Apple Watch Ultra 3 Boasts Best Ever Battery Life - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Boasts Best Ever Battery Life

Apple Watch Ultra 3 can last up to six more hours than the Ultra 2 on a single charge, giving it the longest ever life for an Apple Watch, according to the company.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 hero 250909
Announced on Tuesday at Apple's "Awe dropping" event, the third-generation Apple Watch Ultra has up to 42 hours of battery life with regular use, and can last up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode. For comparison, Apple Watch Ultra 2 has 36-hour battery life with regular use and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode.

Here's what Apple says about battery performance in its press release for the new model:

The power efficiency of the LTPO3-enhanced display, 5G modem, and larger battery deliver longer battery life. For daily use, Apple Watch Ultra 3 features up to 42 hours to support users while they are training, racing, or going about their day. In Low Power Mode, it continues to offer up to 72 hours of battery life. For continuous outdoor workout tracking, Apple Watch Ultra 3 now gets 20 hours of battery life in Low Power Mode with full GPS and heart rate readings.

In addition, Apple says that fast charging the device for 15 minutes provides up to 12 hours of battery life.

The new Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799 and is available to pre-ordered today, with shipping beginning Friday, September 19.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...

Top Rated Comments

Dave245 Avatar
7 months ago

Battery boost? LOL! I'll keep my Garmin which has more than 3 weeks battery capacity...
Yes but it’s not a smartwatch with all the functions that drain the Apple Watch.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7 months ago

Yeah, with the Apple Watch being a drone. Garmin has way more advanced analytics than an Apple Watch. And Garmin supports waaaaaaaaay more 3rd party equipment than an Apple Watch.

And in terms of "smartwatch" my Garmin watch does 99% of what I use my Apple Watch Ultra 2 for.

I only use the Apple Watch Ultra 2 if I have to "look good" as it looks better with the Titanium Milanese band that I bought for it.
i wouldn't even wear a smart watch if it didn't give me notifications for iMessage, HomeKit, and other notifications. You use yours for fitness, so naturally a dedicated fitness watch makes sense because it doesn't use battery for stuff you find unnecessary. An Apple Watch is far more than a fitness watch, which is why it can't do 30 days of battery. It is online constantly moving data. i doubt the Garmin bothers to wake up its radio until it's time to transfer data to a phone. They're apples and oranges. To me, the Garmin is useless because it doesn't do the smart watch features that I consider mandatory.

A more apt comparison would be a general purpose tablet like an iPad compared with a basic eInk Kindle. The Kindle is great for one thing, but one thing only while an iPad can run the Kindle app, but also a million other apps. The Kindle's battery lasts forever while the iPad has to be charged daily. It's the same principle. You buy what is important to you.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7 months ago
For many people it begins and ends with the battery life. The Ultra is perhaps not the military/5-day wilderness expedition Apple claims it to be but for city posers like me who want the illusion of such a lifestyle (in reality a couple of hours hiking every other weekend) it makes a big difference. 72 hours on the imperceptible low power mode means that you can wear it for a couple of days wild camping and not have the anxiety of it dying in the countryside.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
7 months ago

How impressive. Meanwhile, my Garmin watch has 30-day battery life. "Best ever battery" ... yeah right.
Comparing the Garmin to the Apple Watch Ultra is like comparing a drone to a commercial jet
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7 months ago
Battery boost? LOL! I'll keep my Garmin which has more than 3 weeks battery capacity...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7 months ago
It is positive but still poor. People who want it for fitness compare against Garmin's etc. I would definitely have preferred they kept it 2mm thicker and filled that space with battery. That would more than double the battery size.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)