Compare the Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. the Ultra 2, and you will see that the new model looks quite similar to its predecessor. You’ll need to squint to notice the Ultra 3’s slightly larger display. And most other changes are internal, like faster charging, longer battery life and satellite connectivity.
Otherwise, this is basically the same rugged smartwatch that Apple launched two years ago. So, if you already own an Apple Watch Ultra 2, should you consider upgrading to the Ultra 3? Or should you save your money instead?
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Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 comparison
When the original Apple Watch Ultra arrived in 2022, its big, rugged chassis stood in stark contrast to the regular Apple Watch‘s increasingly sleek design. It packed features aimed at endurance athletes and outdoor adventurers, from its 100-meter water-resistance rating to an 86-decibel emergency siren just in case you tumbled into a ravine.
Even people who never engaged in such potentially life-threatening pursuits enjoyed the Apple Watch Ultra’s 36-hour battery life and its bold profile. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 arrived a year later, bringing a brighter screen and a faster processor.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3, which Apple unveiled at its Awe Dropping event last week, landed two years after the Ultra 2 — a long gap in the fast-moving world of tech.
Naturally, you’d expect big leaps forward. Instead, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 only brings modest refinements. The real question is: are the improvements enough to justify an upgrade?
Table of contents: Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Design: Rugged, familiar, unchanged
- Display: A more efficient panel
- Chipset: No major leap
- Connectivity: Now with 5G and satellite
- Sensors: No upgrades
- Health: Hypertension comes to Ultra 2
- Battery life: Slightly longer
- Price: Still the same
- Conclusion: Not a worthy upgrade
Design: Rugged, familiar, unchanged
Photo: Apple
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: One titanium case size (49 mm x 44 mm x 14.4 mm, 61.4 to 61.8 grams); IP6X dust resistant; 100ATM water-resistant; EN13319 certification for diving; sapphire crystal display, dual speakers; three-microphone array; MIL-STD 810H tested; customizable Action button
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: One titanium case size (49 mm x 44 mm x 14.4 mm, 61.6 to 61.8 grams); IP6X dust resistant; 100ATM water-resistant; EN13319 certification for diving; dual speakers; three-microphone array; MIL-STD 810H tested; customizable Action button
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 brings no radical changes in its design or build quality. You get the same 49mm titanium chassis, with the weight, dimensions and IP6X ratings remaining unchanged. It even comes in the same colors as its predecessor: natural and black titanium.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2 displays: A more efficient panel
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: 1,245 sq mm, 422 x 514 pixels; LTPO3 Wide-angle OLED, always-on Retina display, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: 1,185 sq mm, 410 x 502 pixels; LTPO2 OLED, always-on Retina display, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness
Taking a cue from last year’s Apple Watch Series 10, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 uses a newer wide-angle LTPO3 OLED panel. While the peak brightness remains unchanged at 3,000 nits, the new display is more power-efficient. Plus, it can refresh every second in always-on mode. That means you can have watch faces showing the ticking seconds. (Apple updated many of its watch faces to take advantage of the more efficient display.)
More importantly, LTPO3 allows Apple to reduce the watch’s bezels by 24%. Thanks to this, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 packs a bigger screen in the same size chassis. Plus, the wide-angle OLED panel ensures the screen brightness does not take a hit at off angles.
Still, from a display standpoint, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 only brings minor tweaks over the Ultra 2. The changes aren’t significant enough to upgrade.
Chipset: No major leap
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: 64-bit S10 SiP; W3 Apple wireless chip; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip; four-core Neural Engine; 64GB storage;
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: 64-bit S9 SiP; W3 Apple wireless chip; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip; four-core Neural Engine; 64GB storage
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 gets a newer 64-bit S10 SiP. But it does not seem to bring any notable performance or efficiency improvements. Apple did not even talk about the chip while unveiling the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at its Awe Dropping event.
The rest of the hardware remains identical, with a W3 wireless chip, four-core Neural Engine, and 64GB of storage on both models.
Connectivity: Now with 5G and satellite
Photo: Apple
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, Satellite connectivity, 5G support, dual-frequency L1 and L5 GPS, international emergency calling, Emergency SOS, Emergency SOS via satellite
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, LTE and UMTS; dual-frequency L1 and L5 GPS, international emergency calling, Emergency SOS
From a connectivity viewpoint, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 features two major improvements over the Ultra 2. First, it now features a 5G modem. This means faster cellular data speeds, which should speed up your downloads on the watch. Apple also tweaked its antenna algorithm to optimize for the new networking capability.
