Apple Watch Ultra 3

D DC Rainmaker Ray Maker · reviewer · Nov 2025

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the first Apple Watch to get two-way satellite communications, and in my testing over the past nearly two months, it’s also the watch with the easiest to use satellite communications features that largely ‘just work’ (at least, depending on where you live). But more than that, my usage during this time has pushed the limits of what this watch is capable of, from both a battery and sports standpoint. That includes a 70KM non-stop hike/trail-run to see if the battery would hold, as well as plenty of other more sane workouts.

I've used this Apple Watch more than I've used any previous Apple Watch.

G GearLab Matthew Richardson · reviewer · Nov 2025

If you want the most in-depth feature set and the easiest smartphone integration of any GPS watch, the Ultra 3 is the model for you. Battery life is the biggest constraint on the Ultra 3, but that's only if you plan to stay out for days – anyone near a charging source shouldn't fret. For folks who already own an Ultra 1 or Ultra 2, you may not feel like this is a worthwhile upgrade, unless you really want the satellite connectivity.

Z ZONEofTECH ZONEofTECH · 1.7M subscribers · Sept 2025

But my favorite addition is number seven, satellite connectivity, which is ideal for when you go off-rid, especially given that the Ultra watches were built exactly for this.

P Pickr Article · Oct 2025

But if you’re looking for an Apple Watch designed to keep going, it’s hard to look past the Ultra 3. Built to last, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is what every Apple Watch should be like: long-lasting and featured packed. Recommended.

S Simple Alpaca Simple Alpaca · 640K subscribers · Oct 2025

So, that is how you go ahead and use your Apple Watch Ultra 3. It's a beautiful watch. There's so much capability behind it, and I really do think it's probably going to last you for many, many years

M Markellisreviews Article

The good news is, if an Apple Watch is next on your list of Apple devices that’ll further weld you into the ecosystem, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best smartwatch they make. And so it should be.

A AppFind AppFind · 620K subscribers · Oct 2025

In the case that you don't have cell phone service with your Apple Watch Ultra 3, there is emergency SOS via satellite where you can, you know, text in case of an emergency using the satellites above, which is pretty cool

T The Run Testers Article · Oct 2025

It does still fall short of the best running watches in terms of battery life and training analysis, but if you want a true smartwatch with great running features, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is your best bet.

N Nikias Molina Nikias Molina · 422K subscribers · Oct 2025

It's those small details that make a difference. Now, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has pretty much the exact same design as the previous generation Apple Watch. You do have way thinner bezels that we're going to be comparing that in just a second, but you do still have that beautiful digital crown with side button in this very robust form factor. You then have the action button right here. And then if you hold on it, you can decide on what you want to program the action button for. Apple also released this brand new band, by the way, which I really like. It's black and it's got all these braided little lines, white.

T the Guardian Article · Oct 2025

The biggest, baddest and boldest Apple Watch is back for its third generation, adding a bigger screen, longer battery life and satellite messaging for when lost in the wilderness.

N Nikias Molina Nikias Molina · 422K subscribers · Oct 2025

It's those small details that make a difference. Now, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has pretty much the exact same design as the previous generation Apple Watch. You do have way thinner bezels that we're going to be comparing that in just a second, but you do still have that beautiful digital crown with side button in this very robust form factor. You then have the action button right here. And then if you hold on it, you can decide on what you want to program the action button for. Apple also released this brand new band, by the way, which I really like. It's black and it's got all these braided little lines, white.

9 9to5Mac Ryan Christoffel · reviewer · Dec 2025

Battery life, the Action button, and the Modular Ultra face are among the top reasons I’d have trouble going back to a Series model.

T The Quantified Scientist The Quantified Scientist · 419K subscribers · Sept 2025

After spending the whole day testing and doing different exercises with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, I'm pretty sure this is my favorite Apple device of all time

A Androidauthority Article

If you want the best iOS integration available on the best watch Apple has to offer, the Ultra 3 is it.

T The Quantified Scientist The Quantified Scientist · 412K subscribers · Oct 2025

This is actually a really good agreement between the reference and the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

S Shervin Shares Shervin Shares · 231K subscribers · Oct 2025

So it only really took 5% of battery which is really impressive.

T The Run Testers The Run Testers · 122K subscribers · Oct 2025

It sits above the Series 11 in being a bigger, more durable, more sports and adventure focused watch with longer battery life as well.

T The Run Testers The Run Testers · 122K subscribers · Sept 2025

It's 1.93 in now, and it's a very bright display.

My favourite smartwatch got even better with Apple Watch Ultra 3, welcome to my full review!

