Our iPhone 16 event live blog is live and running ahead of the big show later today, but it appears one anticipated device is missing: a reliable source is reporting that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 won’t launch at the same time as the new iPhones.
This comes from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who is typically one of the better-informed reporters on Apple. Given that we got the Apple Watch Ultra in 2022 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in 2023, it would be a surprise if there wasn’t a new version of the premium smartwatch for 2024.
That said, there will be a new version coming, sort of, according to Gurman: a black titanium option will apparently be unveiled for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Right now, it’s only available in a single natural titanium color as far as the case goes.
As you can tell from our Apple Watch Ultra 2 review , it wasn’t a huge leap forward from the original Apple Watch Ultra, so the lack of a third-generation product this year would come as an additional disappointment to premium smartwatch buyers.
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I don’t expect Apple to announce an Apple Watch Ultra 3 tomorrow. Instead, I expect the Ultra 2 to stick around and — finally — get a black color option. I also wouldn’t rule out a delay for the new Watch SE.September 9, 2024
Gurman also says there may be a delay for the successor to the cheaper Apple Watch SE 2, which launched in 2022. We were expecting an updated model to launch sometime this year.
What’s not mentioned is a reason why these smartwatch updates aren’t arriving today, so we can only speculate. Perhaps Apple doesn’t think there’ll be a significant boost in sales, or perhaps there are new Apple Watch Ultra 3 features that haven’t quite been finalized in time.
The Apple Watch 10 is almost certainly coming. New features rumored to be on the way for the wearable include a refreshed design, improved sensors, and the ability to detect potential sleep apnea issues.
It all means that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2 debate just got even more interesting. Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event gets underway at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (3am on September 10 for those in the AEST timezone), and as mentioned you can follow along via our Apple event live blog.