When the Apple Watch arrived in 2015, there was no way to send or receive data without an iPhone or WiFi. Now we can talk about these things with the universe. It’s wild.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the first version that includes satellite connectivity, a feature introduced on the iPhone 14 just three years ago. It comes standard with all Ultra 3s, allowing you to contact emergency services without a cellular connection.
I’ve been testing the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Apple Watch Series 11 for the past few days. Check out the early impressions below.
satellite
This feature is free for two years from the date of purchase. Apple has not stated when or how much emergency SOS will cost via satellite. Also, the iPhone functions have not started charging. Instead, Apple recently extended the testing period for 14 and 15 models until September 2026.
There are four components when it comes to testing satellite connections.
- Connect your Apple Watch Ultra 3 to a satellite
- Contact emergency services using SOS via satellite
- Share contacts and current location via satellite
- Send a message to your contact via satellite
Active mobile phone plans are required for messages and sharing locations that operate through satellites when participating in 5G network coverage. On the other hand, satellite-mediated emergency SOS does not require active cellular planning.
Like with iPhone 14 and above, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 allows you to run a connection demo and see how your satellite connection works without an emergency. The demo will turn off the cellular radio and allow satellite connections temporarily. Otherwise, satellite connections are only possible if the cell network is not available.
Although there is no satellite app, the satellite functionality can be accessed from multiple locations. It is an action button if assigned as a clock complication, a smart stack widget, a control center tile, or a control. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is also recommended to establish a satellite connection if you are going out of your phone coverage.
Once called, the Connectivity Demo Experience allows you to connect to a satellite or practice emergency SOS via the satellite process. This experience also explains how the features of Message and Location features work.
For example, messages can be sent and received via satellite to send and receive an image or text message, to view conversations from the last 30 days, and to send and receive tapbacks and emojis. If CENSINCELOCER connectivity is not available, you can share updates every 15 minutes using a satellite connection.
The built-in two-way satellite connection experience is like an iPhone. Apple Watch Ultra 3 requires a clear, empty view to establish a connection. The system tells you the direction you want to travel to the nearest satellite (left, right, or redirect). If the connection fails, it can take up to 10 minutes for the next satellite (low Earth orbit) to be placed for potential access.
In most cases, the connection demo experience works perfectly. It doesn’t work indoors. In some cases, you may be able to see the sky, but nearby trees prevent the establishment of a connection. This requirement limits how useful a satellite connection is, but it’s still impressive that the Apple Watch can even do this with the iPhone.
For the first few days on the Apple Watch Ultra 3, I still couldn’t track the outdoor area without cell cover. This is pretty impressive for the cell coverage I’m testing in rural Alabama, but I’m sure I’ll come across a test area soon.
So I was unable to test the message and share the location via wild satellites. However, the satellite connection demonstration allowed us to test the process in a variety of environments. I couldn’t find a watch that was different from a mobile phone in terms of speed and reliability. This is a positive sign.
An emergency SOS via satellite is the final line of defense against falling off the grid when you or someone of you need help. Still, if you leave your phone behind, you can either damage your phone in an accident or just die the battery, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 can make the difference between being left behind and being connected.
The possibilities of salvation are all about the hardware. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 can also trigger emergency SOS via satellite without user input. For example, if a hard crash or fall is detected and it doesn’t respond, all fragments of emergency SOS can work together to find help when they can’t get off the grid and get help.
5g
Satellite connection is not the only new way the Apple Watch Ultra 3 connects. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 now supports 5G cellular connectivity for the first time. The iPhone 12 brought 5G connectivity to the Apple ecosystem in 2020. As of 2025, 5G will participate in LTE cellular connectivity for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch SE 3.
The lack of 5G on recent Apple Watch models is beginning to feel like a bigger omission as 5G coverage takes over LTE coverage. That’s why it’s great to see your Apple Watch add a 5G connection.
When connected to cellular, the cellular tiles in the Control Center will display either LTE or 5G depending on the network you are using. You can also view carrier and cell network types by tapping the status indicator in the Control Center.
According to Apple, the new 5G modems are more efficient while supporting faster internet speeds, but this is not something you would expect. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 dual antenna system can also respond to signal strength by using a single antenna when signal strength is high, and using both antennas simultaneously to maintain connection strength in the low signal range.
If cellular performance has been too reliable or power hungry in the past, there is a promise to add 5G connections. However, further use in more environments is required to reach conclusions.
screen
Another notable advance with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the display. With the surrounding bezel reduced by 24%, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 can regain the biggest display title on your Apple Watch.
This isn’t a dramatic increase in terms of screen real estate, but it does have the effect of making the Apple Watch Ultra 3 look more modern. The first two models were knocked from the start to have a thicker bezel than what the series models were used to.
Additionally, using the new display technology first adopted in the Apple Watch Series 10 last year, you can still see updates in Watch Face for a few seconds, even in display modes that are always on. This feature works with over 20 analog and digital watch faces, as well as stopwatch and timer apps. This is from three of the Apple Watch Series 10 from a year ago (zero in Apple Watch Ultra Models).
