Will be a revolution: what features will Apple Watch Ultra 3 get

Soon, Apple is going to present a new generation of its Apple Watch Ultra smartwatch. And it is already known that Apple Watch Ultra 3 will not undergo drastic changes in terms of design. But the device will be significantly improved in terms of functionality.

The MacRumors publication told about the new features of the gadget. By the time Ultra 3 is announced in September, two years will have passed since the launch of the previous model. This means that the manufacturer has a lot of room for improvement. And here's what buyers of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 are likely to get.

Hypertension detection

Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman claims that blood pressure monitoring should be the next important health feature of the Apple Watch, which will first appear in Ultra 3. According to rumors, this feature will not be aimed at accurate blood pressure measurements. Instead, the gadget will monitor the dynamics of this indicator. If a person's blood pressure starts to rise, they will receive a notification.

It is known that undiagnosed hypertension is called a "silent killer" because it does not make itself felt for a long time and slowly harms human health. Early detection of the problem with Apple Watch can save lives. Apple smartwatches are now capable of detecting atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat, and they can be used to take ECG readings in one lead. A blood oxygen monitoring function is also available.

Brighter display with higher refresh rate

One of the consequences of Apple's decision not to update the Apple Watch Ultra in 2024 is that the Apple Watch Series 10 has surpassed it in terms of display technology. It seems very likely that Apple will at least match the Ultra this year.

The Apple Watch Series 10 features an always-on Retina LTPO3 OLED display, while the current Ultra model is equipped with LTPO2 technology. LTPO3 provides the Series 10 with a higher refresh rate in the always-on mode, which allows the second hand to be displayed on some watch faces.

Similarly, the Apple Watch Series 10 has a wide-angle OLED display, which allows it to be 40% brighter when viewed from an angle. It seems inevitable that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will get both of these improvements.

New chip

After two years without updates, it's likely that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will get a completely new chip. The current Apple Watch Ultra is powered by the S9 chip, but with the Apple Watch Series 10 2024, the manufacturer introduced the S10 chip. Although it is not more powerful than its predecessor, it is more compact.

The newer chip will free up internal space inside the Ultra for other components, such as a larger battery. If Apple chooses the S11, it could be more powerful or have new built-in features.

Satellite connection

Last year, Marc Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 would get satellite connectivity, a feature that is currently only available for the iPhone. This feature will allow Apple Watch Ultra users to connect to a satellite network to send text messages when cellular networks and Wi-Fi are not available.

Satellite connectivity will help Apple better compete with companies like Garmin, which offer specialized satellite equipment for use in emergencies when the user is offline. The Apple Watch Ultra is designed for hikers, divers, and adventure enthusiasts, and satellite connectivity for the device will be an important upgrade for them. Apple is probably hoping that this feature will be a key reason that motivates people to switch to the new Apple Watch Ultra.

5G connectivity

According to Gurman and Wayne Ma of The Information, Apple is planning to abandon the Qualcomm modem in the third version of the Apple Watch Ultra. The company is also in no hurry to switch to its own development. Currently, Apple plans to switch from using Qualcomm units to MediaTek units.

MediaTek's modem chip adds support for 5G RedCap, a 5G service designed for connected and wearable devices that do not require standard 5G speeds. Current cellular Apple Watch models continue to use 4G LTE.

Redesigned back and faster charging

The Apple Watch Series 10 introduced a completely redesigned metal back with a larger charging coil and built-in antenna. The Apple Watch Ultra, on the other hand, currently has a ceramic and sapphire back, not a metal one. It looks like the Ultra 3 will get this new Series 10-style back design. This will be done not least because this panel provides better cellular performance and faster charging.

The new metal back panel allows the Series 10 to charge to 80% in just 30 minutes – 15 minutes faster than the Series 9. With the old back design, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 took 60 minutes to charge to 80%.

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