Apple Watch Ultra 3 Will Support Texting via Satellite
The next-generation Apple Watch Ultra is set to gain satellite connectivity, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple first introduced satellite connectivity for off-grid texting with the iPhone 14, and the feature has been included in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, but no Apple Watch to date.
Apple's 2025 Apple Watch Ultra will be able to connect to a satellite network like the iPhone, allowing users to send texts via satellite when cellular networks and Wi-Fi are unavailable. When satellite connectivity first launched, it was limited to emergency text messages, but in iOS 18, Apple expanded it to allow users to send texts to anyone.
Apple is hoping that the satellite feature will encourage Apple Watch owners to update to a new Apple Watch Ultra, with the third-generation model set to come out in September 2025. Satellite connectivity would also allow Apple to better compete with companies like Garmin that manufacture dedicated satellite hardware for use in off-grid emergencies.
The Apple Watch Ultra is aimed at hikers, scuba divers, and adventurers, and satellite connectivity for the device would add another layer of safety for activities that are not near cellular towers.
As of right now, Apple still does not charge for satellite connectivity, and there is no word yet on what the company might charge. All iPhones come with two years of connectivity for free, and that will also likely be the case for the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple is also planning to stop using Intel cellular modems in future Apple Watch models, instead transitioning to technology from MediaTek. MediaTek's modem chip adds support or 5G RedCap, a 5G service that's designed for connected devices and wearables that don't need standard 5G speeds. The current cellular Apple Watch models still use 4G LTE, even though Apple has been using 5G in iPhones for several years.
Popular Stories
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect.
As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes.
The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps.
In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu.
Concept mockup from Majin Bu
Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
