Apple announced Apple Watch Ultra 3 on September 9, 2025, and released it on September 19, 2025. It starts at $799 in the U.S. The biggest upgrades Apple highlights are satellite communication, 5G RedCap, a larger active display and up to 42 hours of rated normal-use battery life.
Ultra 3 keeps a 49mm titanium case; thinner display borders create the larger active screen. It also supports watchOS 26 features such as Sleep Score and Workout Buddy.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 release date and availability
Apple announced Apple Watch Ultra 3 on September 9, 2025, with preorders beginning that day. It reached stores on September 19, 2025, and is part of Apple’s current Apple Watch lineup. These dates and the details below are based on Apple’s announcement and product specifications.
| Detail | Apple Watch Ultra 3 |
|---|---|
| Announcement | September 9, 2025 |
| Preorders | September 9, 2025 |
| Store availability | September 19, 2025 |
| U.S. starting price | $799 |
| Case materials and colors | Titanium; natural titanium or black titanium |
| Required iPhone | iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26 or later |
Apple’s $799 price covers the cellular model. Cellular service requires a compatible carrier plan and may add a monthly charge. Supported cellular bands vary by country and model; Apple’s U.S. cellular version is model A3281.
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- RUGGED AND READY TO GO—The ultimate sports and adventure smartwatch is built to last with an extremely tough titanium case and a strong sapphire crystal display. Water resistant up to 100m—it’s great for swimmers, divers, and fans of high-speed water sports.*
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Ultra 3 can take an ECG* and check your heart rhythm for signs of AFib—right from your wrist. The smartwatch sends alerts for possible hypertension,* an irregular heart rhythm,* or an unusually high or low heart rate. You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and take readings of your blood oxygen.*
- ULTIMATE RUNNING AND WORKOUT COMPANION—A superior fitness tracker for marathoners, triathletes, mountain bikers, backcountry hikers, and mountain climbers, Ultra 3 provides precision dual-frequency GPS, Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, Custom Workouts, running power, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* training load, and more.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash* and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts. Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- MULTIDAY BATTERY LIFE—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that’s engineered to give you even longer battery life. It’s perfect for trail runners—with up to 42 hours of normal use and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.* Track a workout with full GPS and heart rate monitoring for up to 20 hours in Low Power Mode.*
Price: what the $799 starting price includes
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799 in the United States, according to Apple. Unlike a Wi-Fi-only Apple Watch configuration, Ultra 3 is sold with cellular connectivity, but cellular service is not free. Activation depends on carrier support and an eligible plan.
The two available finishes are:
- Natural titanium
- Black titanium
Apple has not made a larger physical case option for Ultra 3. It remains a substantial 49mm watch, aimed at people who want a rugged case, advanced outdoor tracking and more battery than a standard Apple Watch.
What is new on Apple Watch Ultra 3?
Two-way satellite communication
Satellite communication is the most distinctive Ultra 3 upgrade. When both cellular and Wi-Fi coverage are unavailable, the watch can use satellites for:
- Emergency SOS via satellite
- Messages to friends and family
- Location sharing through Find My
The watch needs a clear view of the sky, and satellite communication is not a replacement for ordinary cellular service. It is designed for situations such as hiking or traveling beyond network coverage.
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5G RedCap cellular
The cellular Ultra 3 supports 5G RedCap, a lower-power form of 5G designed for devices such as wearables, alongside LTE. Apple says the connection improves independent use when the watch is away from an iPhone and can speed up downloads of music, podcasts and apps.
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- RUGGED AND READY TO GO—The ultimate sports and adventure smartwatch is built to last with an extremely tough titanium case and a strong sapphire crystal display. Water resistant up to 100m—it’s great for swimmers, divers, and fans of high-speed water sports.*
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Ultra 3 can take an ECG* and check your heart rhythm for signs of AFib—right from your wrist. The smartwatch sends alerts for possible hypertension,* an irregular heart rhythm,* or an unusually high or low heart rate. You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and take readings of your blood oxygen.*
- ULTIMATE RUNNING AND WORKOUT COMPANION—A superior fitness tracker for marathoners, triathletes, mountain bikers, backcountry hikers, and mountain climbers, Ultra 3 provides precision dual-frequency GPS, Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, Custom Workouts, running power, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* training load, and more.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash* and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts. Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- MULTIDAY BATTERY LIFE—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that’s engineered to give you even longer battery life. It’s perfect for trail runners—with up to 42 hours of normal use and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.* Track a workout with full GPS and heart rate monitoring for up to 20 hours in Low Power Mode.*
5G support should not be confused with the full 5G capability of a smartphone. RedCap is designed to balance speed, power consumption and the smaller hardware requirements of a watch. Carrier availability and supported bands depend on the region.
Larger active display with thinner borders
Ultra 3 keeps the same general 49mm case dimensions, but its display occupies more of the front. Apple says the borders are 24 percent thinner than before.
