Third-gen watch adds 5G, satellite SOS and messaging, a bigger screen and longer battery life in same rugged design
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.
The Ultra 3 is Apple’s answer to adventure watches such as Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro while being a full smartwatch for the iPhone with all the trimmings. As such, it is not cheap, costing from £749 (€899/$799/A$1,399) – £50 less than 2023’s model – sitting above the £369-plus Series 11 and £219 Watch SE 3.
From the outside it doesn’t look like a lot has changed for the Ultra 3 over its two-year-old predecessor. Available in natural or black titanium, it is exactly the same size but squeezes in a slightly bigger screen with smaller bezels making it the largest on an Apple Watch.
The display is much brighter when viewed at an angle, which makes seeing it at a glance a lot easier, and now shows ticking seconds when idle like the Series 10 and 11. It is very bright, covered by super-hard sapphire glass and has one of the very best screens on a watch.