Second, and more importantly, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 added support for satellite connectivity, as seen on iPhones in recent years. This enables the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to contact emergency services or your loved ones even when it’s not connected to an iPhone and out of mobile network coverage. This is a potentially life-saving upgrade, especially for hikers, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts who rely on the Apple Watch Ultra during off-the-grid adventures.
Otherwise, the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS connectivity standards on the two models remain the same.
Sensors: No upgrades
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: High-g accelerometer, high dynamic dynamic gyroscope, water temperature sensor, always-on altimeter with higher operating range, depth gauge and Depth app, Tides app, siren, compass waypoints, double-tap gesture
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: High-g accelerometer, high dynamic dynamic gyroscope, water temperature sensor, always-on altimeter with higher operating range, depth gauge and Depth app, Tides app, siren, compass waypoints, double-tap gesture
Apple’s latest Ultra smartwatch packs the same sensors as its predecessor from two years ago. So, you get a high dynamic range gyroscope, water temperature sensor, an always-on altimeter and support for double-tap gestures.
Health: Hypertension monitoring comes to Ultra 2
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: ECG, third-gen optical heart rate sensor, cycle tracking with ovulation estimates, wrist temperature tracking while sleeping, sleep apnea detection, Vitals app, Training Load, hypertension detection
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: ECG, third-gen Optical heart rate sensor, cycle tracking with ovulation estimates, wrist temperature tracking while sleeping, sleep apnea detection, Vitals app, Training Load, hypertension detection
When comparing the Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2, you will find that the updated model does not add any new health sensors. You still get ECG support, the third-gen heart rate sensor, temperature tracking and sleep apnea detection.
When unveiling the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple highlighted new hypertension alerts that can detect high blood pressure. However, watchOS 26 brings the feature to Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 10 as well.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2 battery life: Slightly longer
Photo: Apple
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: Up to 42 hours, up to 72 hours in Low Power mode, fast charge from zero to 80% in about 45 minutes, 15 minutes for up to 12 hours of normal use
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: Up to 36 hours, up to 72 hours in Low Power mode, fast charge from zero to 80% in about 60 minutes
Apple boasts that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 lasts six hours longer than its predecessor. However, this improvement does not stem from a more power-efficient display or a larger battery. Instead, Apple appears to have changed its testing methodology, leading to the longer runtime. Still, with regular use, you should get at least two days of battery life with the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 does receive one key upgrade: faster charging speeds. Unlike the Apple Watch Series 10 and Series 11, Apple’s Ultra smartwatch takes a while to fill its beefy battery to 100%. The Ultra 2 only goes from zero to 80% in 60 minutes, with a full charge taking almost 90 minutes.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 improves on this, reducing the zero to 80% top-up time by 15 minutes to 45 minutes. It’s still not as quick as the Series 11, which hits 80% in 30 minutes, but it’s a solid step forward.
Price: Same as before
- Apple Watch Ultra 3: Starts at $799
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: Started at $799
With no major upgrades, it’s not surprising that Apple is charging the same $799 for the Apple Watch Ultra 3. That’s not cheap, but then if you want the best rugged smartwatch for your iPhone, you don’t have many options.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2 conclusion: Not a worthy upgrade
If you already own the Apple Watch Ultra 2, there’s almost no reason to upgrade to the Ultra 3. Sure, faster charging speeds might be useful in daily use and the satellite connectivity could save your bacon in an emergency. But these upgrades alone are not compelling enough to spend $800 on the watch.
Even if you’re in the market for a new ultra-rugged smartwatch for your iPhone, I’d recommend grabbing the Apple Watch Ultra 2 instead. Retailers like Amazon are offering it at heavy discounts, making it a far better value than spending $799 on the Ultra 3. Of course, that’s only while stocks last.
Pro tip: No matter which Apple Watch Ultra you decide to buy, trade in your old Apple Watch or other gear through Cult of Mac’s buyback program. Lock in a quote in just minutes and receive quick cash for your hassle-free trade-in. Get your free quote now.
Buy Apple Watch Ultra 3 from: Apple or Amazon
The latest version of Apple's rugged smartwatch adds faster 5G cellular connectivity as well as Emergency SOS via satellite.
- Longest battery life of any Apple Watch (up to 42 hours, up to 72 hours in Low Power mode).
- Slightly bigger screen than Apple Watch Ultra 2.
- Same (admittedly rugged) design as previous models.
Buy Apple Watch Ultra 2 from: Amazon
Meet the ultimate sports and adventure watch. Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers advanced features for runners, cyclists, swimmers, hikers and divers. Plus, it just looks cool.
- Rugged titanium case
- Superbright Always-On Retina display
- Precision dual-frequency GPS
- Powerful health, safety, and connectivity features.
- Up to 36 hours of battery life for normal use and 72 hours in Low Power Mode.
- Expensive
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