M Matt LeGrand Matt LeGrand · 52.2K subscribers · Sept 2025

The watch also uses the same sapphire front crystal which I found to be extremely durable and it has the same uh WR100 water resistance rating in IP6X dust and water resistant rating. Now, there's already been some confusion on the size of the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 in comparison to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The spec sheets online say that the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was 14.4 mm in depth. Some people call it the Z height of the device. Uh, I'll often describe it as how high the watch sits up off your wrists.

M Matt LeGrand Matt LeGrand · 52.2K subscribers · Jan 2026

if you just want my quick 2-second opinion on this watch, I would say it's holding up extremely well at this point.

So, I love my Apple Watch Ultra 3

J Jon Adams Jon Adams · 42.7K subscribers · Nov 2025

Um, and so I really would say I can really, really highly recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 3. I think it is a phenomenal device. It is a little chunky. I mean, there's no way around it, but for what it is, it is it's amazing

J Jon Adams Jon Adams · 42.7K subscribers · May 2026

So overall, 9 months later, I have absolutely loved my Apple Watch Ultra 3. If I were not a tech reviewer and looking for the Apple Watch Ultra 4, I would stick with this one for years and years to come. I don't really have any complaints

T Tech It Easy Tech It Easy · 40.3K subscribers · Oct 2025

Apple's most advanced, most impressive, and most expensive smartwatch yet with upgraded satellite, a better battery, and a rather crispy display.

J Jay Freddy ⚕️ Jay Freddy ⚕️ · 25K subscribers · Oct 2025

So, when the Apple Watch Ultra 3 came out, I switched back. My thesis is that the Apple Watch is one of the most underrated training and performance tools there is. I think people look at it as a toy, and it's just not. It can be extremely useful for health

C Cheval Lim Cheval Lim · 15K subscribers · Jan 2026

But regardless, I think that the Ultra 3 looks good as it is, and I'm perfectly fine with Apple preserving the same rugged and premium look on the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

A Austin Talks Austin Talks · 13.3K subscribers · Sept 2025

So here it is the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in the black titanium. I think that looks really really good

T TechFix Reviews TechFix Reviews · 1.7K subscribers · Oct 2025

I love this strap. I think it accents it very well.

Everyone thinks the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is built for adventure, but after taking it through airports, cities, road trips, and long-haul flights, I think Apple made something even better, the ultimate travel watch

C Casual Leaves Casual Leaves · 1.5K subscribers · Oct 2025

So, that's my review of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 with my favorite features and must try settings. If you're on series 9 or older, this upgrade is definitely worth considering, especially if you love the outdoors or just want the best Apple Watch experience

F fear no machine fear no machine · 313 subscribers · Mar 2026

As for the software, we haven't seen any big new features, but what I have seen, and I'd have to say that this is probably one of the best things about using the Apple Watch Ultra 3, is that it's consistent and predictable.

A aBlogtoWatch Ariel Adams · reviewer · Oct 2025

I’ll be honest in saying that if you have an existing Apple Watch Ultra 1 or 2 ( Apple Watch Ultra 2 review here ), there is no burning need to upgrade right now. Indeed, there are special features, such as the new satellite connection element, that particular users will absolutely want to have right now. The ability for your Apple Watch Ultra 3 to be a global communication and emergency device is awesome.

9 9to5Mac 9to5Mac · 975K subscribers · Jun 2026

So if you again, if money is really no object, quote-unquote, and you're outdoors a lot, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is going to be for you. And then you have the Series 11, this is for that middle tier ground. So if you don't really want to spend the Ultra money and you don't really care too much about battery life but you still want everyday battery life, then the Series 11 is going to be the best for most people and it's for people that want the premium design with all the health features.

P Pcmag Andrew Gebhart · reviewer

Compared with its predecessor, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 adds 5G, satellite connectivity, more battery life, and faster charging without a price increase, but it’s still very expensive at $799. Unlike the more affordable options in the latest Apple Watch lineup, the Ultra 3 only comes in one 49mm size and titanium configuration.

D DC Rainmaker DC Rainmaker · 653K subscribers · Nov 2025

So, this gets us to like the pinnacle of the features of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which is two-way satellite connectivity. That means you can send messages back and forth using just the watch when you're outside of cellular range. This is something they introduced to the iPhone back a few years ago and now it is on the watch. Apple was essentially the third company to announce this following Google and Garmin all within a two-week period, but I would argue Apple has executed this the best technically, even though their coverage is a bit more limited than some of their competitors

A Alastair Running Alastair Dixon · reviewer · Dec 2025

As an all-round smartwatch for active iPhone users, it’s hard to fault but for dedicated running, especially long endurance or data-heavy training, it’s very capable but still sits behind the specialist running watch brands, in a few key areas.

