The Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. the Future of True Ultra Smartwatches

Apple’s latest high-end wearable, the Apple Watch Ultra 3, arrives as the company’s answer to what a premium rugged smartwatch should be. Launched alongside the iPhone 17 series, the Ultra 3 builds on Apple’s familiar design philosophy: a bold titanium case, chunky crown, bright display, and deep ties to the Apple ecosystem. It is, without doubt, the best Apple Watch to date. But when we place it in the wider context of 2025’s smartwatch landscape, one question persists: does it truly embody the word ‘Ultra’?

Apple positions its Ultra line as the pinnacle of smartwatch engineering. The Ultra 3 certainly feels refined, but refinement and revolution are not the same thing. The new features – a modestly larger OLED display with LTPO3 efficiency, faster charging, satellite SOS, and 5G RedCap connectivity – are useful additions. Yet, when we compare them against the aggressive innovations of rivals, Apple’s offering begins to look cautious rather than groundbreaking.

A Familiar Design with Incremental Gains

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 doesn’t stray far from the look of its predecessors. The titanium 49mm case, the bright orange Action Button, and the adventurous aesthetic remain unchanged. What’s new is a display that’s marginally larger thanks to slimmer bezels, offering improved outdoor visibility. Battery performance gets a small bump as well: from 36 hours on the Ultra 2 to about 42 on the Ultra 3, or up to 72 in low-power mode. A 45-minute charge now pushes the watch to 80%. Welcome refinements, but hardly disruptive.

More substantial is the adoption of 5G RedCap. Unlike conventional 5G, which chases speed, RedCap prioritizes coverage and efficiency for smaller devices like wearables. Paired with satellite SOS, these features make the Ultra 3 more appealing for outdoor adventurers and frequent travelers. But for many, it still feels like Apple is carefully rationing its innovations – enough to keep existing users happy, but not enough to redefine what’s possible.

Where Apple Holds Back

For all its polish, the Ultra 3 leaves clear gaps. Diving remains capped at 40 meters, enough for snorkeling but well short of professional-grade use. Battery life, while improved, still lingers around two days of real-world use, far behind rivals that stretch past four. Health tracking sees blood oxygen return after legal battles, but otherwise feels familiar. And perhaps most frustrating for consumers, Apple maintains its walled-garden approach, locking the Ultra 3 to iPhone owners and leaving Android users completely excluded.

These choices reveal Apple’s strategy: hold back features until they can be introduced as headline upgrades in future generations. It’s a pattern that works commercially, but for enthusiasts seeking the true cutting edge, it leaves them longing for more.

The Benchmark in 2025: Huawei Watch Ultimate 2

Enter the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2, a wearable that has quickly become a reference point for what rugged smartwatches can achieve in 2025. Its feature sheet reads like a wishlist Apple has yet to grant.

• A dazzling 3,500-nit display ensures unparalleled outdoor visibility.
• A case built from zirconium alloy, sapphire glass, and nanocrystal ceramic offers durability beyond titanium, with superior resistance to corrosion in saltwater environments.
• Diving capabilities rated to 150 meters, complete with advanced dive-tracking, technical modes, and sonar-based diver communication.
• An ambitious new X-TAP side sensor that delivers a full health scan – including ECG, blood oxygen, arterial stiffness, stress levels, and temperature – in a single 60-second check.
• Battery life that lasts 4.5 days with always-on disabled, or 60 hours with full features engaged. That’s nearly double Apple’s Ultra 3 endurance.
• A massive 867 mAh battery with full recharge in just about an hour.

On top of these, the basics are refined to perfection: stronger haptics, louder speakers, more advanced fitness tracking modes (from golf swing analysis to freediving). In short, Huawei isn’t merely iterating – it’s redefining what a top-tier smartwatch should deliver.

The Catch: Huawei’s Accessibility Problem

Of course, Huawei’s Achilles heel remains global availability. Ongoing restrictions keep its smartwatches out of the U.S. market, limiting them largely to Europe and Asia. For American consumers, the Ultimate 2 is more of a tantalizing vision than an attainable product. But its existence matters: it sets a bar, one Apple cannot ignore. And for those who can access it, the Ultimate 2 proves that the idea of a ‘true Ultra’ smartwatch is no longer hypothetical.

Lessons for the Future Apple Watch Ultra

So where does this leave Apple? The Ultra 3 is, undeniably, the best Apple Watch ever. Yet it’s not the best smartwatch you can buy in 2025. The roadmap for Apple’s next moves seems obvious, especially given Huawei’s aggressive innovations.

First, battery longevity. Apple has stayed around the two-day threshold for years. Huawei demonstrates that four to five days are possible without making compromises. Second, pro-grade diving features. Apple may eventually follow the iPhone Pro playbook, pushing the Ultra line deeper into professional territory. Third, health tracking reimagined. Huawei’s one-gesture full scan is precisely the kind of elegant, user-friendly feature Apple often excels at adapting and refining. If history is any guide, we may see Apple debut its own version in a future Ultra model, marketed as revolutionary despite existing elsewhere first.

The real question is not if Apple will introduce these features, but when. Apple’s strategy thrives on timing – waiting until it can fold innovations seamlessly into its ecosystem and sell them as indispensable. In many ways, Huawei may have already handed Apple the blueprint for the Apple Watch Ultra 4 or even Ultra 5.

Why Apple Still Wins for Some

Despite limitations, the Ultra 3 remains compelling for many users. The seamless integration with iPhone, the reliability of Apple’s ecosystem, and the polish of its hardware and software experience are unmatched. For those who value consistency, convenience, and compatibility above raw specs, the Ultra 3 will feel like the ultimate smartwatch. But for enthusiasts chasing the frontier of wearable technology, it’s clear Apple is playing catch-up to companies like Huawei.

In 2025, the Ultra 3 is a study in contrasts: Apple’s most advanced watch yet, but also a reminder of the compromises that come with the brand’s deliberate pace. Whether that trade-off feels worth it depends on whether you’re looking for the best Apple Watch – or the best smartwatch, period.

And for many of us, the frustration is that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 we deserve already exists. Apple just hasn’t built it yet.