Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Ultra 2: Biggest upgrades to expect

New Apple watches are just around the corner. At Apple’s big Glowtime launch event tomorrow, we expect to see the iPhone 16 line, two flavors of AirPods 4, and three different wearables: the Apple Watch 10, SE 3 and Ultra 3. 

But what will these wearables offer over the last-gen models? Based on all the rumors we’ve heard so far, the Ultra 3 is expected to be a more iterative update over the Apple Watch Ultra 2. So don’t anticipate any major design overhauls with Apple’s next-gen smartwatches. 

While the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still one of the best smartwatches out there, it’s no longer the only high-end flagship on the market now that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is out. Unless Apple has some serious surprises up its sleeve, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is looking to be a pretty low-key upgrade over the Apple Watch Ultra 2. 

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: specs

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2: price and release date

Apple has a pretty predictable track record for launch schedules. With the Glowtime event set for Monday, September 9, we anticipate the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to launch sometime later this month. For reference, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 hit store shelves on September 22, 2023. 

Initially, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed we shouldn’t expect the Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year, as Apple may need more time to develop “innovative health management features.” But that was earlier this year, and in the months since, Kuo has accelerated that release window, stating that the Apple Wath Ultra 3 will likely be released in 2024 alongside the latest iPhones in September. 

Rumors about the Ultra 3’s price have been harder to come by. The first two generations cost $799. Given that the Apple Watch’s top competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, comes in at $649, it seems unlikely Apple will raise this already high price of entry — barring any significant upgrades that have yet to surface, of course. 

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

Apple is a creature of habit when it comes to the design of its smartwatches, with the Apple Watch Ultra line remaining relatively unchanged since its launch in 2022. So far only a few noteworthy rumors about the Ultra 3’s design have emerged. 

According to the supply chain market research firm TrendForce, Apple plans to bump up the display size of its next model. The Apple Watch Ultra 3’s screen will reportedly grow to 2.12 inches, a 10% increase compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s already sizable 1.9-inch panel.  

It’s a bold move considering how big the current model already feels on the wrist; our wearables editor Kate Kozuch noted in her review that she needs to sometimes take it off at night for a good night’s rest. Granted, it’s possible Apple may have cooked up some innovative new ways to shave down the wearable’s weight or at the very least trim the display border. 

Under the hood, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 could make greater use of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide transistor tech (LPTO). Current models use LTPO in the display’s switching transistors, but the next iteration could adopt this technology in the driving transistors as well, TheElec reports. In theory, this should increase power efficiency, though we’ll have to see how it plays out in real-world tests to get a sense of what difference, if any, the change makes. 

Other rumored upgrades aren’t likely to come to light. Last year, TrendForce predicted that the next Apple Watch Ultra would adopt microLED technology in its screen, top-of-the-line tech that can be both brighter and thinner than OLED panels. However, Kuo has since claimed that Apple has canned these plans “for the foreseeable future” until it can secure a better supplier. A second report suggests we may not see a microLED Apple Watch screen until 2026 at the earliest.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2: features

Rumor has it Apple’s working on bringing at least three new health features to its line of smartwatches: sleep apnea detection, blood glucose monitoring, and blood pressure readings. But whether any of them appear on the new Apple Watches this year — Ultra or otherwise — remains up in the air. 

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and 9to5Mac are confident that the next-gen Apple Watches will get an upgraded ECG sensor capable of delivering more accurate results, and that sleep apnea detection will be a headlining feature for both the Series 10 and Ultra 3. The watches will be able to detect whether a user shows signs of sleep apnea, i.e. if their breathing routinely starts and stops during the night, and then recommend they consult with a doctor for further assistance.

The other two features have been particular pain points, as “Apple has run into some serious snags, I’m told,” Gurman reports. Likely in part due to Apple’s ongoing legal fight with Masimo over the blood oxygen monitor, which led Apple to remove blood oxygen analysis from the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in U.S. markets. Non-invasive blood glucose readings are pretty much the holy grail among wearables, but implementing this tech is anything but easy.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2: outlook

Trying to figure out whether to upgrade to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or stick with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is tricky. For now, it sounds like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a low-key upgrade this time around, much in the same vein as the jump between the first two generations. 

With major health features still up in the air and the only noteworthy upgrade being a slightly larger (and possibly more efficient) display, it’s hard to make the case to upgrade. Sure, Apple could still sweeten the deal with AI features locked behind the Apple Watch Ultra 3 as it rolls out Apple Intelligence. 

We’re sure to learn more tomorrow, but based on the rumors we’ve heard so far, your money may be better spent on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 deals that are already popping up rather than waiting around for the Ultra 3. 

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