Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs $799, exactly what Apple Watch Ultra 3 cost when it launched in September 2025. For the same money you get an S11 chip in place of the S10, up to 50 hours of battery instead of 42, a new Health Sensing System and a 45-hour Max Extended Workout mode.
Ultra 3 introduced satellite features to Apple Watch a year ago, and Ultra 4 keeps them. Apple says the two years of included satellite service apply to Ultra 3 and later, so this is a sensor and battery upgrade rather than a connectivity one.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Ultra 3 specs
| Spec | Apple Watch Ultra 4 | Apple Watch Ultra 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $799 | From $799 |
| Chip | S11 with Secure Exclave | S10 |
| Battery, normal use | Up to 50 hours | Up to 42 hours |
| Low Power Mode | Up to 84 hours | Up to 72 hours |
| Extended Workout | Up to 25 hours | 25 percent less, per Apple |
| Max Extended Workout | Up to 45 hours, one-second GPS | Not offered |
| Satellite | Yes, two years included | Yes, two years included |
| Case | Natural or black titanium | Apple has not restated |
| watchOS 27 | Yes | Yes |
What is new on Apple Watch Ultra 4
- Health Sensing System: new optical and electrical heart sensors, heart rate every 5 seconds, HRV every 5 minutes, which Apple says is 24 times more often than before
- Readiness score from 0 to 10 with Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready and Go For It recommendations
- Audio Intelligence on the watch: Sound Recognition, Live Rewind, Siri Recap and Shazam, processed in the S11’s Secure Exclave
- Charging that gives 18 hours from 15 minutes
- GPS that Apple calls the most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch
- New Trail Loop, Alpine Loop and Ocean Band colors, and a Hermès edition with a Grand H titanium band
Apple also cites a study of more than 1,000 participants, run in July and August 2026, that found Apple Watch to be the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable versus leading competitors. Apple has not published how Ultra 3 performed in that study.
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What Ultra 3 owners get anyway with watchOS 27
watchOS 27 arrives as a free update on Monday, September 14, and it supports Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later. That brings Siri AI with personal context in beta, the dynamic app grid, the single-handed tap gesture for the Smart Stack and Workout Buddy without a nearby iPhone to Ultra 3.
The new Health app in iOS 27, with its Longevity tab and Health Age, also works with existing Apple Watch models. Apple has not said whether the Readiness score, the 25-hour Extended Workout figure or Max Extended Workout mode will reach Ultra 3 through software.
Is Apple Watch Ultra 4 worth upgrading from Ultra 3?
If you bought Ultra 3 for satellite and long battery, you keep the satellite and give up 8 hours against the new model. The reasons to upgrade are the new heart sensors, the Readiness score and the 45-hour race mode, and those matter most if you train for multi-day events.
Owners of Ultra 2 or earlier get a larger jump, but Apple has not published weight, display or brightness figures for Ultra 4, so a full comparison will have to wait for the specifications page. Pre-orders are open today, and Ultra 4 is in stores Friday, September 18. Apple Watch Series 12, which shares the S11 and the same sensors at $399, is the other option to weigh, and our event recap covers the rest of the day.
