Apple introduced an all-new Apple Watch Ultra today at its highly anticipated product launch event, positioning the updated model as “the ultimate sports and adventure watch” for extreme outdoor activities and professional athletes. The Ultra announcement caps off Apple’s comprehensive Apple Watch lineup refresh that includes the Series 11 and SE 3.
The new Apple Watch Ultra 3 represents Apple’s most rugged and capable wearable device, designed to seamlessly transition from sports watch to smartwatch to health monitor. The Ultra 3 is engineered for users who push the boundaries of what’s possible with wearable technology in challenging environments.
Ultra 3: Largest Display Ever in Apple Watch
The Ultra 3 features the largest display ever incorporated into an Apple Watch, utilizing Apple’s most advanced technology with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3. The new display technology delivers significantly improved readability when viewed at angles, making it crucial for checking pace in bright sunlight or reading depth measurements underwater.
Apple achieved the larger screen area by reducing border thickness without changing the overall case size, maximizing the usable display space. The advanced LTPO3 technology allows the display to refresh more frequently in always-on mode without impacting battery life, enabling features like real-time seconds display on watch faces.
New Waypoint Watch Face for Navigation
The Ultra 3 introduces a new Waypoint watch face that dynamically shows points of interest in relation to the user’s location. This navigation-focused feature is designed specifically for outdoor adventurers and athletes who rely on precise location awareness during activities.
Enhanced Workout Experience with AI Integration
The Workout app receives significant upgrades in the Ultra 3, making it faster to customize training views and access personalized feedback. The integration of Workout Buddy, a generative AI voice powered by Apple Intelligence, delivers personalized motivation and coaching during workouts based on individual performance data and goals.
Advanced Connectivity for Remote Adventures
The Ultra 3 maintains connectivity even in remote locations through enhanced 5G cellular technology that provides broader coverage and faster data speeds compared to previous generations. This connectivity ensures users can stay connected during extreme outdoor activities and emergency situations.
Breakthrough Satellite Connectivity for Off-Grid Communication
The Ultra 3 introduces what Apple calls a “huge leap forward” with satellite connectivity, enabling communication when users venture completely off the grid. This breakthrough technology allows users to stay safe and maintain contact with loved ones using satellite connections in available countries and regions.
Apple redesigned the radio and antenna systems to double the signal strength, enabling the Ultra 3 to communicate with satellites positioned 800 miles above Earth. The engineering achievement of fitting satellite connectivity into such a compact device represents a significant technological advancement for wearable devices.
Emergency SOS via satellite comes included with the Ultra 3, providing critical safety capabilities for remote adventures. Users can also send messages and share their location through Find My, ensuring connectivity during backcountry skiing, trail running, and other extreme outdoor activities where traditional cellular coverage is unavailable.
Extended Battery Life and Premium Materials
The Ultra 3 delivers exceptional battery performance with up to 42 hours of battery life, nearly doubling the typical Apple Watch endurance for extended outdoor adventures and multi-day activities. This extended power capacity supports the demanding satellite connectivity and advanced display features without compromising performance.
Apple will offer the Ultra 3 in black and natural titanium finishes, crafted using an innovative 3D printing process that utilizes 100 percent recycled titanium. This manufacturing approach demonstrates Apple’s commitment to environmental sustainability while maintaining the premium materials and durability expected from the Ultra line.
The combination of satellite connectivity, the largest Apple Watch display ever, AI-powered workout coaching, and extended battery life positions the Ultra 3 as the most capable adventure watch Apple has ever created, setting a new standard for wearable technology in extreme environments.
Apple Watch Series 11 Introduces Revolutionary Hypertension Detection and 5G Connectivity
Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 11 during today’s keynote, positioning the new wearable as the most advanced health monitoring device the company has ever created. The announcement comes as part of Apple’s broader focus on design-driven innovation that CEO Tim Cook emphasized throughout the keynote.
The Series 11 represents what Apple calls “the best watch in the world made even better,” introducing breakthrough health monitoring capabilities alongside significant hardware improvements that make it both more durable and more connected than any previous Apple Watch generation.
Revolutionary Hypertension Detection Changes Health Monitoring
The most significant announcement centers on Apple Watch Series 11’s ability to detect high blood pressure, a feature that could impact the lives of the 1.3 billion adults worldwide who suffer from hypertension. The American Heart Association has called hypertension a “silent killer” because it often presents no obvious symptoms.
Apple’s new hypertension detection works entirely in the background using data from the optical heart sensor. The advanced algorithm analyzes how blood vessels respond to heartbeats, looking for chronic high blood pressure patterns over 30-day periods. When patterns consistent with hypertension are identified, the watch will notify users, potentially alerting them to a condition they didn’t know they had.
The technology was developed using advanced machine learning methods and validated through studies involving over 100,000 participants. Apple expects the feature to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension in its first year alone, empowering them to make life-saving behavioral changes or seek medical treatment.
FDA clearance is expected soon, with availability planned for 150 countries and regions this month, including the United States and Europe.
Enhanced Sleep Analysis with Sleep Score
Apple Watch Series 11 also introduces Sleep Score, a comprehensive sleep quality analysis system that goes beyond basic sleep tracking. The feature analyzes multiple factors including sleep duration, bedtime consistency, wake frequency, and time spent in different sleep stages to provide users with both a numerical score and actionable guidance for improvement.
The Sleep Score system was developed using over 5 million nights of sleep data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study, with guidance from leading sleep experts including the World Sleep Society. Users receive detailed breakdowns showing exactly how their score was calculated, making it easy to understand specific areas for improvement.
