Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors: satellite texts, blood pressure, and more
Apple is rumored to release its third-generation Apple Watch Ultra in 2025, and we have a few rumors worth combing over
⌚️ Apple is expected to drop the Apple Watch Ultra 3 next year
🛰️ The latest rumors suggest satellite connectivity and blood pressure monitoring could be on the way
📱 The Ultra 3 might also include a new display technology and faster performance
📐 It’ll probably stick with the same design unless rumors significantly change
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch in September 2025, two years after the Ultra 2 debuted and a year after it was refreshed with a snazzy black finish. We haven’t seen or heard about any crazy, revolutionary changes coming to the most expensive Apple Watch, but some rumors have popped up worth talking about.
So far, it looks like new features such as satellite connectivity and blood pressure monitoring could be on the way, as well as a new display technology and faster performance. More advanced features like glucose monitoring are still in the works, and we haven’t heard much about a new design.
Still, it looks like 2025 will finally bring the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to fruition. Here’s a bit of what we’ve been hearing.
🛰️ Satellite texts and blood pressure monitoring on Ultra 3
One of the latest rumors involves satellite connectivity. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 might be the first Apple Watch to get the iPhone’s Emergency SOS system which allows you to connect to satellites to send texts and your location when in distress. The feature has been available on iPhone dating back to the iPhone 14, so it makes sense that Apple could start adding it to more products.
In the same report, Gurman says that the next Apple Watch Ultra could also include blood pressure monitoring. Apple has been working on this feature for some time, and while it won’t be able to detect systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels, it’ll help you monitor your blood pressure over time and receive warnings when it’s high. Rumors say it’ll work similarly to how sleep apnea detection works on the Apple Watch - not as a way to diagnose yourself, but as a general health guidance tool.
As for glucose monitoring, Apple is still working to incorporate that feature into the Apple Watch. It’s not expected to ship for a number of years down the line, and we don’t expect it to come to Apple Watch Ultra 3 or Series 11.
⌚️ A more efficient display
Previous reports have indicated that Apple’s been working on mini-LED screens for the Apple Watch, but after delaying the project until further notice, it seems like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 could just wind up with a more efficient OLED display. That’s not a bad thing, mind you. The Ultra’s current screen is gorgeous, and if the next generation doesn’t look better but saves more battery, I can’t imagine anyone will be complaining.
🚀 Typical performance improvements
Considering we didn’t get a processor boost with the black Apple Watch Ultra 2, we expect Apple to introduce the S11 chip with the Ultra 3 and Series 11 in 2025. That’ll be a notable performance improvement for the Ultra series since the Ultra 2 still uses the S9 SiP. Meanwhile, the glossy and thin Apple Watch Series 10 comes with the S10, so there will be a smaller year-over-year improvement for normal Apple Watch buyers.
As for what the S11 could enable, that remains a mystery. Obviously, Apple Intelligence is always a topic of discussion with new Apple products, and given Apple’s huge push into AI with the iPhone 16 series, there’s a good chance it’ll introduce new AI features for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 that could wind up being dependent on the power of the S11. This is all speculation, of course, but it would line up with Apple’s current track record of new products and their corresponding features.
In addition, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will likely be powered by watchOS 12, Apple’s next operating system for the watch. We don’t know what the company plans to include in the new software, but as per usual, we’ll know with time.
📐 The same design… probably
There’s been zero chatter about a new Apple Watch Ultra design, at least since last December when a random TrendForce report came out suggesting it would be thinner than the Ultra 2. In all likelihood, Apple will stick with the same design it’s currently using for the Ultra series, which means it’ll be as rugged and full of titanium as ever. We also expect natural and black titanium colorways with the Ultra 3, but there’s always a chance Apple adds a third color option to spruce things up.
When is the Apple Watch Ultra 3 release date?
We expect the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air in September 2025. No exact date has been revealed just yet, but stay tuned to The Shortcut to find out when it is.
Max Buondonno is a writer at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop.