Price
This is simple. The Ultra 3 starts at $799 for the black or natural model with the Alpine Loop, Ocean Band, or Trail Loop straps. You can also spend an extra $100 for the Titanium Milanese Loop. Those are the same prices as the Ultra 2 at launch.
Winner: Tie
Design
The Ultra 3 and Ultra 2 are physically identical, measuring 1.93 by 1.73 by 0.47 inches (HWD). They have the same chunky (compared with the Series and SE Apple Watches) titanium case, featuring a prominent bump on the right side holding the orange-ringed digital crown and button. Even in terms of weight, there's at most a 0.2-gram difference between them.
Winner: Tie
Display
Apple says the Ultra 3 has the biggest screen of any Apple Watch to date. It's indeed a little bigger than the Ultra 2 in both size (1.93 square inches to the Ultra 2's 1.84 square inches) and resolution (422 by 514 pixels compared with 410 by 502 pixels). Apple narrowed the display borders (the unlit area surrounding the display) to allow for more active screen area without a bump in case size.
The Ultra 3 also switches from an LTPO2 OLED display to a wide-angle LTPO3 OLED, which should keep the screen looking bright even when viewed at an extreme angle. The Ultra 3 doesn't technically get brighter, though; it has the same 3,000 nits of peak brightness as the Ultra 2. The LTPO3 also allows for a faster refresh rate in always-on mode, increasing to once a second from once a minute in the last generation. This means you'll be able to see a ticking seconds hand on the Ultra 3 watch face even when your wrist is down.
Winner: Ultra 3 (Bigger, with more pixels and better visibility when viewed at an angle)
Connectivity
This Apple Watch generation marks the first one to feature 5G cellular connectivity in addition to LTE, which comes standard on the Ultra 3 (while the Series 11 and SE 3 have both GPS-only and cellular-equipped models to choose from). That's already a solid improvement from the Ultra 2, but the Ultra 3 adds another new ability with satellite connectivity that lets you send Emergency SOS and use Messages and Find My even when normal cellular service isn't available. It also features dual-band Wi-Fi 4 compared with the Ultra 2's 2.4GHz-only Wi-Fi. All of the other wireless features are the same on both watches: support for Bluetooth 5.3, second-generation ultra-wideband for precise location tracking, and both L1 and L5 GPS.
Winner: Ultra 3 (5G cellular, satellite, and 5GHz Wi-Fi)
Processor
Apple launched the Ultra 2 two years ago alongside the Apple Watch Series 9, and it's stepped up its silicon for wearables since then. The Ultra 3 uses Apple's S10 chip, an upgraded processor from the S9 found on the Ultra 2. The Ultra 2 isn't exactly sluggish, but it is a technical upgrade.
Winner: Ultra 3 (S10 is newer than S9)
Health and Fitness
Both watches are fully loaded for workouts, adventures, and health tracking, with no real changes between them. They have heart rate monitoring with new hypertension notifications to let you know if you might have high blood pressure, ECG measurement abilities, sleep tracking with sleep apnea notifications, and nightly wrist temperature tracking. Additionally, the blood oxygen sensor is now back and working after over a year of legal limbo.
For diving and hiking, the Ultra 2 and Ultra 3 also have depth gauge functions for up to 40 meters (with water resistance for up to 100 meters), a diving app, and an altimeter that can operate between -500 and 9,000 meters.
Winner: Tie
Battery Life
According to Apple, the Ultra 3's battery can last up to 42 hours, while the Ultra 2's can last up to 36 hours. The Ultra 2's number was lowballed pretty hard compared with our tests, in which it lasted 55 hours with the always-on display at maximum brightness. In testing, the Ultra 3 beat its predecessor, powering through 63 hours on a charge, or close to three full days.
Winner: Ultra 3 (It lasts even longer)
Should You Upgrade?
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 certainly has some eye-catching upgrades over the Ultra 2. The screen and the battery are both a little bigger, and the processor is newer. The most important additions, though, are the 5G cellular and satellite connectivity. More ways to stay connected and to send messages in an emergency when you're outside cellular coverage are a boon, especially for hikers. If satellite isn't a major selling point for you, however, you can keep your Ultra 2 and won't feel like you're missing out on much.