand its appeal and, hell, I even like some chonky watches like G-Shocks, but I find the Apple Watch Ultra just too bulky; the case is too thick and the screen is too big. More power to you if these are things you want. The 49mm titanium case—in natural or black—is rugged, and the display is big by design. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is better at surviving unpredictable outdoor weather and conditions compared to non-Ultra models, but anybody who simply wants the durability or easier-to-see display could appreciate it. Who am I to tell you that a smartwatch is too big if you want it? For the same reasons some people prefer the tank-like iPhone 17 Pro Max over the super slim iPhone Air and its tradeoffs, I’m more a regular Apple Watch “Series” guy than Ultra.
Invisible to the naked eye is how the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is produced. This time, instead of being CNC’d out of a block of aluminum, Apple is 3D-printing the cases using 100% recycled titanium, which not only wastes less of the metal, but is more environmentally friendly since it doesn’t require new mining. I’m not out here bashing my Apple Watch Ultra 3 review unit against rocks, so I can’t confirm the rigidity of the 3D-printed case, but I did have some startling contact with my kitchen cabinet doors and a pile of 40-pound cat litter boxes, where I thought I might have scuffed or chipped the black case. But nope, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 suffered no damage. Not even a scrape.
On the whole, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is virtually the same smartwatch as the Ultra 2. The screen is so minimally bigger because Apple thinned the black bezel around it that it’s not even measurable with a ruler. Nor does Apple even have an official display size spec for it. All of that’s to say you won’t be seeing more content on the sapphire crystal display. The screen is also equally as bright as the Ultra 2. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 display uses a more advanced LTPO 3 display technology versus LTPO 2, but that’s really more for power efficiency than making the screen any more visible.
There’s a new “Waypoint” watch face with a compass that I like the look of, even though I don’t need to know which direction I’m facing riding on the subway from Queens to Manhattan or Brooklyn. The watch face is also not exclusive to the Ultra 3; Ultra and Ultra 2 owners can get it with the watchOS 26 update.
Inside is a new S10 chip, but nobody is begging for more performance in the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
