What’s happening now

Apple's latest wearable season has settled into two distinct stories: the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple’s most outdoors‑focused watch with two‑way satellite communications, and a wave of early Black Friday discounts that have pushed the newer Apple Watch Series 11 and SE 3 to record low prices. If you’re shopping this week you can find Series 11 GPS and cellular models on Amazon for roughly $49 off (examples: 42mm GPS $349, 46mm GPS $379; cellular models from about $449). The SE 3 is also widely discounted, with 40mm models around $199.

Meanwhile the Ultra 3, which launched at $799, is drawing attention not just for its hardware but for how it behaves in long, off‑grid outings — and for the limits Apple still has to solve if it wants hardcore outdoor athletes to switch from established sports brands.

What’s new in the Ultra 3 (brief)

  • Two‑way satellite communications: SOS, manual Find My location updates, and, in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, two‑way text messaging via satellite.
  • Larger, brighter LTPO3 display with a slightly smaller bezel and improved always‑on behavior.
  • 5G cellular support and WatchOS 26 with new features (Workout Buddy, sleep score, Vitals app, hypertension notifications in some regions).
  • Slight battery improvement on Apple’s spec sheet (about 42 hours of “regular” use, up from 36 on the previous Ultra), while the retail price stayed at $799.

    • Apple’s product page remains the place to confirm specs and regional details: Apple Watch.

    How the Ultra 3 performs in the field

    Hands‑on testing from sports‑tech reviewers and long‑duration users finds the Ultra 3 to be a capable, fast and dependable smartwatch in many respects — but not a category‑killer that renders other outdoor brands obsolete.Satellite communications: the headline feature
  • In real use, Apple’s low‑earth orbit (Globalstar) satellite implementation is fast and intuitive. Emergency SOS via satellite works without an active carrier plan; non‑emergency texting requires cellular activation and is currently limited to the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Manual Find My updates over satellite are available in more countries but must be initiated and can be sent only every 15 minutes.
  • Apple’s approach tends to hold a satellite connection for multiple messages, which testers praised as more seamless than some rival implementations. But there are important gotchas: the watch won’t use satellite if your iPhone nearby is in Airplane Mode or certain eSIM settings are toggled off, creating confusing failure modes for non‑technical users.
    • Battery and charging in practice
  • Apple claims up to 42 hours of normal use. In typical multi‑activity use, reviewers report needing to charge near the end of each day when workouts are included.
  • GPS battery burn during active workouts runs about 5% per hour in default settings, which gives roughly 15–20 hours of continuous GPS in real tests — longer than older Apple models but short of many multisport watches aimed at expedition use.
  • Charging remains modestly paced: about 80% in ~45 minutes and a full charge in ~75 minutes. Competing watches (notably some Pixel Watch models) show substantially faster 0–80% times, which matters if you’re topping up between activities.
    • Navigation, maps and routing
  • Apple’s Maps and route features are improving, but trail and off‑road maps are uneven outside the U.S. Reviewers report that Apple’s curated hiking routes and offline maps work well in U.S. parks but trail data “evaporates” in many other countries, leaving users unable to build usable off‑road routes.
  • Third‑party apps such as Komoot and WorkOutDoors fill many gaps: Komoot has been rolling out offline route following on Apple Watch, while WorkOutDoors offers robust GPX import and turn prompts. Those alternatives, however, come with tradeoffs — extra steps to import routes, more complex interfaces, and in some cases significant extra battery drain when maps are kept on screen.
    • Tracking accuracy and sports features
  • GPS accuracy is broadly solid: route tracks across a wide variety of terrain — roads, switchbacks, ocean swims — generally match or come very close to purpose‑built GPS devices.
  • Optical heart rate is usually reliable, though reviewers have noted occasional unexplained glitches or “lazy” readings in non‑extreme conditions. When heart‑rate lock is good, the watch performs well on intervals and rides; when it loses lock, the data can wander.
  • WatchOS 26’s Workout Buddy and other new fitness features are useful but still rough around the edges: voice guidance sometimes hallucinates or reports odd states, and Apple’s training‑load presentation lacks the numeric depth endurance athletes often want.
    • Sleep score and health insights
  • Apple’s new sleep score focuses on three simple inputs — consistency, duration and interruptions — rather than HRV or sleep‑stage modeling. That simplicity makes it easier to understand but can feel unfair: reviewers noted cases where long restorative sleeps were penalized for being out of time‑of‑night norms.