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- 422-by-514-pixel resolution
- Up to 3,000 nits peak brightness
- 1 nit minimum brightness
- Sapphire crystal cover
- 1Hz always-on refresh rate
Apple says the 1Hz always-on mode allows certain content to update once per second rather than once per minute. It specifically highlights a continuously moving seconds hand in Stopwatch, Timer and more than 20 watch faces. This is useful for checking elapsed time without raising the wrist or waking the full display.
Apple lists the case as 49mm high, 44mm wide and 12mm deep. The larger active screen does not make the case physically larger.
Hypertension notifications
Apple says Ultra 3 can passively analyze optical heart-sensor data over 30-day periods and notify the wearer if it detects patterns associated with chronic high blood pressure.
This is not a blood-pressure monitor. The watch does not measure blood pressure directly and cannot replace a cuff. If a notification appears, Apple recommends using a third-party blood-pressure cuff to record readings for seven days and discussing the results with a health-care provider. Apple also warns that the feature will not detect every case of hypertension.
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![Apple Watch Ultra 3 [GPS + Cellular 49mm] Running & Multisport Smartwatch w/Rugged Titanium Case w/Black Alpine Loop - M. Satellite Communications, Advanced Health & Fitness Tracking](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/412vVDB7SSL._SL160_.jpg)
- RUGGED AND READY TO GO—The ultimate sports and adventure smartwatch is built to last with an extremely tough titanium case and a strong sapphire crystal display. Water resistant up to 100m—it’s great for swimmers, divers, and fans of high-speed water sports.*
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Ultra 3 can take an ECG* and check your heart rhythm for signs of AFib—right from your wrist. The smartwatch sends alerts for possible hypertension,* an irregular heart rhythm,* or an unusually high or low heart rate. You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and take readings of your blood oxygen.*
- ULTIMATE RUNNING AND WORKOUT COMPANION—A superior fitness tracker for marathoners, triathletes, mountain bikers, backcountry hikers, and mountain climbers, Ultra 3 provides precision dual-frequency GPS, Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, Custom Workouts, running power, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* training load, and more.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash* and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts. Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- MULTIDAY BATTERY LIFE—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that’s engineered to give you even longer battery life. It’s perfect for trail runners—with up to 42 hours of normal use and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.* Track a workout with full GPS and heart rate monitoring for up to 20 hours in Low Power Mode.*
Hypertension notifications are not exclusive to Ultra 3. Apple also makes them available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later with watchOS 26, subject to regional availability and regulatory clearance.
Sleep Score
Sleep Score is a watchOS 26 feature that evaluates several aspects of sleep, including:
- Total sleep duration
- Bedtime consistency
- How often you wake during the night
- Time spent in different sleep stages
The score appears in the Sleep app on the watch. On iPhone, historical scores are available in the Health app, and the score can be added as a watch-face complication. Sleep Score is not an Ultra 3-only hardware feature; it is part of watchOS 26 and works on other compatible models.
Workout Buddy
Workout Buddy provides spoken, personalized encouragement during supported workouts. Apple says it can use information such as heart rate, pace, distance, Activity Rings, fitness milestones and workout history to tailor its comments.
There are important limitations:
- An Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone must be nearby.
- Bluetooth headphones are required.
- The device and Siri language must be set to English.
- Only selected workout types and regions are supported.
Workout Buddy is not an AI coach running entirely on the watch. The iPhone plays an essential role in the feature.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 battery life
Apple rates Ultra 3 for up to 42 hours of normal use. Low Power Mode raises the quoted maximum to 72 hours.
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![Apple Watch Ultra 3 [GPS + Cellular 49mm] Running & Multisport Smartwatch w/Rugged Titanium Case w/Blue/Bright Blue Trail Loop - M/L. Satellite Communications, Advanced Health & Fitness Tracking](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51SKumOyv8L._SL160_.jpg)
- RUGGED AND READY TO GO—The ultimate sports and adventure smartwatch is built to last with an extremely tough titanium case and a strong sapphire crystal display. Water resistant up to 100m—it’s great for swimmers, divers, and fans of high-speed water sports.*
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Ultra 3 can take an ECG* and check your heart rhythm for signs of AFib—right from your wrist. The smartwatch sends alerts for possible hypertension,* an irregular heart rhythm,* or an unusually high or low heart rate. You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and take readings of your blood oxygen.*
- ULTIMATE RUNNING AND WORKOUT COMPANION—A superior fitness tracker for marathoners, triathletes, mountain bikers, backcountry hikers, and mountain climbers, Ultra 3 provides precision dual-frequency GPS, Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, Custom Workouts, running power, Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* training load, and more.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash* and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts. Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- MULTIDAY BATTERY LIFE—Ultra 3 is a smartwatch that’s engineered to give you even longer battery life. It’s perfect for trail runners—with up to 42 hours of normal use and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.* Track a workout with full GPS and heart rate monitoring for up to 20 hours in Low Power Mode.*
| Use case | Apple’s rated figure |
|---|---|
| Normal use | Up to 42 hours |
| Low Power Mode | Up to 72 hours |
| Outdoor workout in Low Power Mode with full GPS and heart-rate readings | Up to 20 hours |
| Charging to 80 percent | Approximately 45 minutes |
| Normal use from a 15-minute charge | About 12 hours |
| Sleep tracking from a five-minute charge | About 8 hours |
These are Apple’s test estimates, not guaranteed results. Cellular use, satellite communication, GPS workouts, high brightness, frequent notifications, cold temperatures and other settings can reduce runtime. The 72-hour figure depends on using Low Power Mode, which can change how some features operate.