Hardware Improvements Focus on Durability and Connectivity
The Apple Watch Series 11 introduces several significant hardware advances, starting with what Apple calls “the thinnest and most comfortable watch” the company has ever made, while simultaneously making it more durable than previous generations.
The durability improvements center on Apple’s proprietary Ionex glass, described as “the toughest in the industry.” A custom Apple-designed ceramic coating bonds to the glass at an atomic level, making the watch face twice as scratch-resistant as the previous generation. The enhancement makes the watch better suited for everyday use and active lifestyles.
Connectivity receives a major upgrade with the integration of 5G cellular technology. The new 5G modem and antenna architecture improve performance while providing expanded coverage. The 5G implementation is also more power efficient than previous cellular generations, using less battery power for connectivity. Major carrier partners will support 5G on Apple Watch Series 11 at launch.
New Software Features and Design Elements
The Series 11 ships with watchOS 26, bringing new features and intelligence alongside elegant design updates. Two new watch faces highlight Apple’s design evolution: Flow uses liquid glass numerals to create beautiful refracting swirls of color, while Exactograph offers a modern interpretation of traditional regulator clocks that separate hours, minutes, and seconds for precise timekeeping.
The watch maintains Apple’s comprehensive health feature set, including heart monitoring, hearing protection, cycle tracking, and mental health tools, while adding the breakthrough hypertension detection and enhanced sleep analysis capabilities.
Market Impact and Positioning
Apple’s focus on health monitoring with the Series 11 represents a strategic expansion of the Apple Watch’s role from fitness tracker to comprehensive health device. The hypertension detection capability alone positions the watch as a medical device capable of identifying serious health conditions that users might otherwise never discover.
The timing aligns with Apple’s broader design philosophy emphasized throughout today’s event, where CEO Tim Cook stated that design “goes beyond just how something looks or feels” to encompass “how it works.” The Series 11 exemplifies this philosophy by making advanced health monitoring seamless and automatic.
Extended Battery Life and Sustainability Focus
Apple addressed one of the most common user requests with the Series 11 by re-engineering the battery system to deliver up to 24 hours of battery life. This improvement allows users to wear the watch continuously throughout the day and night, supporting the comprehensive health monitoring features that require constant sensor activity.
The extended battery life is particularly important for the new sleep tracking and hypertension detection features, both of which require continuous monitoring to provide accurate data and insights.
Design Options and Environmental Commitment
The Apple Watch Series 11 will be available in multiple finish options, showcasing Apple’s commitment to both style and environmental responsibility. Standard models come in jet black, silver, rose gold, and a new space gray finish, all crafted from 100 percent recycled aluminum.
For users seeking premium options, Apple offers polished cases made from 100 percent recycled titanium in natural, gold, and slate finishes. The company emphasized its environmental commitment by using entirely recycled materials for the watch cases.
The fall 2025 release includes a refreshed color palette across Apple’s entire band lineup. Notable additions include updated Nike Sport Band and Nike Sport Loop options, with the Sport Loop now featuring reflective yarn woven throughout the fabric for enhanced visibility during nighttime activities.
Apple also announced a new Hermes collaboration featuring a Jacquard knit band with matching watch face that displays whimsical animations set in the iconic Hermes Paris store, adding a luxury option that combines fashion with technology.
Comprehensive Health Platform Expansion
The Series 11 represents Apple’s most comprehensive approach to health monitoring, building on existing features like heart rate monitoring, hearing protection, cycle tracking, and mental health tools while adding the revolutionary hypertension detection and enhanced sleep analysis capabilities.
This positions the Apple Watch as moving beyond a fitness accessory toward a legitimate medical monitoring device capable of identifying serious health conditions before they become critical. The hypertension detection alone could have massive public health implications, given that high blood pressure affects over one billion people globally and often goes undiagnosed.
The integration of multiple health monitoring systems into a single wearable device represents a significant step toward Apple’s vision of comprehensive personal health management through technology.
Apple Watch SE 3 Brings Premium Features to Entry-Level Pricing
Apple also announced the Apple Watch SE 3, positioning it as the most accessible way for users to experience Apple Watch capabilities. The SE 3 represents a significant upgrade from previous SE models, bringing several premium features to Apple’s most affordable watch option.
The most notable improvement comes from the integration of Apple’s most powerful watch chip, the S10 processor, which enables features previously exclusive to higher-end models. This processing power upgrade allows the SE 3 to support advanced capabilities that were not possible in earlier SE generations.
Always-On Display Comes to SE Series
For the first time in the SE lineup, Apple Watch SE 3 includes an always-on display, allowing users to read the time and view watch faces without needing to wake the display. This feature has been a significant differentiator for the premium Series models and represents a major value enhancement for the SE line.
The always-on display functionality is made possible by the S10 chip’s improved power efficiency, ensuring that battery life remains acceptable despite the constant display activity.
Enhanced Interaction with Gesture Controls
The S10 processor also enables gesture-based controls on the SE 3, including double tap and wrist flick functionality. These gestures allow users to control their watch with just one hand, making it more convenient to interact with the device during activities or when the other hand is occupied.
The gesture control system represents sophisticated motion sensing technology that analyzes subtle wrist movements to trigger specific actions, bringing premium interaction methods to the entry-level watch.
Core Health and Safety Features Maintained
Apple emphasized that the SE 3 maintains the essential health and safety features that make Apple Watch valuable for users across all price points. The watch includes heart rate notifications and fall detection capabilities, ensuring that basic health monitoring and emergency features remain accessible to budget-conscious consumers.
These core features ensure that the SE 3 continues to serve as a legitimate health monitoring device rather than simply a scaled-back fitness tracker, maintaining Apple’s commitment to health accessibility across its product range.
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