Rumors about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 suggest this could be a seriously disappointing upgrade
According to the rumor mill, an Apple Watch Ultra 3 launch was on the cards this year – and new speculation suggests that, although it’s now on track for a September unveiling, it could be a very minor upgrade.
That’s what the largely reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo apparently told us MacRumors that the Watch Ultra 3 will have “almost no” hardware upgrades from the current Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Unfortunately, the analyst didn’t share any further details, but that speculation follows a recent theme where the prospect of a microLED screen improvement seems increasingly unlikely for Apple’s most powerful smartwatch.
Of course, we don’t know what software upgrades Apple is planning for watchOS 11. Or whether Apple could make another hardware tweak, such as a new, smaller alternative to the current model’s rather chunky 49mm case.
It’s also possible that the Watch Ultra 3 will ship with an S10 chip (most likely a rebranded version of the S9), which would qualify as a very minor hardware change. But overall, it sounds like Apple’s next flagship smartwatch will be a somewhat disappointing upgrade – especially if Samsung, as it has hinted lately, launches a Galaxy Watch Ultra at its next Galaxy Unpacked event, which is expected to take place on July 10 will take place.
Have we reached peak Ultra?
Not long ago, it seemed more likely that we wouldn’t see an Apple Watch Ultra 3 at all this year, when analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in October 2023 that the chances of it releasing in 2024 were “decreasing.”
This was apparently due to delays for new features such as a micro LED display and “innovative health management features”. Well, it now sounds likely that those bigger upgrades won’t be coming this year, but that Apple plans to launch a slightly updated Ultra model anyway.
That’s not exactly a disaster if you’re looking for a powerful, rugged smartwatch that can handle most outdoor adventures – our Apple Watch Ultra 2 review called it “the best Apple Watch ever” with “the world’s best smartwatch screen.”
But considering that the Ultra 2 itself was only a minor upgrade, it would be somewhat disappointing if Apple were to repeat the trick again this year. It seems, as Ny Breaking’s Fitness & Wearables editor Matt Evans recently argued, that we’re reaching the peak of smartwatches when it comes to hardware, with the best smart rings now being the more exciting wearables.
Still, that hasn’t stopped Samsung from stating that it plans to launch ‘new premium models’ in the smartwatch category in the second half of this year, with the Galaxy Watch 7 even tipped to monitor blood sugar levels.
Considering that Apple recently had to start shipping the Watch Series 9 in the US without the banned blood oxygen sensor due to a patent dispute, the company’s wearables could face their toughest battle yet this year.