Kuo: Apple Watch Ultra to Get 'Almost No' Hardware Upgrades This Year

Just over six months ago, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the likelihood of a new Apple Watch Ultra being released in 2024 was "decreasing," but it now sounds like there will be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year after all.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 hero feature blorange
In a direct message shared with MacRumors today, Kuo said that while the Apple Watch Ultra will be updated this year, the new model will have "almost no" hardware upgrades compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Kuo did not reveal any specific changes planned for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which will presumably launch in September.

A third-generation Apple Watch SE is also a possibility this year if Apple sticks to a two-year upgrade cycle for that model, but the successor to the Apple Watch Series 9 is not entirely clear. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported about a redesigned "Apple Watch X" with a thinner case and magnetic bands, but he said it would be released "in 2024 or 2025," so it is not clear if it will launch this year or next year.

In any case, Gurman previously said the model that succeeds the Apple Watch Series 9 will offer blood pressure sensing and sleep apnea detection, and these features would almost certainly extend to the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

The original Apple Watch was unveiled in September 2014, and launched in April 2015, so the device is approaching its tenth anniversary.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Ultra 2
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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Top Rated Comments

vegetassj4 Avatar
12 months ago
Thats because they are releasing the Studio.

Apple mistakenly posted and then removed the new upcoming Apple Watch Studio on the store.




Attachment Image
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CouldBeWorse Avatar
12 months ago
Then why bother?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eqquito Avatar
12 months ago
Every product doesn't need a hardware upgrade every year. I am good waiting 2 or 3 years for an Apple Watch Ultra upgrade. The iPad Pro is an example of what happens when hardware is too far ahead of software.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BootsWalking Avatar
12 months ago
So pretty much like every year.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iZac Avatar
12 months ago
They'll give people a nice chippable Space Black finish for the 'rugged' watch.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DMG35 Avatar
12 months ago
They'll release a Ultra 3, and put some gimmicky software in it that they say only the 3 is capable of running, when both the 1 and 2 could both easily run it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)