2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch – or at least the existence of the concept. The first smartwatch from the Cupertino company was unveiled in September 2014 but went on sale in April 2015.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple may have a Watch X model planned for this year or next to celebrate, but what about the Apple Watch Ultra 3?
Here’s everything we know so far about the next iteration of Apple’s flagship smartwatch.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Price and release date
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that we should not expect the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in 2024 due to Apple’s lack of activity. He suggested that the company may need more time to develop “innovative health management features.”
But over the next seven months, Kuo changed his mind. An updated wearable will likely be released in 2024, he says — and we can safely assume it will be alongside the iPhone 16 in September, as Apple hasn’t deviated from that schedule in eight years of smartwatches.
With limited design information, prices are a bit more difficult to estimate. That said, the first two generations cost $799, and it seems unlikely that Apple will increase that already high entry price unless significant unknown upgrades are still hidden.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: design
Given that Apple has kept pretty much the same design for its first ten years of making smartwatches, it would be surprising if the company were considering big changes for the Watch Ultra 3.
However, there is one eyebrow-raising rumor regarding his appearance. According to supply chain market research firm TrendForce, the next model will be even bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and its large 1.93-inch panel. The December 2023 report claims that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 screen will grow by about 10%, reaching 2.12 inches.
Considering the current model already feels big on the wrist (our wearable guru Kate Kozuch writes about sometimes needing to take it off at night for a good night’s sleep), this seems like a bold move. But it’s unclear at this point how much of this increase in size can be achieved by shrinking the watch’s bezels or whether Apple has new ways to reduce weight, so it’s best to keep an open mind for now.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: specifications
Bad news: Unless Apple has been extremely effective at blocking leaks, it doesn’t look like the Watch Ultra 3 will offer any big, exciting new features. Indeed, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo warned fans to expect “almost no” hardware upgrades in the upcoming laptop.
Part of this could be related to the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Masimo over the blood oxygen monitor. Unless Apple finds a solution or comes to an agreement with Masimo, the widespread sleep apnea and hypertension detection may fail to make the Apple Watch this year, Ultra or otherwise.
However, a major update could still be coming. Last year, TrendForce predicted that the Apple Watch Ultra would adopt microLED technology on its display. This can be both brighter and thinner than OLED, which could be a pretty significant upgrade.
Is it happening this year? It is pending. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed it was canceled “for the foreseeable future” due to the disappointing performance of the scheduled supplier. But more recently, some reports suggest that Apple already has an alternative.
Given that another report suggests we may have to wait until 2026 for a microLED Apple Watch display, consider this slim possibility for now.
Apple Watch Ultra 3: Outlook
For now, it looks like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 update will be disappointing, with only the possibility of a microLED display on the table.
This isn’t entirely surprising: Apple Watch updates tend to be incremental from year to year, and the Apple Watch’s Ultra update “last year” wasn’t much to write home about.
But we’re still four months away from the first likely release date, and it’s possible that Apple has a few surprises up its sleeve. We’ll know in September.