Last year, Apple focused its entire wearables efforts on the Apple Watch 10, which was the thinnest, lightest, and sleekest Apple Watch yet.
The tenth edition of Apple’s wearable — a product lineup that reflects Apple’s broad impact on humanity — saw a radical overhaul of Apple’s core smartwatch design. However, conspicuous by its absence was a successor to the larger model, although Apple did launch a new color version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
This year, the opposite is true; there are a few notable changes to the Apple Watch 11, but the Apple Watch Ultra 3 gets the same treatment as the Apple Watch 10 last year. The result is a thinner, rugged smartwatch with the biggest display on an Apple Watch yet.
There are many reasons I love the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — and it’ll stay on my wrist in the future — but after a week with it, I’ve also found one big problem.
Why I love the Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is one of the most complete smartwatches I’ve ever used. It offers the same great Apple Watch experience, but the larger display — and new LTPO3 display technology — mean it now offers a 1Hz always-on refresh rate. This means that the watch faces can now feature an always-updating second hand, just like an analog smartwatch.
The new display features wide-angle OLED technology, which has been a revelation, as it makes it far easier to read when placed on a table or when raised to eye level. It’s a considerable improvement, as is the 3,000 nits peak brightness that makes the Apple Watch Ultra 3 more legible in bright conditions.
A key problem with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is that the larger size and additional features made it considerably thicker. Measuring 12mm thick, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is 2.4mm thinner than last year’s model, which makes a considerable difference in day-to-day usage.
There are also a host of new features that make it a considerable upgrade for some people. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 — and the rest of Apple’s new wearables — uses MediaTek’s 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) technology to offer 5G in a mainstream smartwatch for the first time. There’s also satellite connectivity, complete with the ability to send emergency messages via satellite without needing your phone.
The king of smartwatch battery life
I’ve always preferred the Apple Watch Ultra lineup for one reason — battery life — but the Apple Watch 10 offered good enough battery life to keep me happy for the past year. It was virtually impossible to drain the battery in one day, but it never lasted two days.
The key reason that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is almost certainly going to stay on my wrist? The battery life. As I type this, my Apple Watch Ultra 3 has been off charge for nearly 60 hours, and there’s still 31 percent remaining.
Granted, this is with the Always-on display disabled, and enabling it reduces the battery life to around two days on a full charge; however, this is still outstanding battery life. The low-power mode can significantly extend battery life, although I haven’t fully tested this yet. Regardless, this is now my new favorite smartwatch for its impressive battery life.
There’s one small problem I’ve noticed
There’s one problem I noticed, but on closer reflection, it may not be an issue. Despite the Apple Watch Ultra range being the most durable among the best Apple Watches, the black version of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 seems to be susceptible to scratches on the frame, bezel around the display, or the sides of the casing.
This issue occurred during the first few days of regular usage and is similar to a durability concern I experienced with my Apple Watch 10 from last year. I distinctly remember noticing marks on three different occasions, but they are no longer visible. Every product has a percentage that is defective in some way, and there have been no widespread reports that suggest a durability issue, so it’s likely that these weren’t permanent marks.
It’s also worth noting that the darker black titanium frame is more prone to scratches than a lighter color, and the lighter color of the natural titanium underneath means that any scratches are more noticeable due to the contrast with the black colorway.
The Apple Watch Ultra upgrade I’ve been waiting for
After a week with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, one thing is clear: this is the Apple Watch Ultra upgrade that I have been waiting for. Despite the durability concerns — which have partially assuaged as I’ve enrolled it in the AppleCare One bundle — the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is likely the best smartwatch that Apple has ever released.
I didn’t think the thinner profile would transform the Apple Watch Ultra 3 as much as it has. If you’ve found previous Ultra watches too large, this could be the Apple Watch Ultra that you’ve also been waiting for.
