Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Ultra 2: What’s New and Which to Buy

Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 3 last week, the successor to 2023’s Apple Watch Ultra 2, bringing several significant upgrades while keeping the same rugged titanium design. Both models are built for endurance athletes, adventurers, and explorers, but the Ultra 3 pushes the envelope with new safety, fitness, and health features.

Core Features

• S10 SiP Chip: Ultra 3 runs on Apple’s new S10 chip with a 4-core Neural Engine, offering faster performance and more efficient power use. The Ultra 2 featured the S9 chip with a 2-core Neural Engine.
• Battery Life: Ultra 3 bumps normal use to 42 hours (vs 36 hours on Ultra 2), while both models can stretch to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. Fast charging has also been improved on Ultra 3, offering up to 12 hours of normal use in just 15 minutes.
• Storage: Both models feature 64GB capacity.

User Interface and Display

• Largest Display Yet: Ultra 3 keeps the same 49mm case size but now has a larger 422 x 514 pixel display with a total area of 1,245 sq mm, up from 410 x 502 pixels and 1,185 sq mm on the Ultra 2.
• Display Tech: Both offer Always-On Retina displays with LTPO OLED technology (LTPO3 on the Ultra 3 instead of LTPO2 on its predecessor), but Ultra 3 uses a new wide-angle OLED panel for better visibility at extreme angles.
• Brightness: Both peak at 3000 nits and go down to 1 nit, making them excellent for outdoor or night use.
• Gestures: Ultra 3 adds new wrist flick gestures, complementing the Double Tap introduced with Ultra 2.

Safety and Connectivity

• Satellite Connectivity: Exclusive to Ultra 3, users can send messages, share locations, or trigger Emergency SOS even without Wi-Fi or cellular coverage. Ultra 2 does not support satellite connectivity.
• 5G Support: Ultra 3 adds RedCap 5G support for faster connectivity, while Ultra 2 topped out at LTE. However, none of the new Apple Watch models support 5G in Canada — at least not at launch.
• Precision Finding: Both include the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding with the iPhone 15 family.

Health and Wellness

• Hypertension Notifications: Ultra 3 debuts this feature, monitoring heart data trends to alert users of possible chronic high blood pressure.
• Sleep Score: Ultra 3 now offers a detailed sleep rating and breakdown, while Ultra 2 only displayed sleep stages.
• On-Device Siri: Both watches process Siri requests on-device, but Ultra 3 expands this with new health data logging.

Fitness and Sports

• Workout Buddy with Apple Intelligence: Exclusive to Ultra 3, this feature offers AI-powered workout coaching and insights.
• GPS Accuracy: Ultra 3 integrates Apple’s most precise dual-frequency GPS yet, while Ultra 2 already had strong GPS performance.
• Diving and Water Sports: Both are rated for recreational scuba diving up to 40m and support freediving via the Oceanic+ app.

Environmental Milestones

Both offer carbon-neutral band and case options, but Ultra 3 goes further with 100% recycled titanium, cobalt, and rare earth elements across more components.

Price and Availability

Apple Watch Ultra 3 is available now and starts at $1,099 — the same entry price as Ultra 2 at launch.

Bottom Line

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a bigger leap forward than the Ultra 2 was over the original Ultra, thanks to satellite connectivity, a larger display, longer battery life, and new health features like hypertension notifications. For Ultra 2 owners, it’s a tempting but not essential upgrade. For new buyers or those still on the first Ultra, the Ultra 3 is the clear choice.