REASONS TO BUY
Satellite SOS
Extensive feature set
Apple Health/Fitness UI
REASONS TO AVOID
Shorter battery life
Expensive
Less data screen customization
Apple Watch Ultra 3 Review
A smart adventure watch now with SOS satellite messaging, the updated Ultra offers unmatched everyday functionality for well-connected athletes and explorers
If you want a true smartwatch that you can take on adventures, there's no better option than the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
By Matthew Richardson ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 18, 2025
RELATED: The Best GPS Watches of 2025
Our Verdict
With its titanium build, improved signal strength, and expanded off-grid features, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 builds upon its predecessor while maintaining its status as the best adventure smartwatch available. Updates include a brighter, more efficient display, 5G connectivity, and the long-awaited addition of satellite messaging for SOS, two-way texts, and FindMy updates. Battery life improves modestly to 42 hours, and new health tools, including sleep score and hypertension tracking, further deepen its wellness focus. While it still favors smartwatch convenience over pure performance metrics, the Ultra 3 delivers the most complete blend of design, connectivity, and usability on the market. It remains the best option for folks who want an everyday smartwatch that can handle real adventure use.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 now supports SOS, two-way text, and FindMy location updates without a phone, all powered by Globalstar's LEO network. Battery life increases to 42 hours, and the new LTPO3 display boosts refresh rate while maintaining efficiency. The Ultra 3 also features a sleep score, daytime hypertension tracking, and 5G connectivity, further solidifying its focus on health, safety, and connectivity.
Two-way messaging or Find My updates via satellite require an active carrier plan. All Ultra 3 units will be able to initiate SOS regardless of carrier plan status.
Apple's intuitive user interface only adds to the efficiency of the Ultra 3 as a training watch.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Accuracy
The Ultra 3 offers excellent tracking precision, with improvements in both GPS signal strength and overall consistency. The dual-frequency GNSS performs well across a wide range of terrain, maintaining strong lock even in wooded areas, narrow canyons, and urban routes. Apple claims that the Ultra 3 doubles the signal power of the Ultra 2. Our data showed an exact match of 2.0 miles on our known 2-mile test course, proving that the Ultra 3 is one of the most accurate GPS units on the market.
Heart-rate accuracy remains among the best of any wrist-based sensor, responding quickly to changes in pace and maintaining steady readings during endurance efforts. There can still be small drops during rapid intensity changes, especially with wrist movement. Overall, HR data aligns closely with measurements from a Polar H10 HR monitor. Testing proved that the Ultra 3 was within an average of ±1 BPM of the chest HR monitor, while resting HR showed an exact match.
The Ultra 3's HR monitor showed a near match with our Polar H10 chest strap. Sometimes, the HR monitor takes a few seconds to calibrate when you first put on the watch, as shown in the graph. This quickly normalized and didn't impact overall accuracy.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Activity Use
The Ultra 3 sports one of the brightest and easiest-to-read screens I've used for training. The new LTPO3 display feels smoother without compromising battery life, and both the touchscreen and digital crown function well, even when moving or wearing gloves. Apple's Workout app and iOS integration remain the most polished setup in the category. The integration with Apple Health and Fitness is a huge plus, offering a great design and UI, as well as easy-to-understand trends. The Ultra 3 remains one of the best watches for city runs, gym workouts, and everyday training.
Where it still falls short is on more technical routes in the mountains. GPS and compass accuracy are excellent, but elevation and data field flexibility have remained largely unchanged. Data pages still don't resize when using fewer fields, and while offline maps are a nice addition, they lack the terrain detail found on Garmin or Suunto watches. The brighter display and smooth interface make navigation enjoyable, but it still leans more toward design than pure performance. That said, the new satellite SOS, two-way messaging, and waypoint tools make it a much more capable adventure companion than the Ultra 2 ever was.
The bright, wide-angle display makes it easy to read your stats, even in the middle of the day.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Everyday Use
With so many features packed into the Ultra 3, it could easily feel overwhelming to use this watch at first. Fortunately, if you can navigate an iPhone, you can use this watch. The interface feels familiar, and most customization happens through the iPhone Watch app, which remains the most streamlined setup of any platform available.
The Apple UI and software interface is one of the easiest to use. Here are some examples of common screens you'll use with the Ultra 3.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
The new S10 chip keeps the user interface fluid, and the improved on-device Siri now responds faster without relying on your phone. The side button now opens the redesigned quick-action menu, while the orange Action button can still be customized. I keep mine mapped to the flashlight for quick use on early mornings and for access during the night.
