The Apple Watch Ultra 3 didn't make it, but these are the upgrades for the Watch Ultra 2
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So, the last-minute rumors surrounding the next flagship smartwatch by the Cupertino giant turned out to be true: the Apple Watch Ultra 3 did not materialize alongside the iPhone 16 at the ongoing "It's Glowtime" event.
While the iPhone is undoubtedly the big, bright star of today, the Apple Watch Ultra is not easy to ignore. It's premium, it's large, it's durable, and – of course – it's capable. Now, the Watch Ultra 2 comes with several upgrades that could make it up for the third generation's absence today.
Apple did not reveal why the Watch Ultra 3 didn't make it; instead, the Cupertino masterminds doubled down on the Ultra 2 and suggested it should be the go-to choice for athletes because of its great battery life, the Action button, and "the most accurate GPS in a sports watch".
Also, the presenter reminded us of its custom workouts, heart rate zones, pacing features, and more: in short, they want us to know that the Watch Ultra 2 is great for cyclists, swimmers, skiers, snowboarders, and athletes of any sports. All the other core Apple Watch features that are available on the Apple Watch Series 10 with watchOS 11, will be available on the Ultra 2.
Finally, there's another color option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It's called Satin Black and Apple presents it as an "incredible deep dark finish". The good news is that the surface is claimed to be "extremely scratch-resistant" thanks to the special coating. Every Ultra case is made with 95% recycled Titanium Grade 5 – the same material used by the aerospace industry. The back is a matching dark zirconium crystal.
To round this new dark design, there are updated black bands with titanium hardware. There's a new Milanese Loop titanium, a mesh-like bijou that looks impressive. It's made from corrosion resistant material and designed for scuba. There's a parachute-style buckle with dual-side release buttons that close with an audible click. Cool!
The new Milanese Loop is available not only in Black, but in Natural (grayish) titanium hue. The Milanese Loop joins the Trail Loop, Alpine Loop and Ocean Band options.
Also, Apple extends its partnership with luxury fashion brand Hermes for the Ultra 2. There's a sleek dark-blue band with a titanium buckle and an exclusive Hermes maritime watch face.
Overall, there weren't many leaks and rumors about the alleged Watch Ultra 3 in recent months. Apple was quite cryptic about it, and this just sparks our imagination.
We didn't expect any major upgrades and serious improvements over its predecessor (the Apple Watch Ultra 2).
For example, even if the Watch Ultra 3 did materialize alongside the iPhone 16, we would not expect it to come with a different display. After all, the 1.92-inch OLED display (with peak brightness of 3,000 nits) is classy and capable. The maxed-out 3,000 nits feature does come with a certain fine print "Terms and conditions apply", though. Users cannot manually set the brightness to its maximum level of 3,000 nits on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Instead, this feature automatically activates in bright environments, adjusting the display for optimal visibility based on the surrounding light, regardless of the user’s brightness settings.
However, we did expect the Watch Ultra 3 to come with Apple's next-generation timepiece silicon: the S10 chipset.
The new dark Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799 for the GPS+Cellular option, you can pre-order starting today (September 9) and it'll be available from September 20, 2024.
While the iPhone is undoubtedly the big, bright star of today, the Apple Watch Ultra is not easy to ignore. It's premium, it's large, it's durable, and – of course – it's capable. Now, the Watch Ultra 2 comes with several upgrades that could make it up for the third generation's absence today.
Apple did not reveal why the Watch Ultra 3 didn't make it; instead, the Cupertino masterminds doubled down on the Ultra 2 and suggested it should be the go-to choice for athletes because of its great battery life, the Action button, and "the most accurate GPS in a sports watch".
Also, the presenter reminded us of its custom workouts, heart rate zones, pacing features, and more: in short, they want us to know that the Watch Ultra 2 is great for cyclists, swimmers, skiers, snowboarders, and athletes of any sports. All the other core Apple Watch features that are available on the Apple Watch Series 10 with watchOS 11, will be available on the Ultra 2.
What's new?
This Fall, we're excited to bring a stunning new finish to Ultra.
– Stan Ng, VP, Apple Watch and Health Product Marketing
Finally, there's another color option for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It's called Satin Black and Apple presents it as an "incredible deep dark finish". The good news is that the surface is claimed to be "extremely scratch-resistant" thanks to the special coating. Every Ultra case is made with 95% recycled Titanium Grade 5 – the same material used by the aerospace industry. The back is a matching dark zirconium crystal.
The new color is sleek indeed! | Image credit – Apple
To round this new dark design, there are updated black bands with titanium hardware. There's a new Milanese Loop titanium, a mesh-like bijou that looks impressive. It's made from corrosion resistant material and designed for scuba. There's a parachute-style buckle with dual-side release buttons that close with an audible click. Cool!
The new Milanese Loop is available not only in Black, but in Natural (grayish) titanium hue. The Milanese Loop joins the Trail Loop, Alpine Loop and Ocean Band options.
Also, Apple extends its partnership with luxury fashion brand Hermes for the Ultra 2. There's a sleek dark-blue band with a titanium buckle and an exclusive Hermes maritime watch face.
What did we expect?
The Watch Ultra 2 is a looker! | Image credit – Apple
Overall, there weren't many leaks and rumors about the alleged Watch Ultra 3 in recent months. Apple was quite cryptic about it, and this just sparks our imagination.
We didn't expect any major upgrades and serious improvements over its predecessor (the Apple Watch Ultra 2).
For example, even if the Watch Ultra 3 did materialize alongside the iPhone 16, we would not expect it to come with a different display. After all, the 1.92-inch OLED display (with peak brightness of 3,000 nits) is classy and capable. The maxed-out 3,000 nits feature does come with a certain fine print "Terms and conditions apply", though. Users cannot manually set the brightness to its maximum level of 3,000 nits on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Instead, this feature automatically activates in bright environments, adjusting the display for optimal visibility based on the surrounding light, regardless of the user’s brightness settings.
Things that are NOT allowed: