Apple Watch Ultra 3 is almost here, and rumors indicate it should be very much worth the two-year wait between upgrades. Here are two reasons I’m leaning toward making Apple Watch Ultra 3 my first ever Ultra model.
#1: Bigger screen than ever before
Apple Watch Ultra has historically offered a significantly larger display than other Apple Watch models. But that changed last year, when Apple Watch Series 10 eclipsed it.
This year, however, all signs point to Apple Watch Ultra 3 retaking the screen size crown.
A leaked image in a recent iOS 26 beta revealed a brand new Apple Watch display resolution that no current model matches.
The new 422 x 514 resolution seems a lock for a larger Apple Watch Ultra 3 display.
As Apple Watch hardware and watchOS have gotten more powerful, I’m increasingly finding screen size the main constraint when using my Watch.
In the early days of Apple Watch, hardware and software limitations meant you were better off using the device passively rather than actively. It was good for notifications, tracking health data, and not much else.
But now with upgraded chips (including the expected S11) and watchOS 26, I love the idea of having as large a display as possible. Typing on a keyboard gets a lot more convenient with a larger screen, and you can fit more content on-screen at once. This also ties in well with my next reason to go Ultra…
#2: Ultra-exclusive watch faces
Even though my Apple Watch Series 10 offers a comparable screen size to current Ultra models, it’s stuck with watch faces that don’t reflect that.
Notably, the Modular Ultra and Wayfinder faces remain exclusive to Ultra hardware.
Apple might debut another new watch face for Apple Watch Ultra 3. But whether it does or not, Modular Ultra is what I really want.
If Apple made its Modular Ultra watch face available on my Series 10, I don’t think I’d buy an Apple Watch Ultra 3.
I appreciate my Series 10’s large screen for offering improved typing and other in-app experiences, but the lack of faces optimized for its display is a shame.
Top comment by Blurft
I upgraded from a Series 7 (46mm) to an Ultra 2 for two reasons - battery life and dual-frequency GPS for runs / hikes. Having used both, allow me to respond to the author's points:
Typing on a keyboard gets a lot more convenient with a larger screen...
Compared to a 45mm or 46mm Apple Watch, the typing experience is exactly the same. The extra millimeters of the Ultra does not make any appreciable difference. The keyboard is still a last resort when dictation misspells something.
...and you can fit more content on-screen at once.
Again, the extra screen space does technically allow you to display more content - like maybe one more line of a text message, or a tiny bit more of a map - but it's not enough to make a meaningful difference. My life changed exactly 0% going from the 46mm Series 7 to the 49mm Ultra.
Notably, the Modular Ultra and Wayfinder faces remain exclusive to Ultra hardware. Apple might debut another new watch face for Apple Watch Ultra 3. But whether it does or not, Modular Ultra is what I really want.
I use the Modular Ultra watch face, so I understand the appeal, but this is a terrible argument for buying the Ultra.
If Apple made its Modular Ultra watch face available on my Series 10, I don’t think I’d buy an Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Yeah, they know this. In this post you're basically telling them "Rather than be critical of this arbitrary withholding...I'll validate their approach and pay extra!"
"Silly" is the nicest way to describe the author's logic here.
The watch face is one of the most important features of an Apple Watch. So even though Modular Ultra is available on older Ultra models, it will feel like a huge upgrade if I buy an Ultra 3.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 as my next model: wrap-up
There are obviously plenty of other reasons to go Ultra this year. Battery upgrades moving from a Series 10 will be great. But I suspect I’ll still charge nightly out of habit, and my current Watch never has trouble delivering a full day.
New health sensors and connectivity features should be nice too. But as I consider buying Apple Watch Ultra 3 as my first Ultra model, the larger screen and Ultra-exclusive faces are the two biggest factors for me.
Are you thinking about buying an Apple Watch Ultra for the first time? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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