Apple continues to lead in daily health tracking. The new sleep-score feature offers a clear snapshot each morning, which is one feature I wish every watch included. Hypertension tracking will be available once the FDA approves the app, and Blood Oxygen is back after its use was paused in the United States. The Apple Health app remains the most polished and practical health dashboard available, consolidating everything from steps to HRV all in one place. It's also worth noting that Coros, Garmin Connect, and Suunto data can still feed into Apple Health, so you can use the app even if you're not wearing an Apple Watch full-time.
A sample of some of the health metric screens from the Apple Health App.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Extra Features
Apple continues to lead the category in total feature depth. With the Ultra 3, nearly every tool you could want in a GPS smartwatch is built in or available via third-party apps. The biggest new feature this year is satellite connectivity, which makes SOS available to all users. For cellular users, two-way text messaging and Find My location updates are also available. Cellular users will also notice speed increases, thanks to the addition of 5G on the Ultra 3. If you appreciate customization and applications that mimic phone functionality, this is the best option on the market.
Many of the smaller touches that made the Ultra 2 stand out return, refined in the Ultra 3 for improved usability. The on-device Siri is faster and now works offline. Apple Pay, downloadable music, and maps all function independently of your phone, and the Action button remains customizable. The red-mode feature remains one of the most practical additions for early mornings or late-night movement, and the screen's 3000-nit brightness still makes it one of the best screen-based flashlights available. New additions, such as offline topographic maps for hiking and cycling, expanded environmental sensors for temperature and altitude, and precision watch finding for the watch and other Apple devices, continue to make the Ultra 3 a standout GPS watch thanks to its extra features.
No other smartwatch has an app catalog comparable to the Ultra 3. Here's a look at my home screen.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Wearability
The overall design remains unchanged, so the Ultra 3 still feels great on your wrist. The 49 mm rectangular case is relatively large, but the thinner bezels make the display feel more balanced and less bulky than it looks. It's stable during movement, especially while running or mountain biking, and you don't have to overtighten the strap to prevent bounce. The titanium case is both lightweight and durable, and even after long runs and travel days, it remains comfortable to wear. Even on smaller wrists – I wear a size small – the rectangular profile sits naturally without digging into my wrist.
Apple's build quality continues to impress, and the new black color looks excellent. The titanium bezel withstands abuse with minimal visible wear, and the sapphire glass remains scratch-free even after heavy use. The buttons and large digital crown work well with gloves. Various strap options exist, and they are easy to swap. The updated 3000-nit display is one of the brightest you'll find, featuring an excellent always-on mode with vivid colors and contrast. This is the ideal model for anyone seeking a GPS watch with a premium design.
A front and back look at the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Battery Life
Battery life sees a small but welcome improvement – the Ultra 3 is now rated for approximately 42 hours of standard use, up from 36 hours on the Ultra 2. Using full GPS and no power-saving functions, I achieved 16 hours of continuous GPS recording. I could easily get two full days of mixed use with workouts, notifications, and the always-on display active. The charging speed remains unchanged, reaching 100% in as little as 76 minutes.
Low Power Mode continues to be the biggest boost for long days or travel, offering up to 72 hours of battery life while still tracking key metrics. Using dual-frequency GPS or satellite messaging does impact runtime, but not dramatically unless you're sending frequent messages. Compared to dedicated adventure watches, the Ultra 3 still can't match multi-day expedition runtimes. However, those watches can't match the display quality and feature set of the Ultra 3. Most users who appreciate smartwatch features will appreciate the balance of battery life and convenience.
The always-on display drains less battery in the past, but ultra runners should disable it for maximum battery life.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Should You Buy the Apple Watch Ultra 3?
If you want the most in-depth feature set and the easiest smartphone integration of any GPS watch, the Ultra 3 is the model for you. Battery life is the biggest constraint on the Ultra 3, but that's only if you plan to stay out for days – anyone near a charging source shouldn't fret. For folks who already own an Ultra 1 or Ultra 2, you may not feel like this is a worthwhile upgrade, unless you really want the satellite connectivity.
What Other GPS Watches Should You Consider?
If you want a GPS watch with a little more focus on exercise, we recommend the Garmin Forerunner 970. The 970 features more customizable data screens and performance metrics, and it feels lighter on your wrist than the Ultra 3 when exercising. For mountain and ultra athletes who need serious power, we recommend the Garmin Fenix 8 Solar. With 64 hours of GPS recording, you can wear the unit for a week or more without the need to recharge.
From the city to the ridgelines of southwest Colorado, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 easily handled the daily training routine of Matthew, our lead tester.
Credit: Matthew Richardson
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Apple Watch Ultra 3 versus top competing products:
—Matthew Richardson
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