T TechRadar TechRadar · 457K subscribers · Oct 2025

Therefore, if you already have an Apple Watch Ultra 2, it's probably not worth upgrading unless you get a a great trade-in deal, and b you're a hardcore adventurer who really wants the extra battery life and satellite connectivity. We'll dig into its design, features, performance, and more, telling you everything you need to know about the watch in great detail in order to help you decide whether or not to pull the trigger and buy one for yourself.

T Trail & Kale Alastair Dixon · reviewer · May 2026

Apple’s rugged Ultra 3 adds satellite safety, brighter visuals, and deeper health tracking, yet dedicated sports watches still win on navigation, battery life, and training tools.

H HotshotTek HotshotTek · 431K subscribers · Oct 2025

But if we lay these down flat on the flat surface and I go ahead and launch the flashlight here, you can generally see that the bezels did get slightly thinner on the Ultra 3, but comparing against the two and the one, it's hardly even noticeable. And these two displays can go up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, and this one can go up, the Ultra One can go up to 2,000 nits of brightness. But realistically, all three of these are more than enough. Never have I ever struggled even with 2,000 nits of brightness.

C CNET Vanessa Hand Orellana · reviewer · Sept 2025

It straddles that line between rugged and refined, with just enough upgrades under the hood to make it worth the wait.

B Brian Tong Brian Tong · 367K subscribers · Sept 2025

Yes, a bigger display is always better, but in the different watch faces that I've used, it it has felt pretty similar to me.

I iPhone Life Olena Kagui · reviewer · Jun 2021

If you can handle the size, this might just be the best smartwatch for iPhone users!

D DesFit DesFit · 283K subscribers · Sept 2025

However, the Ultra 3 does get a bump in display size where the new display is about 4% larger than before, and it's sort of noticeable with some watch faces and screens, but I wouldn't necessarily call this a real night and day difference either. However, this does translate into the bezels being thinner by around like 24%, which is nice to see, or maybe not see. And this OLED display also has better wide-angle visibility, where it's supposed to be easier to see at a glance at off angle.

M Mountaineerjourney.com Tyler · reviewer · Jul 2026

You're happy with your Apple Watch Ultra 2 (the upgrade is incremental)

K Kyle Erickson Kyle Erickson · 156K subscribers · Dec 2025

This is the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and I was hoping this would be a big jump coming from my Series 10. But, after having used it now for the last 3 months, I'm not so sure that's the case

T The Tech Bros The Tech Bros · 74.3K subscribers · Nov 2025

And I'm not saying that this is a bad product by any means, but when it comes to getting excited for a new model come out, it's no longer the case. I remember I mean, it's been four years since the first generation came out of this watch, and I remember being blown away, and this is not the case. Yeah. And the perspective that the perspective comes from thinking about someone who might own a watch Ultra 2, right? And whether or not it's worth them upgrading to something like Watch Ultra 3.

T Tech It Easy Tech It Easy · 40.3K subscribers · Nov 2025

The truth is, the battery life is actually quite disappointing on some fronts, but also pretty good on others, but only if you know about this one crucial feature that you must turn off to get your battery lasting as long as it should do.

T Tech It Easy Tech It Easy · 40.1K subscribers · Apr 2026

Plus seven things you ought to know before you buy — including the three things I genuinely don't like about this watch.

B Brian Minor Brian Minor · 30.8K subscribers · Jan 2026

It's been over a 100red days since the Apple Watch Ultra 3 was released, and it's a great watch, but I do have some issues with it. We're going to talk about all the good and the bad. So, let's go ahead and jump right into it. The Apple Watch Ultra 3. It still has that rugged look and feel to it. This is the exact same design as the Ultra 1 with a little tiny tweak. So, the screen is actually a little larger on this display, but that's the only thing visibly different with this thing. It still has the orange accents on the side. Also, if you're curious about this band, this is the Nomad Stratus Band.

M Mekawi Mekawi · 8.6K subscribers · Mar 2026

After 6 months of using the Apple Watch Ultra 3, I can confidently say this is one of the best sports watch hardware experiences I have ever had and in the same time one of the most disappointing softwares that comes with it

L Luke Cameron Luke Cameron · 4.6K subscribers · Oct 2025

Straight off the bat, I can honestly tell you now that the Apple Watch is way more comfortable, and that is something that I did not expect.