Is the OG Apple Watch Ultratoo powerful and feature-packed for its own good? That's something we first wondered when the derivative Apple Watch Ultra 2 came out roughly seven months ago, and it's a question that's on our minds once again as the company's next big rugged timepiece is inching closer to its official announcement.
Previously rumored to rock a state-of-the-art microLED display not found on any smartwatch available right now, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is today tipped to bring "almost no" hardware upgrades to the table in the fall of 2024. That latter part actually contradicts the possibility of a 2025 release bandied about a couple of times before, but even though Ming-Chi Kuo steers clear of too many details, microLED technology seems out of the question now.
So what could the Apple Watch Ultra 3 offer?
This is all purely speculative, but if Kuo's terse "confession" to MacRumors proves accurate, we can see the third-gen Apple Watch Ultra up the raw power ante compared to its forerunners with a new Apple S10 chipset and otherwise "borrow" most of its hardware specifications from said forerunners.
We realize that doesn't sound particularly exciting, but just imagine if Samsung or Google released a rugged smartwatch with a massive 1.92-inch OLED touchscreen capable of reaching a peak brightness of 3000 nits. Now that would sound pretty amazing, and if you added a handy customizable Action Button and double tap gesture to the user experience equation, you'd probably be sold... at the right price.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 could well copy the design of the Ultra 2 (pictured here).
Well, that's precisely what the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is all about, and we obviously have no reason to expect anything less from this year's Ultra 3. Call it wishful thinking, but if "almost no" upgrades are happening, the exorbitant $799 price point could be taken down a notch, which would make this "boring" next-gen wearable device simply irresistible for millions and millions of prospective buyers.
On top of everything else, there's still a very good possibility that the non-rugged Apple Watch Series 10 (or Apple Watch X) will finally incorporate blood pressure tracking, sleep apnea detection, and perhaps even blood glucose monitoring technology, in which case the Apple Watch Ultra 3 would certainly adopt all these cutting-edge features as well.
Are we expecting too much from the Apple Watch X?
Probably. We know, we know, that (rumored) name hints at big things and radical improvements over last year's Apple Watch Series 9, but three major new health monitoring tools, more screen real estate, and longer battery life make up a very tall order for a single product revision.
Much like the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Apple Watch X could end up looking incredibly similar to its predecessor (both inside and out), and still dominate the global smartwatch market with relative ease.
The Apple Watch X may or may not share a striking resemblance with the Series 9 (pictured here).
That's because the Apple Watch Series 9 is arguably the best smartwatch... for most users today, and any upgrades (no matter how small) are likely to put the Series 10 at a big advantage over the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 family.
After going last year without an upgrade, the budget-friendly Apple Watch SE line is also expected to welcome a new edition this fall, but this is actually shrouded in an even thicker cloud of mystery than the Apple Watch X and Ultra 3. If history is any indication, the Apple Watch SE 3 could share a cutting-edge new S10 processor with its costlier 2024 "cousins", but that's really the only thing we can currently speculate on without the fear of being terribly wrong.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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