The short answer: the Ultra 4 lasts longer, but not by much. Apple rates it at up to 50 hours of normal use, against 42 hours for the Ultra 3. The case, screen, 64GB storage and satellite features are the same. What the extra money buys is the S11 chip, daily Readiness and recovery tracking, and a bigger gain on very long workouts. If you do not need those, buy the Ultra 3 while a store has it on sale.
We did not test either watch. The facts come from Apple and the sources at the end.
What is new
Apple announced the Apple Watch Ultra 4 on September 9, 2026, and it went on sale on September 18 from $799. That is the same US starting price the Ultra 3 had at launch in 2025. Apple's main Apple Watch page now lists the Series 12, Ultra 4 and SE 3 as current models, and MacRumors calls the Ultra 3 discontinued. So any new Ultra 3 you find is retailer stock.
On November 4, 9to5Toys reported the Ultra 3 at $549 (was $799) at Amazon and Best Buy, with the Ultra 4 at $699 to $799 at Amazon. At Amazon, its list had $549 for the Natural Blue Ocean model and $649 for Milanese Loop models. Best Buy's $549 deal was labelled "today only". 9to5Toys' intro and its list name different Amazon bands for the $549 price, so check the exact model. Deals move fast. Always check the live price on the Amazon page.
Key dates
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Sep 9, 2025 | Apple announces Ultra 3 at $799. On sale Sep 19 |
| Sep 9, 2026 | Apple announces Ultra 4 at $799 |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Ultra 4 goes on sale |
| Nov 3, 2026 | watchOS 27.3 beta 1 adds Live Rewind and Siri Recap for the Ultra 4 (MacRumors) |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 9to5Toys reports Ultra 3 at $549 to $649 and Ultra 4 at $699 to $799 |
| Nov 27, 2026 | Black Friday. No Apple Watch deal is confirmed yet |
Specs side by side
Only the real differences are below.
| Ultra 4 | Ultra 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | S11 | S10 |
| Memory (MacRumors) | 4GB | 2GB |
| Battery, normal use (Apple) | Up to 50 hours | Up to 42 hours |
| Battery, Low Power Mode (Apple) | Up to 84 hours | Up to 72 hours |
| 15-minute charge (Apple) | Up to 18 hours of use | Up to 12 hours of use |
| Readiness score and Recovery HRV | Yes | No |
| Background heart rate | Every 5 seconds | Standard tracking |
| Audio Intelligence (Live Rewind, Siri Recap, Sound Recognition) | Yes (some in beta) | No |
| Weight, natural titanium | 63.0 g | 61.6 g |
| Satellite positioning (MacRumors) | Drops GLONASS | Includes GLONASS |
| US launch price | $799 | $799 |
Same on both, per Apple's compare page: 49mm titanium case, 3,000-nit always-on display, 64GB storage, 100-meter water resistance, dual-frequency GPS, 5G-capable cellular, satellite SOS and messaging, ECG, blood oxygen, hypertension and sleep apnea notifications, and sleep score. For how the new Health Sensing System works, see our Series 12 and Ultra 4 deep dive.
Which battery lasts longer?
The Ultra 4, on Apple's numbers. Apple describes its 50 hours as just over two days. The Ultra 3's 42 hours is a little under two days.
- Normal use: 50 vs 42 hours, about 19% more.
- Low Power Mode: 84 vs 72 hours.
- 15-minute charge: up to 18 vs 12 hours of use. Both reach 80% in about 45 minutes.
- Outdoor workout, full GPS and heart rate: up to 18 hours on the Ultra 4 (Apple). MacRumors lists 14 hours for the Ultra 3.
- Low Power Mode workout: Apple rates the Ultra 4 at up to 25 hours with Extended Workout, and the Ultra 3 at 20 hours.
- Ultra 4 only: Max Extended Workout, up to 45 hours, with GPS once a second and alerts and splits turned off.
These are not like-for-like. Apple's footnotes show different test scripts. The Ultra 4's 50 hours included 12 hours of sleep tracking and two 60-minute workouts. The Ultra 3's 42 hours included 6 hours of sleep tracking and one workout. Both were Apple lab tests on preproduction units, a year apart.
Independent results are thin. Tom's Guide's reviewer, as reprinted by MacDailyNews on September 18, said she easily got two days on the Ultra 4. On one test day, with about 3.5 hours of workouts, her battery went from 82% at 6 a.m. to 61% at 5 p.m. We found no published head-to-head test of both watches with measured hours. The5krunner's teardown says the Ultra 4 cell is about 6% bigger (2.444 Wh vs 2.313 Wh) and credits most of the gain to the chip and software.
