The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to arrive later this year, roughly two years after the previous model. While no significant external upgrades are expected, the following internal upgrades are rumored to be included in the third-generation version of Apple’s flagship smartwatch:
Hypertension Detection:
Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is said to be including blood pressure monitoring as the next major health feature for the Ultra 3.
The rumored feature would not provide exact systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements, instead tracking whether a user’s blood pressure is trending upwards and sending an alert if hypertension is detected. After receiving an alert, the Apple Watch user could provide the information to a medical professional for additional testing.
Hypertension has been known to go undetected and undiagnosed for years, leading to heart damage and death. The Apple Watch already offers a feature to monitor blood oxygen levels, but it is disabled in current models in the United States due to patent issues.
Brighter Display With Faster Refresh Rate:
With Apple choosing not to release an updated Apple Watch Ultra model in 2024, the Apple Watch Series 10 display technology surpassed the Ultra. As such, it seems highly likely that Apple will at least bring parity to the Ultra model this year. The Series 10 gained an LTPO3 OLED always-on Retina display, while the current Ultra features LTPO2 technology. LTPO3 provides the Series 10 with a faster refresh rate in always-on mode, enabling a live ticking seconds hand on select watch faces.
The Apple Watch Series 10 also offers a wide-angle OLED, allowing for the device to be 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 could be due to receive these enhancements.
Faster Chip:
Given that it’s been two years without a refresh, it seems likely that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will feature a new chip. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features an S9 chip, while the Apple Watch Series 10 offers the S10 chip. While the S10 is not more powerful than the S9, it is more compact. The inclusion of a newer chip would free up internal space for the Ultra, perhaps offering room for components such as a larger battery.
Satellite Connectivity:
It’s thought that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will receive satellite connectivity, giving it the ability to send texts when cellular networks and Wi-Fi are unavailable. When satellite connectivity first launched for the iPhone, it was limited to emergency text messages, but in iOS 18, Apple expanded it to allow users to send texts to anyone. Currently, Apple still does not charge for satellite connectivity, and there is no word yet on what the company might charge. All iPhones come with two years of connectivity for free, and that will also likely be the case for the Apple Watch Ultra.
5G Connectivity:
Per Bloomberg and The Information, Apple plans to eliminate the Qualcomm modems used in the Apple Watch Ultra via the third generation of the device. It’s thought that instead of using the C1 modem or another custom Apple chip, the company plans to switch from using Qualcomm units to MediaTek ones. MediaTek is one of the few companies capable of designing 5G modems.
MediaTek’s modem chip adds support for 5G RedCap, a 5G service that’s designed for connected devices and wearables that do not need standard 5G speeds. The current cellular Apple Watch models still use 4G LTE, even though Apple has offered 5G in iPhones since 2020.
Redesigned Back and Faster Charging:
Finally, Apple is rumored to be looking into a re-engineered metal back with a larger charging coil and an integrated antenna. The second-gen Apple Watch Ultra features a ceramic and sapphire crystal rear, rather than metal. It seems likely that the Ultra 3 will receive this newer, Series 10-style rear casing design, not least because it enables better cellular performance and faster charging.
The new metal back found in the Apple Watch Series 10 allows the device to charge to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. With the older back design, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 takes 60 minutes to charge to 80 percent.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors, Bloomberg, and The Information
