Those who prefer a larger and more ruggedized smartwatch in the Apple family tend to gravitate towards the Apple Watch Ultra series, as long as the budget permits. This third-gen offering does not disappoint, if our time with this techy timepiece is any indication.
As with its predecessors, this larger, 49mm titanium Apple Watch offers a slew of health, fitness, safety, and connectivity features, but has been upgraded in a few key areas.
Despite its larger and brighter 3,000-nit display with narrower bezels, the adventure-ready Apple Watch Ultra 3 gets a battery boost of up to 42 hours (or, in a pinch, up to 72 hours on low-power mode). With fast charging, you can juice up the watch in just 15 minutes, equivalent to 12 hours of battery life.
Like the Apple Watch Series 11, health features have been expanded to hypertension monitoring. That is, after 30 days of wearing the watch, it can notify you of possible high blood pressure. While the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is too bulky to wear to bed, it also supports Sleep Score (through the Health app on iPhone), which analyzes the duration and quality of your sleep.
If you find yourself off the grid (while, say, camping), Apple Watch Ultra 3 now has built-in satellite support, allowing you to text emergency services, message friends and family, and share your location, even if there’s no cellular or Wi-Fi in your part of the woods. There is no charge for this service right now.
If you believe bigger and brighter is better, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is your best bet, especially for sports enthusiasts and adventurers.
Pros
Larger, brighter and more durable display
Satellite connectivity
Hypertension monitoring and Sleep Score
Cons
Not cheap
Still bulky