Apple Watch Ultra 3 review: Incrementally impressive

I’ve been testing smartwatches for years, but even I’ve found the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to be both an easy device to recommend and a challenging one to review.

Apple’s most rugged wearable is already very capable, and annual upgrades risk feeling like déjà vu. Once again, the newest model adds refinements rather than revolutions, but those refinements matter. With a bigger, brighter display, improved battery life, new satellite tools, and smarter health tracking, the Ultra 3 is still the most complete smartwatch you can buy (unless you have an Android phone, of course), just don’t expect it to feel dramatically different from last year’s.

If you’re reading this wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, go ahead and look down. The Ultra 3 looks just about identical. The 49mm titanium case hasn’t changed, nor have the buttons, speakers, colorways, or band system. Powered up, though, you’ll spot slimmer bezels, squeezing out roughly 5% more display area without altering the footprint. Paired with the new LTPO3 display, that extra space makes data-rich watch faces and maps easier to read.

This panel is also brighter at wider angles, meaning less awkward wrist-twisting mid-run. Still topping out at 3,000 nits, the LTPO3 also allows higher refresh rates in always-on mode without burning extra battery, enabling one of my favorite new touches: a live ticking seconds hand in the dimmed AOD state. It’s subtle, but I’m inexplicably delighted to see time tick by even when my watch dims.

Apple also introduced a new Waypoint watch face for Ultra models (shown above). Unlike older compass-style versions, it actively plots your saved points of interest around the dial, rotates them relative to your position, and builds in quick access to satellite features like SOS and Find My. A Night Mode is also built in to make every late-night snack run feel like a caper.

Battery life also got a bump this year, with Apple officially rating the Ultra 3 for 42 hours of use, up from 36 on the Ultra 2. Throughout this review, I’ve easily stretched it to two full days, GPS workouts included. Given that the Series lineup received its first battery bump in years, it makes sense that Apple pushed the Ultra 3 further to keep it differentiated.

I’ve personally encouraged even my least adventurous loved ones to splurge on an Ultra for the extra power alone. Garmin fans will scoff at these improvements, as their Fenix watches last weeks, not days. But Garmin can’t FaceTime your mom. For iOS users, this is the longest-lasting Apple wearable yet. On LTE models, the line’s new 5G connectivity should further battery life gains, offering faster downloads and smoother standalone use.

watchOS 26 brings an updated Workout app across the lineup, which I touched on in my Series 11 review, but it feels most at home on the Ultra’s larger screen. Once you start a workout, the upper left corner leads to Workout Views (your settings and data pages), the top right houses workout goals and structured sessions, the bottom left manages music, and the lower right launches Workout Buddy. The last of these is Apple’s new AI-powered cheerleader, which has potential for future usefulness but right now amounts to an overly positive voice-over. You also have to have your paired phone nearby to utilize Workout Buddy, which makes it a lot less attractive for someone (me) who hates carrying her phone on runs.

The other familiar options still behave as before, but newly integrated music controls also include a “Picked for You” feature that spins up an Apple Music playlist based on your workout type. If, like me, you cling to the same six Spotify playlists you made three summers ago, you won’t get the auto-playlist trick, but playback controls are still tucked into workouts, meaning I can finally skip a bad track mid-run without fumbling.

watchOS 26 also revamps the Smart Stack, and it’s now smart enough to predict when you’ll need the Workout app. Walk into your gym as part of a routine, and workouts automatically float to the top. These tweaks don’t overhaul fitness on the Watch, but they streamline the process so you can spend less time swiping and more time suffering.

As for fitness tracking of outdoor workouts, accuracy remains excellent. GPS locks quickly and maps routes with impressive precision, crucial for trails or complex urban runs. Even in dense overgrowth on mountain trails like the map above, the watch keeps up with Garmin’s top GPS watches.

Heart rate performance is equally reliable. In my testing, results tracked closely with chest strap benchmarks and held steady through all types of workouts. Apple already nailed heart rate accuracy with the original and second-generation Ultras and continues to deliver here.

On the recovery side, Apple finally added a Sleep Score, distilling your night into a single number. Unlike Oura, which breaks sleep tracking data into detailed contributors to show what went wrong, Apple leans heavily on consistency and routine. That means scores may differ between platforms, but Apple’s approach is simpler and, in my experience, easier to parse first thing in the morning on the Ultra’s large display.

Perhaps more ambitiously, the Ultra 3 introduces hypertension tracking and notifications. It’s not a cuff replacement, but it does have FDA approval in the US to spot long-term blood pressure trends. Think of it less as a diagnostic tool and more as an early-warning system. It does, however, require about 30 days of data collection to build a baseline, so you can’t dip into the tool right out of the box.

The Ultra 3’s most meaningful generational upgrades arrive when you leave coverage. With built-in satellite SOS, the watch can connect you to emergency services even without a cell signal. The process is straightforward: rotate your wrist until the watch aligns with a satellite, then follow on-screen prompts to send your location and basic details. My first connection in a clearing took about 20 seconds, which feels long if you’re lost in Costco, but perfectly reasonable if you’re deep in the backcountry. Once locked, it worked reliably. Apple also claims the antenna design now doubles signal strength compared to the Ultra 2, which should make locks easier in tougher conditions like dense forests or canyons.

Apple also added satellite text messaging and Find My location sharing for anyone with a data plan, both big wins for training, hiking, or traveling in dead zones. Messaging is limited to short bursts, but it’s enough to let loved ones know you’re safe, late, or heading back. Find My lets you share your location periodically over satellite so contacts can see where you are, even if it’s not a full breadcrumb trail in real time.

Out of the box, the Ultra 3 includes two years of SOS service free, after which pricing hasn’t been announced. The addition reflects a broader trend in the smartwatch space toward satellite safety features. Google’s Pixel Watch 4 (LTE) also offers satellite SOS, but Google’s version is currently limited to emergency calls.

At first glance, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 doesn’t look much different from last year’s model, with improvements that sound modest on paper. Things get even less impressive when you consider that many software features will roll back to older models. But spend a week with the Ultra 3, and the upgraded display, new safety features, and extra battery hours add up. This is Apple. Incremental changes that combine into a surprisingly impactful upgrade.

Of course, the Ultra 3 exists in a wider context. The Apple Watch Series 11 ($389 at Amazon) remains a more approachable choice for most buyers, offering many of the same health features in a slimmer, more affordable package. The Apple Watch SE (on the product’s website) keeps things leaner and cheaper still, for those who don’t need advanced sensors or premium materials. If it’s true adventure you’re after, Garmin’s Fenix and Epix lines still deliver unmatched battery life, deep training analytics, and GPS specialization that Apple can’t quite match.

Once again, however, the Apple Watch in any guise is a no-go for Android users, so just in case you’re still reading (thanks!) let’s check out the best from the Wear OS contingent. The Pixel Watch 4 ($349.99 at Amazon) is the best smartwatch for Android phone users and offers its own version of satellite SOS. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ($649.99 at Amazon) pushes durability and fitness, especially for Samsung phone users. Other Wear OS flagships, like Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro ($349.99 at Amazon), also target battery endurance and outdoor training. But these options won’t work with an iPhone. If you want the best iOS integration available on the best watch Apple has to offer, the Ultra 3 is it.