The first reviews for the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 are starting to come out, and they are universally praising of its battery life and its screen.
The 2024 update to the old Apple Watch Ultra 2 was so slight — it just added a new color option — that even Apple didn't call it version 3. It has now with the 2025 release, and the consensus of the first reviews is that it is both a worthy upgrade, and a worthy but.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
A Garmin-rivalling powerhouse
TechRadar writer Jacob Krol says he's been wearing the new Watch for a week and "can confirm that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is simply a powerhouse of a wearable, adding 5G, satellite connectivity and new screen technology to an already-winning formula."
Noting that this is still a review in progress and there's more testing to be done, Krol still says that this is "finally a proper upgrade for the most rugged, go-anywhere, climb-every-mountain Apple Watch."
UK tabloid "The Sun" is never one to be quietly understated about anything, but still it goes for saying the new Watch is worthy of Britain's special military forces.
"I test SAS-style gadget with two NEW ways to save your life," screams the paper's Sean Keach. "Don't even get me started on the battery life."
After the shouting start to the review, Keach does more softly note that "I love the Ultra 3's look, but it's arguably an acquired taste." He notes that it's much bulkier than the Apple Watch Series 11 and won't appeal to everyone, though "it's a real statement watch."
Battery life
Keach does eventually turn to the battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and calls it "incredible." While he seems to be quoting Apple more than his own week of testing, he adds that "you get a staggering 42 hours of battery life as standard... [which] is very impressive given the density of tech running on this device."
The long battery life also impresses British GQ, which also praises its OLED display. It [doesn't reinvent the concept of a tough-as-nails smartwatch, but it does soften some of its leftover rough edges," writes Robert Leedham.
GQ is as much into fashion as technology, so Leedham calls it "impeccably made." He also concludes that the update adds "a welcome sense of polish to what was already the most luxurious Watch available."
Brightest display
The review in Tom's Guide goes more for specifications than fashion, noting that "this is the Apple Watch with the brightest display... with up to 3,000 nits peak brightness that really makes a difference in sunny environments."
Noting that the Apple Watch Series 11 "can't compare if you're outside," writer Kate Kozuch, the review concludes that the new version "has the kind of upgrades that matter."
YouTuber iJustine says that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is her personal favorite of the three new Apple Watches. "It has the biggest Apple Watch display yet, and it's easier to read from more angles thanks to the wide-angle OLED and the new LTP03 panel."
She also notes that the new Liquid Glass design is "stunning" on the Apple Watch Ultra 3's larger screen.
Of course, iJustine is a self-avowed Apple fan, and also has a long history of reviewing Apple Watches. Somewhere that might be expected to be a little more standoffish is Hodinkee, a site that calls itself "the foremost destination for all things in the world of horology."
Writer Tantan Wang says that the new display should have come to the Apple Watch Ultra in 2024, and that this release is "better late than never." However, as a user of that version, he also writes that the "improved display is single-handedly making me reconsider eventually getting the Ultra 3."
At least it covered the new Apple Watch Ultra 3. At time of writing, the equally horology-focused Monochrome hasn't even mentioned the launch.
Somewhere between that dismissive ignoring of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and the gushing from The Sun and iJustine, there comes the UK's Daily Express.
This does give the new watch its top five starts, but then summarizes its review with "the best gets slightly better."
