Everything We Know About the Apple Watch Ultra 3

A new processor, a larger display, and satellite connectivity.

Credit: Ringo Chiu/Shutterstock

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Apple's "Awe Dropping" event kicks off tomorrow, Sept. 9, and all of the tech world is focused on the iPhone 17. But new iPhones aren't the only upgrades Apple is set to unveil tomorrow. If rumors are to be believed, we'll also get a look at the company's upcoming Apple Watches, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

This device would mark the first new "Ultra" since 2023's Ultra 2. The Ultras are Apple's "pro" watch line, focused on durability and lengthy battery life. They tend to be pricier than other Apple Watches, but they also come with unique features, including Apple's largest and brightest watch display. Based on what we know, the Ultra 3 won't be a reinvention, but it should offer some interesting upgrades that might entice customers (provided they are OK with spending $800 on an Apple Watch).

Here's what the rumors suggest we'll see tomorrow.

An upgraded processor

Apple frequently introduces a new processor, or chip, with new Apple Watches. The Ultra 2 uses the S9, while the Series 10 uses the S10. As such, the rumor mill has been back and forth on whether the Ultra 3 will adopt the Series 10's S10 chip, or ship with a brand new one.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, signs point to the latter. Gurman believes Apple's newest Ultra watch will introduce the S11 chip. Not only that, but it seems possible Apple's other new smartwatches, the Series 11 and the new SE, will also feature the S11.

That doesn't mean these watches will wildly outperform the company's previous chips. MacRumors analyzed the S11's leaked architecture, and found the S9 and S10 chips have the same underlying tech as the new S11. That's still a high-performing chip: The S9, S10, and, presumably, S11, are all 64-bit dual-core processors with a quad-core Neural Engine, with second-gen Ultra Wideband and 64GB of internal storage. However, this does suggest that speed upgrades might not be the reason to pick up any of Apple's newest watches this year. We'll have to see what the company announces tomorrow.

A bigger, better display

The Ultra series has the largest display you can get on an Apple Watch, and according to rumors, the Ultra 3 could have an even larger screen. MacRumors says the new watch could bump up the display resolution from 410 x 502 to 422 x 514. That wouldn't be a dramatic increase, but it would make it the largest watch screen Apple has ever made.

The Ultra 3 will likely also borrow from the Series 10's display technology: The latter's LPTO3 OLED display allows the watch to refresh its display faster than the Ultra 2, which would enable Always-On watch faces with a moving second hand. The Series 10 also comes with a wide-angle OLED display, which increases the brightness of the display when viewed at an angle. The Ultra 3 could follow suit.

Satellite connectivity

Ever since the Series 3, Apple has offered customers the option to buy a watch that supports cellular connectivity, but the Ultra 3 could be Apple's first smartwatch to support satellite connectivity. What this means is, whenever your watch is out of range of a cellular signal, it would be able to connect to a satellite instead. This type of connection is usually much slower than a traditional cellular connection, but it does work, and would allow you to contact friends, family, or emergency services when you have no service. Suddenly, there are no more "dead zones."

This isn't coming out of the blue. Satellite connectivity is all the rage: Apple has offered it on the iPhone for years now, first for simple messages to emergency services, then later expanding support to include standard text messages. In addition, T-Mobile officially rolled out its satellite service for customers this year, so it'd be fitting to have a cellular Apple Watch offer similar satellite capabilities.

Faster cellular connections

But the connectivity improvements aren't limited to areas without cell service. The Ultra 3 may also be the first Apple Watch to support 5G, as Apple may tap MediaTek for the device's embedded modem. Cellular-enabled Apple Watches only support 4G LTE, so users upgrading to a theoretical 5G Ultra 3 would improve speeds in areas with 5G connections.

Quick charging

MacRumors believes the Ultra 3 could introduce a faster charging experience, following in the footsteps of the Series 10. That watch can charge to 80% in 30 minutes, while the Ultra 2 needs 60 minutes to charge to 80%. MacRumors highlights that the difference comes down to the material the watches are made out of: The Series 10 has a metal casing with a larger charging coil, while the Ultra 2 uses the usual crystal casing most all other Apple Watches have used.

A blood pressure monitor

The Ultra 3 could also introduce a blood pressure monitor for the first time in an Apple Watch. This is something Apple has reportedly been working on for some time, and the Ultra 3 could be its debut. That said, Gurman suggests that Apple has run into "regulatory and engineering" issues with the feature, so it's possible we won't see it until the launch of the Ultra 4 or Series 12.

It's interesting timing, as Apple just got the all-clear to bring back the Apple Watch's blood oxygen sensor. The company was forced to disable the feature for Series 9 and Ultra 2 devices following a lawsuit, though a subsequent case allowed the company to reinstate the feature. (Older watches with the blood oxygen sensor never saw it disabled.)