This is probably the hardware change I am most grateful for every day. Just like in the bezel situation, Ultra 2 feels older than Series 10 by spending a few seconds on every turn in a display mode that is always on. I’m happy that this cycle will make no difference.
battery
Other changes I’m grateful for come during the fees. The Apple Watch Ultra is already a powerhouse with battery life, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the longest battery life ever.
Apple says it expects up to 42 hours of normal use. This is comparable to up to 18 hours of normal use before the Apple Watch Series 10 and up to 36 hours on the first two Apple Watch Ultra models.
In my experience, the Apple Watch Ultra Battery Life was already a silly thing. A battery alert from a year ago will be displayed regularly with a battery that is 10% lower on a year-old battery several hours before the clock actually dies. Apple says new numbers will come thanks to a 6% increase in battery capacity, a power-efficient display and a 5G modem.
The Apple Watch Series 11 likewise will achieve the first battery life of the series model, promising normal use for up to 24 hours. This also saw an 11% increase in battery capacity on the 46mm model and a 9% increase in battery capacity on the 42mm model.
Both Ultra 3 and Series 11 also promise impressive fast charging statistics. With the Apple Watch Ultra 3, a 15-minute fast charging can provide up to 12 hours of normal use, while a 5-minute fast charging can support 8-hour sleep tracking.
With the Apple Watch Series 11, a 15-minute fast charging allows for up to 8 hours of normal use, with a fast charging of approximately 30 minutes at 80%.
Certainly, my use of the Apple Watch has not been normal since I tested the Ultra 3 and Series 11. So, while it takes more time to collect battery life performance data, the promise of more battery life is welcome. Stay tuned for insights in the coming weeks.
Watchos 26
Other aspects of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 arrive at the Watchos 26, the latest software version released this week.
Hypertension notifications are new to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 (available on Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 and above). For the first time, the Apple Watch can notify users of signs of chronic hypertension. It works just by wearing your Apple Watch for at least 14 days in 30 days. If a pattern of hypertension is detected, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and other supported models warn that a possible hypertension has been detected.
Sleep Score is also new to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and is available on all Apple Watch models running Watchos 26. A score between 0 and 100 is assigned after each sleep session, including NAP. The duration is 40 points, time on REM, 10 deep sleep, 30 consistent bedtime, and 20 minutes of sleep disruption.
The Apple Watch has been supporting sleep tracking for several years, and last year it added sleep apnea notification. The new Sleep Score feature is the first time Apple has provided more insightful information and reduces the need for third-party apps to not only achieve sleep duration goals, but also provide more insightful information and find usefulness in sleep tracking.
Ultra 3 conclusion
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is an impressive update to the already established Apple Watch line. Including even longer battery life, new display technology, and the first ever satellite connections of 5G and Apple Watch, this is a standout model in the overall lineup. It’s only a matter of time before we start learning about how satellite connections can help save lives.
If you have an Apple Watch Ultra Update, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a more important upgrade than Ultra 2. If it’s your first Apple Watch, or if it’s coming from a series or SE model, the powers of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be blown away.
Prices for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 remain unchanged at $799 for each model, including 5G and satellite connections. Prices vary depending on your band choice, but all Apple Watch Ultra 3s come with the same specifications.
Conclusion of Series 11
The Apple Watch Series 11 is less important than the Apple Watch Series 10, but it’s a major upgrade for those coming from older models. There is no satellite connection, but it gets 5G, double scratch-resistance glass on the aluminum model, the new space grey color shown in this review.
What’s surprising to me about the Series 11 upgrade is that it promises an improved battery life.
The Apple Watch Series 10 removed the magic trick last year by first thinning the Apple Watch.
Currently, the Apple Watch Series 11 maintains the same impressive case design while physically increasing the internal battery capacity with options of both sizes, providing up to 24 hours of battery life. This means that even if you use the Apple Watch Series 11 for 18 hours, you can still track 6 hours of sleep or 16 hours of Series 11 to track 8 hours of sleep.
It takes more time to collect your own data, but adding battery capacity to the new design from last year is impressive.
The pricing for the Apple Watch Series 11 has not been changed for the $399 model.
SE Triple value
The Apple Watch SE 3 is the third newer Apple Watch in this year’s lineup. Although we didn’t have time to test the new entry-level model, the Apple Watch SE 3 looks great on paper (and directly).
Get a constantly on display for the first time, adds sleep apnea notification, temperature sensing, wrist flick and double tap gestures, speaker media playback, 4x crack resistant glass, and optional 5G support.
Many of these features have only been introduced last year or two, with 5G connections being brand new this year, and the Apple Watch SE 3 is incredibly worth it on models priced at $249.
(TagStoTRASSLATE) Apple Watch Series 11 (T) Apple Watch SE 3