    • Where Apple still needs work

  • Mapping and route creation outside the U.S.: Apple’s trail data remains U.S‑centric, forcing many international users to rely on third‑party routing apps or dedicated sports watches.
  • User flows around satellite and eSIMs: travelers using foreign eSIMs or who put phones in Airplane Mode may find satellite features fail in opaque ways.
  • Battery for long multisport adventures: while improved, the Ultra 3’s GPS endurance still trails many purpose‑built expedition watches or watches paired to dedicated satellite messengers for global text/SOS coverage.

    • Accuracy controversy: what some users are reporting

    A vocal group of runners — particularly in South Korea — have reported discrepancies in distance measurement after WatchOS 26 updates, with a few marathon and half‑marathon logs showing unexpectedly long readings. Apple and the broader community are investigating, and some users have shifted to competitors like Garmin or Coros while vendors sort software differences. If you race frequently and need exact measured distances, this is an area worth testing yourself on familiar routes before relying on a device for a PR attempt.

    Alternatives worth considering

  • Garmin (Fenix/Forerunner): stronger route creation and offline navigation, longer GPS battery life, mature training‑load metrics and multisport features. Garmin also offers satellite services (inReach) with global SOS/text coverage but uses a different satellite network and subscription model.
  • Pixel Watch 4 / Wear OS devices: more rapid charging in some cases; different app ecosystem and designs better for some Android users.
  • Dedicated satellite messengers (Garmin inReach, Zoleo): still the gold standard for global two‑way satellite messaging and sat‑to‑sat communications when out of any cellular footprint.

    • Black Friday snapshot: where to save

  • Series 11: early Black Friday discounts have driven several GPS and cellular Series 11 models to roughly $49 off on major retailers (examples spotted: 42mm GPS $349, 46mm GPS $379; cellular 42mm around $449). Those prices make the Series 11 a compelling all‑around smartwatch for most users.
  • SE 3: aggressively priced during the sales cycle (40mm around $199), positioning it as the best value for casual fitness and everyday Apple ecosystem users.
  • Ultra 3: generally still at its $799 launch price, though limited promotions have appeared; check retailer listings if you want the Ultra but prefer a small discount.

    • If you’re hunting deals, compare Series 11 and SE 3 savings against what you need: general health and daily fitness tracking can be satisfied by the discounted Series 11 or SE 3; if you want the Ultra 3 for satellite capabilities and rugged hardware, expect fewer steep bargains right now.

    Buying guidance — which Apple Watch for whom

  • Buy the Ultra 3 if: you frequently go off‑grid, value two‑way satellite SOS and — if you live in or travel often to the U.S., Canada or Mexico — the ability to send short text messages via satellite. The Ultra 3 is the best Apple Watch for serious outdoors users, provided you accept its limitations in maps and expedition battery life.
  • Buy the Series 11 (on sale) if: you want the newest mainstream Apple Watch with better battery and fast charging than older Series models, and you can take advantage of the current $40–$50 discounts — it’s the best everyday balance of price, features and health tracking.
  • Buy the SE 3 if: price is the primary factor and you want most Apple Watch features (sleep score, fitness tracking, safety alerts) without paying flagship prices.
  • Consider Garmin/InReach or a multi‑brand setup if: you require global, dependable satellite two‑way messaging, extensive offline trail maps outside the U.S., or much longer GPS battery for multi‑day expeditions.

Bottom line

Apple’s Ultra 3 advances the company’s outdoor credentials in two ways: it brings practical, two‑way satellite communications to the wrist and tightens the display and software experience. In real‑world use it “just works” in many emergency scenarios and everyday workouts, but significant caveats remain for serious off‑trail athletes — most notably mapping outside the U.S., limited global satellite texting, and GPS battery life compared with specialist multisport devices.

At the same time, early Black Friday deals make the Series 11 and SE 3 very sensible buys for most people who are already in the Apple ecosystem. If satellite SOS is not a priority, the savings on Series 11 and SE 3 this week will deliver compelling value. If you need the Ultra 3’s new satellite safety features and you travel or play off‑grid frequently, the Ultra remains the best Apple choice — but test the workflows you rely on (route imports, satellite messaging in your regions, and battery for your longest outings) before committing.

If you’re unsure which direction to take, start by defining the one thing you can’t compromise: global messaging and SOS, long GPS endurance, or price and everyday convenience. That constraint quickly narrows the field and points to the device that will serve you best.

Apple WatchWearablesBlack FridaySatellite CommunicationsFitness Tech