Smartwatches / Compare
Apple Watch Ultra vs Apple Watch Ultra 3
Product A: Apple
85 of 150 known
Change Apple Watch Ultra
Product B: Apple
100 of 150 known
Change Apple Watch Ultra 3
55 of 141 fields differ
- 26 different values
- 29 known for one only
- 47 the same
- 39 missing for both
Biggest differences
Each bar uses the scale of all 101 smartwatches.
- Peak brightnessA: 2,000nitsB: 3,000nitsWatch Ultra 3 is 1,000 nits higher.
- Battery lifeA: 36hB: 42hWatch Ultra 3 is 6 h higher.
Size, drawn to scale
Front and side.
- AWatch Ultra: 44 × 49 mm
- BWatch Ultra 3: 44 × 49 mm
Weight
0 to 80 g
Weight (case only)
A61.3g
B61.6g
All 150 fields
Every value links to where we found it.


General
5 of 10 differ
Series
Apple Watch Ultra2Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108056Read 5 October 2026
Model numbers
GTIN / EAN
Not available
Not available
Announced
Status
Not available
Not available
Predecessor
Not available
Successor
Apple Watch Ultra 26Press articlemacrumors.com/guide/apple-watch-ultra-vs-ultra-2Read 23 October 2026MacRumors says the Apple Watch Ultra 2 replaces the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple Watch Ultra 426Reviewtechradar.com/health-fitness/smartwatches/apple-watch-ultra-4-vs-apple-watch-ultra-3-whats-changed-and-should-you-upgradeRead 23 October 2026TechRadar calls the Apple Watch Ultra 3 the previous gen of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.27Press articlemacrumors.com/2026/09/16/apple-watch-ultra-3-vs-ultra-4Read 23 October 2026MacRumors says the Apple Watch Ultra 4 improves on its predecessor and notes the Ultra 3 launched last year.
Launch price (US)
Launch price (EU)
Markets
Not available
Colours
Segment
Not available
OS updates promised
Not available
Not available
Security updates until
Not available
Not available
Case
4 of 8 differ
Case size
Case shape
Not available
Case material
Case material (as published)
Aerospace-grade titanium1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026
Titanium case, Grade 51Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Back
Ceramic and sapphire crystal1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026
Case dimensions
Height49Width44Thickness12mm(1.9 × 1.7 × 0.5 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026Dimensions for 49mm: height 49 mm, width 44 mm, depth 12 mm.
Height49Width44Thickness12mm(1.9 × 1.7 × 0.5 in)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026Size and Weight. Base is 49 mm natural titanium.
Weight (case only)
Weight with strap
Not available
Not available
Durability
3 of 8 differ
Water resistance
Water resistance standard
Dust and water rating
Dive rating
Max dive depth
MIL-STD-810
MIL-STD-810 tests
Altitude, High temperature, Low temperature, Temperature shock, Immersion, Freeze/thaw, Shock, Vibration1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026Footnote 15: tested against subsections for Altitude, High Temperature, Low Temperature, Temperature Shock, Immersion, Freeze/Thaw, Shock and Vibration.
Altitude, High temperature, Low temperature, Temperature shock, Immersion, Freeze with thaw, Ice and freezing rain, Shock and vibration1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Operating temperature
Display
9 of 14 differ
Display type
Display type (as published)
LTPO2 OLED Always-on Retina display1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026
Always-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO31Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Screen size
Not available
Not available
Resolution
Pixel density
Not available
Display area
Touchscreen
Not available
Max refresh rate
Not available
Not available
Min refresh rate
Not available
Peak brightness
Minimum brightness
Not available
Always-on display
Display cover
Display cover (as published)
Flat sapphire front crystal1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026Case with a flat sapphire front crystal.
Flat sapphire crystal1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Platform
5 of 15 differ
Platform
OS at launch
Software
Not available
Not available
Latest OS
Not available
watchOS 27.0.116Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/100100Read 5 October 2026Get the latest software updates. Latest watchOS is 27.0.1. September 28, 2026 release expands beyond the September 23 Series 12 and Ultra 4 release. Model eligibility comes from the compatible-model guide.17Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd2054d0d5b/27/watchos/27Read 5 October 2026Apple Watch models. The watchOS 27 compatible-model list explicitly includes Series 11 and Ultra 3. Latest 27.0.1 version comes from security releases.
