At the September 2025 ‘Awe dropping’ event, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 3 – its most advanced Apple Watch. It’s available in natural or black titanium and a new collection of bands includes a Trail Loop design with reflective yarn along the edges, in addition to new colours for the Ocean Band and Alpine Loop.
If you have a more expansive budget, the Hermès collection also gets two new colours for the En Mer band and a new Scub’H Diving band in rubber with a titanium buckle.
Like the Apple Watch Series 11, Australian users don’t get hypertension monitoring (most likely as it requires regulatory approval) nor 5G support.
While the case size of the Apple Watch ultra remains unchanged from previous models the display is larger than any other Apple Watch. This is a big set forward given the Apple Watch Series 10 had a larger available display than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The display technology uses LTPO3 and wide-angle OLEDs making it the largest screen of any Apple Watch ever and brighter when viewed from an angle. The display borders are 24% thinner enabling a larger display without gaining extra weight or size.
As per previous models, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has satellite comms so users can text emergency services, message friends and family, and share their location, all while they’re off the grid. Importantly, Apple says this is the most accurate GPS in a sports watch – critical if you like getting off the beaten track.
Apple Watch Ultra 3’s two-way satellite communications can be used to text emergency services, message friends and family, and share their location.If Apple Watch Ultra 3 detects a severe car crash or a hard fall, and the user is unresponsive while off the grid, it can automatically send situation and location information to emergency services and emergency contacts, when in line of sight of a satellite.
With Find My via satellite, users can send their location once every 15 minutes to contacts previously added to Find My. In addition, with Messages via satellite, users can send and receive texts, emoji, and Tapbacks to friends and family, including anyone they’ve been in touch with over the last 30 days, while keeping the messages end-to-end encrypted. Users can also send SMS messages via satellite.
Apple continues to invest in crucial emergency infrastructure, including 24/7 relay centres staffed by safety professionals trained to the highest standards, and prioritises emergency and safety features in the event of natural disasters.
Other health and fitness enhancements such as Sleep Score, Fitness Buddy and other features that come as part of watchOS 26 are available with the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 supports athletes and adventurers of all kinds as the ultimate sports watch:
- Runners get the most accurate GPS in a sports watch; a customisable Action button that can be used for Precision Start or to mark segments; advanced metrics including vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and stride length; customisable Workout Views including Heart Rate Zones; Race Route; Pacer; an industry-first automatic track-running detection feature; custom workouts; training load; and more for workouts and races. Users can also benefit from third-party experiences like Nike Run Club; the updated Strava app that includes Live Segments; and custom workouts from apps like Runna and TrainingPeaks.
- Cyclists can easily view a workout started on Apple Watch as a Live Activity on iPhone and see metrics on the full screen — or connect a Bluetooth-enabled power meter or other cycling accessories to Apple Watch Ultra 3 — giving them more metrics and experiences, including cadence, an automatic estimate of functional threshold power, and Power Zones. Users can also track distance, speed, elevation, and heart rate.
- Swimmers can make use of automatic stroke detection, lap count, and a SWOLF score — a stroke count combined with the time it takes to swim one length of the pool, displayed in seconds — plus take advantage of custom workouts and view water temperature directly within the Workout app. Apple Watch Ultra 3 is certified to WR100.
- Hikers can enjoy offline maps on the trail — complete with turn-by-turn directions — as well as features like Waypoints and Backtrack GPS data in the Compass app.
- Divers can take advantage of the Oceanic+ app — developed in partnership with Huish Outdoors — which turns Apple Watch Ultra 3 into a dive computer for recreational scuba diving.
- Golfers benefit from the bright display and long battery life of Apple Watch Ultra 3. With a suite of third-party apps, including Golfshot, Arccos, and 18Birdies, users can access course information or tools and insights utilizing the high-frequency motion API to help improve their game.
Pricing and Availability
You can pre-order Apple Watch Ultra 3 today, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19. Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $1399, and is available in natural and black titanium.
New bands will be available to order today from apple.com/au/store and on the Apple Store app, with availability in stores beginning Friday, September 19.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.