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Apple Watch Ultra 3: Everything We Know So Far
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I predict it will continue to be bought by posers like me who want the feeling of being adventurous in the week when the most we do is hike a few miles on a Sunday in the countryside surrounding our cities. Actual people who need something they can trust in the wilderness will trust their Garmins not to die after a day. Its almost the ultimate aspirational product for Apple.
I'm glad to read that Apple's approach to blood pressure will merely be trends. Like many health features on Apple Watch, like VO2 max calculation, Apple Watch is wildly incapable of actually offering an accurate read, despite claiming that it can. The only thing it can do is track trends. When it comes to blood pressure, there is no way an Apple Watch is ever going to be accurate, but it can offer trend information. Most people do not need constant blood pressure readings, and it would do them more harm them good to have constant inaccurate information causing unnecessary stress. The few people who actually need 24/7 bp monitoring already have proper equipment for it.
and 2 months later (the “article” is from early July) we still don’t really “know” anything …but we’’ find out Monday, that we do know
Why does anyone even quote Gurman. David Ike has a better track record!
The Apple Watch Ultra 3, likely to be announced on September 9 at Apple's "It's Glowtime" event alongside the iPhone 16, is expected to offer fewer upgrades compared to its predecessor. Keep reading to learn what the rumored changes are.
When Apple Watch Ultra 2 debuted last year, key new features included a 50% brighter display, a faster S9 chip, a "Double Tap" gesture for interacting with the watch without touching the screen, on-device Siri, and increased internal storage. Unfortunately, the next version of the device is unlikely to reach those lofty heights. Here's what the rumors say.
Display Technology
Initially, it was believed that Apple was working on an Apple Watch Ultra with a microLED display, which would provide increased brightness, better contrast, and improved battery efficiency. However, these plans appear to have been postponed indefinitely. Apple worked on microLED display technology for several years, but the project was scrapped in 2024 and there are no current plans for a microLED Apple Watch in the near future.
On the flip side, Apple is rumored to be adopting new low-energy OLED panel technology in new Apple Watch models to further reduce the power consumption of its always-on display. If that's the case, it's unlikely that Apple would use the technology in its latest Series model without also bringing it to its latest Apple Watch Ultra model.
Design
The design of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is likely to remain largely unchanged. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently said that this year's third-generation Apple Watch Ultra will have "roughly the same look as the original." He has previously suggested a totally redesigned "Apple Watch X" with a thinner case and magnetic bands is coming, but this is likely to be a different model to the Ultra, and he said it would be released "in 2024 or 2025."
Notably, this year the larger of the two standard Apple Watch casing sizes in the Apple Watch Series models, the 45mm size, is rumored to become the smallest option. An all-new 49mm casing size, matching the current Apple Watch Ultra, is expected to be introduced as the new larger option. Given that the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra is compatible with bands designed for the 45mm Apple Watch Series models, it is possible that Apple Watch bands could be compatible across both Series 10 models and the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time.
New Features
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 was expected to include improved health tracking capabilities such as blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea detection, aligning with the rumored features of the Apple Watch Series 10 / X.
The blood pressure monitoring featuring will let users know if their blood pressure is trending upward, and will provide an option for users to note what they were doing when hypertension occurred. Specific blood pressure numbers will not be provided, though. Meanwhile, sleep apnea detection will use sleep history and breathing patterns to estimate whether someone suffers from sleep apnea, with the watch suggesting that users contact a doctor if so.
However, the development of these features has reportedly encountered significant challenges. The hypertension detection feature has proven to be insufficiently reliable during testing, raising concerns about its integration into the refreshed design, which may delay its release until the following year.
Similarly, the sleep apnea detection feature faces issues as it depends on blood oxygen saturation measurements. Currently, Apple Watches in the United States cannot measure blood oxygen saturation due to a legal dispute with Masimo. This dispute could potentially be resolved by September, or Apple might argue that the blood oxygen sensor serves purposes unrelated to blood oxygen levels. Alternatively, Apple could announce the sleep apnea detection feature and delay its release until a resolution is achieved.
Hardware Updates
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to have "almost no" new hardware upgrades compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. His phrasing would seem to suggest that the rumored blood pressure and sleep apnea detection features will be machine learning / software-based, relying on existing sensors. However, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will feature a new processor that succeeds last year's S9 chip, and that this could "lay the groundwork for some AI enhancements down the road."
Colors
Apple currently offers the Apple Watch Ultra 2, released in September 2023, in the same natural titanium color as the first-generation model. Prior to launch of the second-generation model, some rumors suggested Apple could release a new darker color option. It didn't happen.
However, we know that Apple originally designed a first-generation Apple Watch Ultra with a... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: Apple Watch Ultra 3: Everything We Know So Far
I have AWU2 LTE 49mm which I am planning to keep it as long as it lasts as I love this watch and I have invested in quite a few bands. Smart Watch Tech have matured to a point where you can’t make any meaningful upgrades unless Apple brings Blood Sugar monitoring and Blood Pressure monitoring (not Hyper tension detection alone). The size is perfect for me and I do not upgrade watches. My last Samsung Gear S3 Bluetooth lasted more than 8 years.
