Best Apple Watch (2025): Buyer’s Guide to the Series 11, SE 3, and Ultra 3

If you’ve ever gone camping, walked 20 yards from your campsite to pee behind a tree, and looked up and found you were completely lost in the dark, then the new Watch Ultra 3 is for you. It now features satellite messaging, which I tested on a weekend camping trip, and it’s a significant improvement over the satcom on your phone. Your watch is more likely to be on your body in the event of an emergency, and battery life is significantly better on the Watch Ultra 3 – now just 36 to 42 hours on the Watch Ultra 2.

It has the largest display of any Apple Watch, which is better for viewing maps offline. It also has the same distinctive design as the original, including a three-mic array for taking calls while on a ski lift and diving capabilities. Like the Series 11, it has 5G connectivity in addition to Satcom, Hypertension notifications, and all the features of watchOS 26. Still, while I don’t usually recommend that you should buy the latest Apple Watch, this year I think battery life and Satcom are two very important reasons to upgrade. On a weekend trip, I didn’t mind battery usage, freely using the Watch Ultra 3 off-grid to navigate a several-hour car ride, track several trail runs and hikes, and send satellite texts, and it lasted from Friday morning to Sunday morning. Like the Series 11, the Watch Ultra 3’s titanium case is also 3D printed for greater material efficiency.

It is now a true weekend watch, fulfilling the promise made by the Watch Ultra several years ago.

Specifications and Features
Case Size: 49mm
Color and Finish: titanium | natural or black
High blood pressure information: Yes
Blood Oxygen Sensing: Yes
Skin temperature sensing: Yes
ECG: Yes
Satellite message: Yes



<a href

Leave a Comment