Core specifications and durability
The following hardware specifications are from Apple’s published Ultra 3 specifications.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor |
| Neural Engine | Four-core |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Case | 49mm titanium |
| GPS | L1 and L5 precision dual-frequency GPS |
| Water resistance | 100 meters |
| Dust resistance | IP6X |
| Diving | Recreational scuba diving to 40 meters |
Its sensors include a third-generation optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, temperature sensor, depth gauge, water-temperature sensor, compass, altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope and ambient-light sensor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the earlier Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors got wrong
| Claim | What is actually confirmed |
|---|---|
| Ultra 3 might be canceled or pushed beyond 2025. | Apple announced it September 9 and released it September 19, 2025. |
| Satellite connectivity is limited to emergency calls. | It also supports messages and Find My location sharing, subject to requirements. |
| Ultra 3 includes a built-in blood-pressure monitor. | Hypertension notifications analyze optical-sensor data; the watch does not directly measure blood pressure. |
| Workout Buddy works entirely on the watch. | It requires a nearby Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone and Bluetooth headphones. |
| The larger display requires a larger case. | The case remains 49mm; thinner borders create more active screen area. |
| Battery life matches the longest-lasting Garmin watches. | Apple rates it for up to 42 hours normally or 72 hours in Low Power Mode; GPS, cellular and satellite use can reduce that. |
| Sleep Score and hypertension notifications are exclusive Ultra 3 hardware features. | Both are also available on additional Apple Watch models through watchOS 26. |
Who should buy Apple Watch Ultra 3?
Ultra 3 makes the most sense for an iPhone user who spends time outdoors, wants emergency communication beyond cellular coverage, needs dual-frequency GPS or prefers charging less often than with a standard Apple Watch. The satellite functions are particularly relevant to hikers, travelers and people who regularly leave network coverage.
It is less compelling if the main reason for upgrading is Sleep Score, hypertension notifications or Workout Buddy. Those features are not exclusive to Ultra 3 and may be available on a compatible older Apple Watch after installing watchOS 26. The 49mm case is also large and relatively deep, so smaller wrists should try it on before buying.
Compatibility requirements
Apple Watch Ultra 3 requires an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26 or later. Some features have additional requirements: satellite messaging and Find My sharing need an active cellular plan, while Workout Buddy requires an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, Bluetooth headphones, English language settings and a supported workout and region.
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FAQ
When was Apple Watch Ultra 3 released?
Apple announced Apple Watch Ultra 3 on September 9, 2025. Preorders opened the same day, and retail availability began on September 19, 2025.
How much does Apple Watch Ultra 3 cost?
Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799 in the United States. It is a cellular model, so activating mobile service may require a separate compatible carrier plan and monthly charge.
Does Apple Watch Ultra 3 have a blood-pressure monitor?
No. Its hypertension notifications analyze optical heart-sensor data over time for signs associated with chronic high blood pressure. They do not directly measure blood pressure, so a notification should be followed by readings from a third-party cuff and medical advice.
How long does Apple Watch Ultra 3 battery last?
Apple rates it for up to 42 hours of normal use or up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. Apple also quotes up to 20 hours of outdoor workout tracking in Low Power Mode with full GPS and heart-rate readings.
Can Apple Watch Ultra 3 send messages by satellite?
Yes. When cellular and Wi-Fi are unavailable, Ultra 3 can support messages, Find My location sharing and Emergency SOS via satellite. It needs a clear view of the sky, and messaging and location sharing require an active cellular plan.
The Bottom Line
Apple Watch Ultra 3 shipped on September 19, 2025, at a U.S. starting price of $799. Its meaningful hardware upgrades are satellite communication, 5G RedCap, a larger active display and a 42-hour normal-use battery rating. The watch remains a 49mm titanium model rather than a larger case design.
Buy it for independent outdoor communication, improved connectivity, GPS and ruggedness, or longer battery life. Do not buy it expecting a blood-pressure cuff, a fully on-watch AI coach or Garmin-style multi-day endurance under demanding GPS and cellular use.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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