Works with
Phone requirement
iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 or later at launch. The launch release also names iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later.1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026Footnote 16: requires iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 or later.
iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 26 or later1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
App store
Voice assistants
Not available
Chipset
Process
Not available
Not available
CPU cores
CPU configuration
Not available
Not available
Max CPU clock
Not available
Not available
GPU
Not available
Not available
Low-power coprocessor
Not available
Not available
Memory
1 of 2 differ
RAM
Not available
Not available
Health sensors
1 of 8 differ
Heart rate sensor
Third-generation optical heart sensor1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026
Third-generation optical heart sensor1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
ECG capability
Blood oxygen sensing
Skin temperature sensing
Blood pressure feature
Not available
Hypertension notifications1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Body composition sensor
Not available
Not available
Skin conductance (EDA)
Not available
Not available
Medical clearances
Not available
Not available
Motion and environment sensors
3 of 9 differ
Accelerometer
Accelerometer range
Not available
Gyroscope
Barometric altimeter
Not available
Compass
Ambient light sensor
Depth gauge
Depth gauge range
Not available
Health and fitness
3 of 5 differ
Health features
Blood oxygen app, ECG app, Irregular rhythm notifications, Cycle tracking, Temperature-based ovulation1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026Blood Oxygen app and ECG app are listed. Footnote 5 adds irregular rhythm notification. ECG app availability and age limits apply. Cycle tracking and ovulation estimates are in the press release.3Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2022/09/introducing-apple-watch-ultraRead 10 October 2026Temperature-sensing for retrospective ovulation estimates and improved period predictions in Cycle Tracking.
Heart rate alerts, Irregular rhythm notifications, ECG app, Blood oxygen app, Sleep tracking, Sleep stages, Sleep apnea notifications, Cycle tracking, Temperature-based ovulation, Hypertension notifications, Noise monitoring1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026Named Health and Wellness items. ECG and irregular rhythm ages 22+, apnea 18+, hypertension excludes diagnosed hypertension and pregnancy. Region, phone and app conditions apply.
Fitness features
Running dynamics, Running power, Interval workouts, Trackback3Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2022/09/introducing-apple-watch-ultraRead 10 October 2026watchOS 9 adds Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, Vertical Oscillation and Running Power, Custom Workouts with intervals, and Backtrack.
Training load, Running dynamics, Pool swim, Open water swim, Interval workouts, Trackback, VO2 max, Running power1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 202613Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd66fcd5c5c/27/watchos/27Read 5 October 2026Create a custom workout. Repeating work and recovery intervals are explicitly supported.
Sport profiles
Not available
Not available
Dive modes
Not available
Not available
External sensors
Not available
Power meter, Speed and cadence1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 202622Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd4cbc876c7/27/watchos/27Read 8 October 2026Connect to compatible Bluetooth accessories for cycling workouts and About Power Zones explicitly identify external power meters, speed sensors and cadence sensors. Pair in Settings > Bluetooth > Health Devices. Physical built-in sensors and phone GPS are excluded. Supports the native watchOS 27 cycling feature on the listed compatible model, not an inferred ANT+ capability.
Safety
2 of 6 differ
Fall detection
Car crash detection
Emergency SOS
Emergency siren
Not available
Live location sharing
Not available
Yes18Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/apd1132106dc/27/watchos/27Read 8 October 2026Both A3281 finish rows are GPS + Cellular. Find My can share the worn watch's location when the paired iPhone or iPad is not nearby, with cellular service and network coverage. The paired-iPhone sharing path remains available. Configure recipients and Location Services before sharing. This routine network-based location sharing is distinct from manual satellite updates.23Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/watch/jg49jxgqs19v/27/watchos/27Read 8 October 2026Set up Find My on Apple Watch explicitly supports sharing location from the watch app with a selected recipient and sharing duration. Find My must be set up for the paired account. The iPhone guide identifies when the location source moves from phone to a worn GPS + Cellular watch.24Owner's manualsupport.apple.com/en-gb/guide/iphone/iph01954dc44/iosRead 8 October 2026Set up location sharing requires Share My Location and Find My Location Services. The location source can be the paired iPhone. Apple explicitly says the worn GPS + Cellular watch becomes the sharing source when out of iPhone range. This is the applicable A3281 watch-origin path, with the paired-phone path still available.
Dedicated LED flashlight
Not available
Not available
Positioning
2 of 3 differ
Positioning
L1 GPS, L5 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026L1 and L5 GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou.
GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Dual-band GNSS
Connectivity
6 of 15 differ
Bluetooth version
Wi-Fi standard
Wi-Fi bands
Cellular
Network
4G bands
Not available
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71, 38, 39, 40, 41, 531Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026Connectivity explicitly lists A3281 LTE bands. No China A3282 row is inherited.
5G bands
Not available
n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n26, n28, n66, n71, n38, n40, n41, n531Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026Connectivity explicitly lists A3281 RedCap 5G NR bands. Full-bandwidth smartphone 5G is not implied.