The killer feature for me, and honestly, it is just software would be enabling the night (red) mode across the entire OS.
You'll look at your watch face at night, then realize, "Wait, I don't want to do ANYTHING with it because I'm going to get blasted with full color display".
One other thing that Apple could add that I'm presently a little envious of the Garmin watches with it is a standalone flashlight LED -- white would be fine, but better would be red or red/white.
I got tired of the scratching on my previous Apple Watches so with the 9 I went with the Sapphire model which now only comes in Stainless Steel. So after a year my screen looks great, but the SS looks pretty bad even after trying to polish it. Really wish they would add an option for the Sapphire glass on Aluminum or bring back the Titanium. Like you, I don't like the aesthetic of the Ultra. Seems too big and bulky and I don't like/want orange buttons.
Seems big and bulky but its not once you get used to it, and you cant even see the orange button unless you really look for it.
Apple can’t afford to disturb the accessories partners and third parties which are heavily relying on the common dimensions for at leat 3 year so that they could make some money out of selling accessories. This is applicable to all of its products. Besides, Apple probably spends considerable amount of time testing the displays (years ahead to check its longevity), processors, new sensors, OS etc…..Apple being a mega monster can’t afford to risk their business from all angles. You can’t expect any yearly major upgrades from Apple. Those days are over, you need minimum 5 years for Apple to come up with anything totally different. The current iPhone itself carrying the legacy of iPhone X even today until probably 17 or even 18.
I was right there with you on all of that and really wanted a series Watch to get Titanium again. I would have 100% bought a s9 Titanium if it had been offered. I didn't like how big the AWU looked in pictures, hated the giant glaring orange button in pictures. But after I saw a couple AWU1s in the wild, including on people with svelte wrists, I realized the marketing images do the watch a major disservice. It looks like a clown watch in the marketing materials.
In person it actually looks quite nice, especially with a good band, and the giant glaring orange button is not nearly as blaringly hideous as the pictures. I wound up getting the AWU2. It looks great and the added battery life over the series Watch is fantastic. After almost a year, it looks pristine. Zero damage to screen or body. Personally I love the Alpine Loop in Olive, just wish it had the loops on both sides so there was no "plain" side on half of it when worn.
the large size i can live with, but they need to decrease the thickness and make the bezel less angular, wearing this feels like wearing a brick, or even worse an invicta, as someone who is a fan of thin mechanical watches, this thing is hideously thick.
The one thing about the AWU that puts me off a bit is that I use my current Apple Watch (SE) as a sleep tracker and frankly I find it a bit chunky to have on my wrist. If I got an AWU, I just don't see that being a comfortable thing to wear in bed.
What I'm really hoping for is that the rumored Apple Ring materializes. That would be perfect for sleep tracking.
What I'm really hoping for is that the rumored Apple Ring materializes. That would be perfect for sleep tracking.
I'm still on original AWU but my battery life is 88%. Maybe apple will shock us with a must have feature.
I don't get it.... I have been using my Series 8 45mm bands on my Ultra 2 and series 8 without any issues. Are they not "officially" compatible? I have months of wear time on series 8 bands in my Ultra 2 .... I only bought the ultra because it worked with my old bands lol. I have bands I have had since 2015 working on it.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
Pretty much every Google/Samsung watch I've see in better looking than any of the Apple watches in my opinion.Samsung's rumoured 'Ultra' certainly is taking cues from the Ultra.
Honestly, I can't say I hate it given my preference to round watch faces.
I always felt the Apple Watch has a "feminine" look, which I theorize gives it its unisex appeal.
But I find the Ultra to be just plain ugly, a surprisingly hideous design coming from Apple.
All that said, I'm fine with my Series 8 still, because iOS/Mac ecosystem integration is still my no. 1 feature and all these devices are USEFUL, regardless of appearance.
This is why I have one. I actually consider it a downgrade over the space black stainless 43mm I had before. But the battery life is the selling point for me.
I would suggest a black or gold stainless watch then. However, Apple stopped listing it on the product page, but previously (until S8) the gold and black (space black / graphite / etc.) watches were PVD coated. Aluminum watches are way softer than the PVD coating on the stainless watches.
That PVD coating was near impossible to scratch. I had mine fall off while doing 35km/h no scratch (but a small dent), I left mine on when working on cars and motorcycles with no scratches. My Apple Watch Ultra shows more wear than the PVD stainless ever did.
I'm hoping that the coating is still PVD, but it's hard to tell since Apple isn't disclosing that on the spec page right now.
That's a great buy! It almost does everything the Fenix 8 does, at half the price. Excellent choice.
So we never figured out why they touted double tap as a feature when the other watches have it in accessibility settings?
Let me know when the battery will last a week without recharging like the one in my (Kickstarter) Pebble used to.