The sports-centric Apple Watch Ultra 2 is built to be the kind of smartwatch you wear when diving or racing at top speed downhill. But what should happen when your extreme sport puts you in harm’s way, and you don’t have an easy way to call for help? Finally, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple is adding satellite connectivity so you can ask for help when you inevitably careen into danger—helping you avoid putting the “ex” in “extreme.”
As detailed during Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event on Tuesday, the new Ultra watch comes in both black and silver colors. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 from 2023 didn’t get the upgrades of the Apple Watch Series 10 in 2024, though it did receive a sleek black finish. The older Watch Ultra made use of the S9 SiP (system in a package), but even if the new watch is more powerful, perhaps the most important update for users who don’t plan to go backcountry hiking is the upgraded battery promising 42 hours of lifespan. All the other new Series 11 health monitoring features, such as hypertension detection and the new sleep score, are also coming to the Ultra 3.
The Watch Ultra has been Apple’s all-in, expensive sports watch rated to go up to 40 meters underwater and survive hits to the screen. The new version of the LTPO3 OLED display should see some of the enhancements of the Apple Watch Series 10, and it has a larger screen size with reduced bezels. The Ultra 3’s screen can still go down to a bare 1Hz refresh rate for its always-on display, which helps save on power. If you set the watch into low power mode, Apple claims you could net three full days of battery life.
Apple’s satellite connectivity has been on iPhones since the iPhone 14 era. The emergency SOS connects to a satellite network for emergency texts when there’s no service available. Apple’s latest iOS 18 added standard texts to its satellite service. Apple has promised two years of SOS connectivity after you buy a new device, but the company has yet to establish any kind of subscription service once that time period runs out. For all intents and purposes, it’s a free feature until Apple eventually pulls the plug.
The feature makes sense on a sports-centric watch. Apple has to compete with devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin devices like the ultra-expensive Garmin Fenix 8. Just last week at IFA 2025, Garmin announced a new Fenix 8 Pro with the company’s inReach tech for both cellular connection and emergency satellite calling. That smartwatch has a similar SOS feature that will alert emergency contacts and rescue workers.
All the new Apple Watches should ship with the upcoming watchOS 26. The software package features “WorkoutBuddy,” an AI-centric health and fitness app that’s supposed to supply users with more health and fitness metrics to pace their workout routines. You need to have at least an iPhone 15 Pro (which supports Apple Intelligence) and Bluetooth headphones nearby to make use of the feature. The watch will start at $800—the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Apple said preorders start today, and the device should start shipping Sept. 19.
This is a developing story.