NFC
Contactless payments
Payment services
Ultra-wideband
Satellite
Not available
Emergency SOS, Messaging, Location sharing1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026Safety and footnote 12. Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My supported in eligible regions. Messages and Find My require carrier plan, SMS requires powered-on online paired iPhone. Two free years after activation.19Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125128Read 8 October 2026Exact support for Ultra 3 and later: Find My Send Location is a manual update available once every 15 minutes, outside cellular/Wi-Fi coverage. An active carrier plan on the watch is required. Configure Share My Location and intended recipients before going off-grid. A clear view of sky/horizon is required. Nearby paired iPhone in Airplane Mode prevents satellite use. Free for 2 years after activation, not an unlimited free-service promise. Published availability includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, UK and US. Luxembourg requires carrier activation in another country. Mexico needs watchOS 26.0.1+. Carrier support and purchase-country exclusions remain applicable. This is distinct from live_tracking and messaging.20Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/123924Read 8 October 2026Connect to a satellite explicitly covers Ultra 3 and later, supplied by Globalstar or its partners. Satellite services are not offered on units purchased in Armenia, Belarus, China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan or Russia. Region availability, open-sky conditions and activation apply. Find My and Messages require a carrier plan. Only satellite location_sharing is newly added.
ANT+
Not available
Not available
Audio
1 of 4 differ
Speaker
Microphones
Controls
2 of 5 differ
Buttons
Named operating buttons
Action button, Side button3Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2022/09/introducing-apple-watch-ultraRead 10 October 2026Action button and side button.
Action button, Side button1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Crown
Rotating bezel
Not available
Not available
Gestures
Not available
Battery and charging
4 of 13 differ
Battery capacity
Not available
Not available
Claimed battery life
AApple Watch Ultra
| Mode | With solar | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch | No | 36 |
| Low power | No | 60 |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026Up to 36 hours and up to 18 hours with LTE. Footnote 9: 180 time checks, 180 notifications, 90 minutes of app use and a 60-minute workout with music over 36 hours. Only the 36 hour figure is stored here.3Press releaseapple.com/newsroom/2022/09/introducing-apple-watch-ultraRead 10 October 2026Up to 36 hours of normal use. Low-power setting extends to up to 60 hours with Low Power Mode plus reduced GPS and heart rate readings, which came later in the fall of 2022.
BApple Watch Ultra 3
| Mode | With solar | Hours (h) |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch | No | 42 |
| Low power | No | 72 |
Source1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026Power and Battery Life and footnote 8. Normal use includes 600 time checks, 180 notifications, 30 min apps, 60 min workout with Bluetooth music and 6 h sleep over 42 h. Cellular 8 h and paired-iPhone 34 h. Low Power has its own 72 h workload.21Reviewtomsguide.com/wellness/smartwatches/i-wore-the-apple-watch-ultra-3-for-an-entire-marathon-weekend-and-the-battery-life-shocked-meRead 8 October 2026Article repeats the maker 42-hour normal-use claim. Its separate observed roughly three-day 100%-to-empty 49 mm weekend run remains narrative only. Start was Friday 13:00, finish was Monday afternoon with no exact end time. AOD was enabled while worn, sleep tracked Friday/Sunday, the watch was off-wrist in low-power mode on Saturday night, and manual low-power mode was used for the final 2% for about another hour. It included a shake-out run and a 2 h 24 min marathon with normal GPS tracking, without watch music. Firmware, LTE activity and brightness are not stated. No precise 72-hour value or pure-AOD endurance is stored.
Smartwatch mode (claimed)
36h
42h
AOD battery life (up to)
Not available
Not available
GPS mode (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Solar charging
Not available
Not available
Charging method
Charging guidance
Not available
Not available
Max charging power (watch)
Not available
Not available
Fast charging
Quick charge claim
Not available
Charge 0 to 80% (claimed)
Not available
Full charge time (claimed)
Not available
Not available
Measured
None of 4 known
Peak brightness (measured)
Not available
Not available
Battery life (measured)
Not available
Not available
Battery tests (measured)
Not available
Not available
Full charge time (measured)
Not available
Not available
Strap
3 of 6 differ
Lug width
Not available
Not available
Quick-release strap
Not available
Strap system
Not available
49mm Apple Watch Ultra bands. 44mm, 45mm and 46mm Apple Watch bands for casual everyday use.14Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/108908Read 5 October 2026Using the Ocean Band, Alpine Loop and Trail Loop. Non-Ultra 44/45/46 mm bands are limited to casual everyday use.
Strap material
Not available
Not available
Strap
Not available
Not available
Strap sizes
AApple Watch Ultra
Not availableBApple Watch Ultra 3
| Wrist (min) (mm) | Wrist (max) (mm) |
|---|---|
| 130 | 210 |
Regulatory
None of 3 known
FCC ID
Not available
Not available
SAR limb (US)
Not available
Not available
SAR limb (EU)
Not available
Not available
Other certifications
Not available
Not available
In the box
1 of 2 differ
In the box
Apple Watch Ultra, Band/Loop, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/111852Read 10 October 2026The case materials and the band types depend on the selection.
Apple Watch Ultra 3, Band, Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m)1Maker product pagesupport.apple.com/en-us/125095Read 5 October 2026
Power adapter in box
Links
Not compared
Product page
Spec sheet
Manual
Not available
EPREL registration number
Not available
Not available
Warranty
None of 1 known
Manufacturer warranty (source market)
Not available
Not available
Both are also in the API. Back to all smartwatches.














