Is the new Ultra watch worth the upgrade?

When Apple launched the Apple Watch Ultra back in September 2022, it was a wake-up call for smartwatch makers. The Ultra looked cool with a large, bright display, it was rugged enough to withstand serious punishment as a fitness tracker, versatile enough to take it both to a mountain and underwater, and it had significantly longer battery life than the regular Apple Watch.

In the next two years, however, Apple only updated the Watch Ultra once, and the Ultra 2 was a very minor upgrade, with a brighter display, more storage, and a new chip inside.

Now, Apple has followed up with the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Once again, it's not a radical rethinking of the Ultra, but it is a more significant upgrade over its predecessor. Let's take a look at what's different.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2: Price and specs

Starting with the price, it's exactly the same: $799. Of course, we're talking about the Ultra 2's price at launch; that particular version is no longer available in the Apple Store as it's been replaced by the Ultra 3, but you may find it discounted at other retailers.

Looking at the two devices, you might think that the specs are also mostly the same, but actually there have been quite a few changes on the Ultra 3. Here are the highlights for both models:

Apple Watch Ultra 3:

• Case: Titanium

• Colors: Natural or Black

• Display size: 1,245 square mm display area

• Display resolution: 422x514 pixels

• Display brightness: Up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness

• Display type: Wide-angle OLED and LTPO3

• Chip: S10 with a 4-core Neural Engine

• Storage: 64GB

• Connectivity: GPS, Cellular (5G and LTE), WI-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, satellite connectivity, second-gen Ultra Wideband chip

• Battery life: up to 42 hours of normal use, up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode

• Charging: Up to 80% charge in about 45 minutes

• Durability: Water resistance 100m, recreational scuba diving to 40m, dust resistance IP6X, tested to MIL-STD 810H standard

Apple Watch Ultra 2:

• Case: Titanium

• Colors: Natural or Black

• Display size: 1,185 square mm display area

• Display resolution: 410x502 pixels

• Display brightness: Up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness

• Display type: LTPO2 OLED

• Chip: S9 with a 4-core Neural Engine

• Storage: 64GB

• Connectivity: GPS, Cellular (5G and LTE), WI-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, second-gen Ultra Wideband chip

• Battery life: up to 36 hours of normal use, up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode

• Charging: Up to 80% charge in about 1 hour

• Durability: Water resistance 100m, recreational scuba diving to 40m, dust resistance IP6X, tested to MIL-STD 810H standard

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2: Design and display

Although the two devices look very similar, as you can see in the specifications above, the display is slightly larger on the Ultra 3. Apple managed to cram in a larger display by reducing its bezels. It won't be a dramatic change, but on a device this small, every square millimeter counts.

Apple also says the new display uses a newer version of Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide tech, which means lower energy consumption and longer battery life. It also has wider viewing angles than the one on the Ultra 2.

All that aside, you won't be buying the new model for the looks. The colors are the same - Black and Natural, the material used for the case is still Titanium, and the design hasn't changed at all. You can get a new loop (but you can do so for the old model, too), including a new trail loop design with reflective yarn along the edges, and new colors for the Ocean Band and Alpine Loop, among other options.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2: Battery life

This is a big one. Apple Watch Ultra wins over sports watches from companies like Garmin and Suunto with its beautiful display and access to Apple's app ecosystem. But it lags — often severely — on battery life.

The new Watch Ultra 3 charges faster and has 6 more hours of advertised battery life. That's a meaningful improvement and can make a difference for someone who runs ultramarathons or endurance races.

Notably, Low Power mode is the same on both devices: 72 hours.

Ultimately, it'll come down to what type of user you are. If you absolutely must have a watch that has a week or more of battery life (top Garmin models, for example, offer several weeks), then the 6 extra hours won't make you buy the new Ultra 3. But if you want an Apple Watch Ultra with as much battery life as possible, the Ultra 3 is a clear winner over the old model.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2: Features

With the new Watch lineup, Apple also highlighted several new important features. But since this is a direct comparison of two Watch Ultra models, it's important to discern those that are limited to the newest hardware and those that will be available on the older model as well.

Sleep Score, which measures your health metrics during sleep, hypertension notifications, and the AI-powered motivator Workout Buddy, are all available with watchOS 26, and therefore will work on both the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Ultra 3.

There is, however, one key feature that is only available on the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Emergency SOS via satellite, seen first on the iPhone, allows users to send an emergency distress message in areas where there are no cellular or Wi-Fi signals. This one makes perfect sense on the Apple Watch Ultra, as it's a device aimed at outdoor enthusiasts.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 2: Should you upgrade?

We'll reserve our final thoughts until we get the chance to review the new Ultra 3. But on paper, it looks pretty great.

If you're looking to buy an Apple Watch Ultra for the first time, then the Ultra 3 is a no-brainer. It's a durable sports watch that works within Apple's vast app and device ecosystem, and it's not even that pricy within this category of watches. Battery life is an issue, as other sports watches offer far more, but that's been significantly improved on the Ultra 3 as well.

If you already have the Ultra 2 and are looking to upgrade, that's a tougher call. As we've laid out above, there are a number of meaningful new features, but your old Ultra 2 isn't exactly outdated yet. An upgrade over the original Ultra makes more sense, especially if you bought it in 2022, as you'll probably feel the battery life improvements.