Where each watch wins
Apple Watch Ultra 3 on sale. Fixes: the $799 price tag.
- Same case, screen, satellite and core health features as the Ultra 4. MacRumors says it becomes the better value when heavily discounted. Cult of Mac says a deeply discounted Ultra 3 still makes sense for the display, rugged build and outdoor features.
- Who should not buy it: anyone who wants Readiness or Recovery HRV, anyone who records outdoor workouts longer than about 14 hours, and anyone who wants Live Rewind or Siri Recap. Apple has stopped listing it, so colors and sizes depend on what retailers still hold.
Apple Watch Ultra 4. Fixes: a watch that dies in very long events, and no daily recovery guide.
- It has the longest battery of the pair, the 45-hour Max Extended Workout mode, faster top-ups and the Readiness score.
- Who should not buy it: Ultra 3 owners with workouts under 14 hours. MacRumors says most Ultra 3 owners should not upgrade. Replacing a year-old $799 watch for 8 more rated hours is hard to justify.
Our pick for most people: the Ultra 3, if the gap is about $100 or more. That is our rule of thumb, not Apple's. On the November 4 reported prices, the gap was about $150 ($549 vs $699, and $649 vs $799). If the prices are within about $50, take the Ultra 4. Cult of Mac says first-time buyers get more for their money at the same price.
Which should you buy?
- New buyer, price matters: Ultra 3 when it is at least $100 below the Ultra 4. Same size, same screen, same satellite features.
- Prices are close, or you keep watches for years: Ultra 4. You get the newer chip and the longer battery for the same list price.
- Very long events, recovery tracking, Audio Intelligence: Ultra 4. Live Rewind and Siri Recap need an iPhone 16 or later (not the 16e), start in English, and are still in beta.
- You own an Ultra 3: keep it. MacRumors says most Ultra 3 owners should not upgrade, and Cult of Mac sees little urgency.
- You own an Ultra 2 and want satellite features: a discounted Ultra 3. Apple's free two-year satellite offer is for Ultra 3 or later. Apple says watchOS 27 still supports the Ultra 2.
- Wait: Black Friday is November 27. 9to5Toys reported the Ultra 4 at $699 on November 4 and called it an all-time low. A lower price is possible but not promised.
Check Apple Watch Ultra 4 price on Amazon
Check Apple Watch Ultra 3 price on Amazon
A new band is the cheapest way to freshen up either watch. See our best Apple Watch bands guide.
What to skip
- Upgrading from the Ultra 3 just for battery. The rated gain is 8 hours on a different test script, and we found no head-to-head test.
- Paying full price for the Ultra 3. It has the same $799 list price as the Ultra 4. It only makes sense on sale.
- A used or renewed Ultra 3 without a battery check. MacRumors warns that a degraded battery is a poor fit for endurance use.
- Buying for Live Rewind and Siri Recap today. They are in the first watchOS 27.3 beta, and MacRumors expects them in December.
Other tech news this week
- Siri AI languages. The first iOS 27.3 beta adds Traditional Chinese, Norwegian, Turkish and Vietnamese, for 10 languages in all (9to5Mac, Nov 3).
- GTA 6 pre-load. Rockstar says the PS5 pre-load opens on November 10 and needs up to 212GB of free space (Rockstar FAQ, Nov 3). Our GTA 6 PS5 storage guide has the free fixes.
Sources
- Apple Newsroom: Apple unveils Apple Watch Ultra 4
- Apple: Compare Apple Watch models
- Apple: Apple Watch battery
- Apple: Apple Watch (current models)
- Apple Newsroom: Introducing Apple Watch Ultra 3 (Sep 2025)
- 9to5Toys: Apple Watch Ultra 3 now $250 off (Nov 4)
- MacRumors: Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs. Ultra 4 Buyer's Guide (Sep 16)
- Cult of Mac: Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs. Ultra 3 (Sep 16)
- the5krunner: Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Ultra 3 full comparison
- MacDailyNews: Tom's Guide reviews Apple Watch Ultra 4 (Sep 18)
- MacRumors: watchOS 27.3 brings Live Rewind and Siri Recap (Nov 3)
- 9to5Mac: iOS 27.3 expands Siri AI languages (Nov 3)
- Rockstar Support: Grand Theft Auto VI Pre-Load FAQ (Nov 3)
Image: Apple Newsroom (Apple Watch Ultra 4). As an Amazon Associate, BeastCompare earns from qualifying purchases.
