If you read our AirPods Pro 3 piece, you know Apple has been sneaking gym coach energy into gadgets. Now the watches are doubling down with bigger brains, new health tricks, and batteries that do not flake out at halftime. The new lineup—Ultra 3, Series 11, and SE 3—covers all bases, from off-grid adventures to boardroom flexing, and even those who just want an Always-On display without selling a kidney.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
Ultra 3 is the outdoorsy one that treats weekends like a survival show. It adds two-way satellite communications for off-grid texting and Emergency SOS via satellite, with links to birds flying 800 miles above Earth, which is about 1,287 km, moving at roughly 24,140 km/h. The display grows to the largest ever in an Apple Watch with an LTPO3 wide-angle OLED that refreshes once per second in always-on mode for a proper ticking seconds hand.
Battery life reaches up to 42 hours, or up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. GPS accuracy gets the “most accurate in a sports watch” crown, while 5G steps in when you are back on the grid. Ultra 3 holds WR100 water resistance, which is 100 m or about 328 ft, plays nice with Oceanic+ for recreational diving, and keeps the Action button ready for Precision Start. Fast charging gives up to 12 hours from 15 minutes. Natural or black titanium cases keep things tough without the brick-on-wrist vibe.
Apple Watch Series 11
Series 11 is the daily driver that learned new health tricks. It introduces hypertension notifications to flag consistent signs of chronic high blood pressure and a new sleep score that rates your nightly performance with actual science. Battery life stretches up to 24 hours, fast charging adds about eight hours in 15 minutes, and the aluminum models get Ion-X cover glass that is 2x more scratch-resistant. There is 5G for quicker downloads and a stronger signal with a redesigned antenna.
Sizes are 42 mm and 46 mm, which translates to about 1.65 in and 1.81 in, with aluminum in space gray, jet black, rose gold, and silver, plus polished titanium in natural, gold, and slate. Workout Buddy arrives with spoken, personalized motivation so your wrist can tell you to pick up the pace without sounding like a spin instructor with a fog machine.
Apple Watch SE 3
SE 3 is the gateway watch that stopped acting basic. It finally gets an Always-On display powered by the S10 chip, fast charging up to 2x quicker than before, and 5G that sips power more politely. Health features upgrade with sleep score, wrist temperature sensing, retrospective ovulation estimates, and sleep apnea notifications that review 30-day patterns.
Case options remain 40 mm and 44 mm, which are about 1.57 in and 1.73 in, in midnight and starlight aluminum. The cover glass is now up to 4x more crack-resistant, on-device Siri is snappier, double-tap and the new wrist flick gesture make one-handed tasks easy, and yes, it can play music or podcasts straight from the speaker for quick hits.
Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders are live now, with availability starting September 19. Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at 799 US dollars, Apple Watch Series 11 starts at 399 US dollars, and Apple Watch SE 3 starts at 249 US dollars.
Images: Apple.