Apple has refreshed the Watch lineup with the Ultra 3, which arrived alongside the base model Series 11. Whether you’re new to the world of wearables or thinking about an upgrade, these models occupy a similar place in the market but ultimately serve a different purpose.
So which one should you choose? Let’s take a look.
The Ultra 3 Is Larger and More Rugged
With its 49mm chassis, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the largest wearable that Apple makes. It’s bigger in every dimension compared to the Series 11, and it only comes in two finishes, natural or black titanium. The Ultra 3’s heft and tougher shell make it more than twice as heavy as the lightest Series 11 (61.6g compared with 30.3g), and a third heavier than the weightiest Series 11.
Contrast this with the Series 11, which comes in both 46mm and 42mm sizes to suit just about any wrist. You can choose between aluminum and titanium, with the former being lighter by around 5 grams. There are four aluminum and three titanium finishes to choose from.
You only need to take one look at the 49mm model to see where this weight has gone. The Ultra 3 is a rugged wearable; it has a thick titanium band running around the edge of the display, and a chunky lump of titanium where the Digital Crown and Side Button reside.
By comparison, the Series 11 is far more nondescript. It can look like a sports device, a subtle piece of jewelry, or a plain old watch that’s designed to blend in with whatever you’re wearing. Both devices are compatible with a range of first- and third-party bands, but the Ultra 3 always seems to look like it’s getting geared up for some sort of adventure.
If you’re deciding on a watch purely with your heart, this is where your decision will be made. Take a look at the Ultra 3 and Series 11 and decide which of these you’d rather wear every single day. Since the Ultra 3 only comes in one size and has a rather aggressive look, it’s not going to be to everyone’s tastes.
Both Share Sensors and Hardware
Despite contrasting styles, the Ultra 3 and Series 11 share more similarities than differences. At the heart of the experience is the same S10 system-on-chip, which isn’t even new for 2025, having been introduced alongside the Series 10 in 2024. Don’t worry about it, the S10 is plenty powerful enough.
They both run watchOS, and they both have access to the same tricks you’d expect from a flagship wearable. This includes wrist flick and double tap gestures and a version of Siri that doesn’t need your iPhone to be nearby. Both have an always-on wide-angle OLED display, though the Ultra 3 manages an extra 1000 nits of brightness compared to the Series 11’s cap of 2000 nits.
There’s also a suite of sensors that enable the sorts of features that probably tempted you to buy an Apple Watch in the first place. This includes on-device GPS for tracking workouts and navigation, so you can leave your iPhone at home. The Ultra 3 has a slightly more accurate dual-frequency GPS, which could give you the edge in certain environments like a forest.
Both have a heart rate sensor that can take ECGs, the same optical heart sensor for taking your pulse and providing feedback like irregular heart rhythm notifications and hypertension notifications. There are temperature sensors for water and wrist temperature, which can be used to track your vitals while you sleep to reflect illness.
Both devices are water resistant, though the Ultra 3 can manage 100m of depth compared to the Series 11’s 50m limit. They both also have a depth gauge, though the Series 11 stops at 6m compared with 50m on the Ultra 3. The story is similar to the altimeter, which measures altitude to help you work out how far you’ve climbed on a hike; and the Ultra 3 has an extended range from 500m to 9000m.
Lastly, while both devices have a microphone, the Ultra 3 has three of them with wind mitigation so that you can bark instructions into your wrist in a blizzard (probably). You can see a pattern forming by now: the Ultra 3 is over-engineered to be an adventurer’s tool, whereas the Series 11 feels more like a lifestyle device that caters to the basic needs of the general population.
Also worth noting is that both offer blood oxygen readings, a feature that disappeared for a while in the U.S. as a result of a patent infringement dispute. Apple cleverly managed to circumvent the issue by processing the data gathered by the blood oxygen sensor on a companion iPhone instead.
The Ultra Has Better Battery Life
Since the Ultra 3 is a bigger wearable, Apple was able to allocate more space for a larger battery. As a result, Apple currently rates the Ultra 3 at 42 hours of battery life under normal conditions or 72 hours if you enable Low Power mode.
This compares favorably to the 24 hours quoted by Apple for the Series 11, which is up from 18 hours on last year’s Series 10 (a notable improvement). If you push it, Apple says you’ll be able to get 38 hours of continuous use if you enable Low Power mode on the Series 11.
While it might be tempting to enable Low Power mode, be aware that this greatly limits your wearable’s usefulness. When enabled, this will disable the always-on display, tap and flick gestures, background measurements for heart rate and blood oxygen (including when you’re asleep), low heart rate notifications, and more. This mode is perfect for extracting a bit more life out of your wearable, rather than something you should use all the time.
The Ultra Has Satellite and a Few Other Exclusive Features
The biggest change for the Ultra 3 over the previous version is the addition of Emergency SOS via satellite. This means that the Ultra 3 can now use the same satellite features available on the iPhone. Even in areas where there is no cellular network (and obviously no Wi-Fi) you can connect to emergency services using a satellite connection instead.
Your Ultra 3 will gather information about your predicament and your location, then relay this information to emergency services. You’ll also be able to send texts (both SMS and iMessage) over the network, plus use Find My to share your location via satellite if you’re venturing off-grid.
The Ultra 3 also has an extra speaker for louder audio, which enables the Siren feature to work. If you’re caught in an avalanche during a Red Bull-fueled ski trip, you can try to draw attention to yourself with this feature. These features are what really make the Ultra 3 stand out from the Series 11.
In addition to some Ultra-specific bands (which aren’t compatible with the regular Series, and vice-versa), the Ultra has a few unique Watch faces, a dark mode that preserves night vision by using a red light, and the Action button, which you can program to do things like start a Workout or trigger a Shortcut.
The Series 11 Costs $300 Less
For anyone weighing up these wearables, price will be another big deciding factor. The Series 11 starts at $399, which covers an aluminum version with a GPS chip. If you want to add cellular (which is 5G capable, just like the Ultra 3), that’s an extra $100. For titanium, you’re looking at a starting point of $699.
And that’s just the 42mm, with the 46mm version costing an additional $30 to $50, depending on the finish you choose. For your money, you get a choice of swimproof silicone or soft textile bands. You can also upgrade to a stainless steel loop or bracelet starting at $50.
The Ultra 3 starts at $799, with no option of reducing the price by picking a GPS-only model. All models of Ultra 3 come with 5G connectivity and a titanium chassis. Your only decision is whether you increase this to $899 for a titanium Milanese loop.
Which Watch Should You Pick?
What you choose to wear is a deeply personal decision, whether it’s jewelry, clothing, or a timepiece. But let’s pretend we’re looking at this perfectly logically for a moment: if you don’t need features that are designed with endurance and adventure in mind, you probably don’t need the Ultra 3.
Then again, you might want the possible battery life even if it means strapping a big chunk of titanium on your wrist and paying considerably more. If that sounds like you, the Ultra 3 is the best choice.
I made this decision myself a few years ago when Apple introduced the first-generation Ultra. Despite being immediately interested in the larger model, it took about 30 seconds of deliberation in-store to pick the Series 8 instead. Ergo, I’d recommend trying them on and seeing for yourself.
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- Brand
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Apple
- Heart Rate Monitor
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Yes
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers a new satellite feature, which makes updating friends and family easier.
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- Brand
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Apple
- Heart Rate Monitor
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Yes
The Apple Watch Series 11 offers the ability to sense high blood pressure and a sleep score similar to many health app competitors.
Remember that if you buy from Apple, there is no wrong decision since you can always return the Watch within the 14-day window for a refund or exchange.
