Apple Watch Ultra 4 — these are the upgrades Apple needs to make to remain the smartwatch king

Close-up of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 in silver — (Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is one of the best smartwatches you can buy. And even though it’s less than a year old, Apple Watch Ultra 4 rumors are plentiful; some even hint at a fall 2026 release.

I test a lot of wearables here at Tom’s Guide, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is easily my favorite rugged, full-featured smartwatch; I’d also argue that it’s the most advanced smartwatch on the market today. However, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

From physical upgrades to battery life improvements to new AI features, here are the five biggest Apple Watch Ultra 4 upgrades I’m hoping for.

1. A brighter display

Without an increase in screen brightness, Apple risks falling behind the competition, namely, Samsung, Google, and Garmin. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 maxes out at 3,000 nits, the same brightness as the Apple Watch Ultra 2. This is bright enough to see in direct sunlight, in most cases, but not nearly as bright as the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro LED, which goes up to 4,500 nits.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, both significantly cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra 3, also boast 3,000-nit max brightness, and there’s a good shot that the Galaxy Watch 9 and/or Pixel Watch 5 will push that spec another 1,000 nits.

So, without an equal or greater bump in display output, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 risks feeling dated on arrival.

2. A thinner, lighter case

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 case is reasonably lightweight and thin, but I think Apple can go even slimmer. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 already wears way more comfortably than the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, its Android-friendly equivalent, but Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 rumors hint that a slimmer case might be in the cards.

To keep the competitive advantage of a comfier design, I’d love to see the Apple Watch Ultra 3 boast a thickness under 10 mm (a reduction of ~2 mm). Given that the Apple Watch Series 11 is 9.7 mm, I have no doubt that the fine folks in Cupertino can get this done.

3. Three days of battery (or more)

apple watch ultra 3 low power mode — (Image credit: Future)

Battery life is arguably Apple’s Achilles heel when it comes to wearables, and even though the Ultra 3 is Apple’s longest-lasting smartwatch, battery life is only good for about 42 hours per charge without power-saving options enabled.

By comparison, the Galaxy Watch Ultra lasts for closer to 48 hours. Meanwhile, the Google Pixel Watch 4 in 45mm, though not a “rugged-style” smartwatch, is good for about two days per charge. Moreover, I suspect the successors to both models will see a battery life bump.

This is all to say, Apple has its work cut out when it comes to power consumption in the Watch Ultra 4.

4. An easier way to unlock the screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Pride Luminance Face — (Image credit: Future)

Passcodes never seemed like a great way to unlock an Apple Watch, which is why two separate Apple Watch 12/Ultra 4 rumors have me excited. One suggests that Apple's next-gen smartwatches will get forward-facing cameras for Face ID. The other hints that an under-the-display fingerprint scanner could make an appearance.

Either of these methods would be a welcome change to punching in a code every time you want to use your Apple Watch, though I ultimately think that Face ID is the better option of the two.

5. Siri AI assistant

A photo of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — (Image credit: Future)

Last but not least, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 needs to debut with a ready-to-use, no-excuses version of Siri AI that’s on par with or better than Google’s implementation of Gemini AI as a virtual assistant on the latest Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch models.

This not only means a Siri AI capable of answering complex, context-specific questions with ease, but also one that can be unlocked with a simple gesture control, similar to the Pixel Watch 4’s ‘raise wrist” gesture.

What upgrades or new features do you want to see come to the Apple Watch Ultra 4? Let me know below.

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Dan Bracaglia is the Tom’s Guide editorial lead for all things smartwatches, fitness trackers and outdoor gear. With 15 years of experience as a consumer technology journalist testing everything from Oura Rings to instant cameras, Dan is deeply passionate about helping readers save money and make informed purchasing decisions. In the past year alone, Dan has assessed major product releases from the likes of Apple, Garmin, Google, Samsung, Polar and many others.

An avid outdoor adventurer, Dan is based in the U.S. Pacific Northwest where he takes advantage of the beautiful surroundings every chance he gets. A lover of kayaking, hiking, swimming, biking, snowboarding and exploring, he also makes every effort to combine his day job with his passions. When not assessing the sleep tracking and heart rate accuracy of the latest tach gadgets, you can find him photographing Seattle’s vibrant underground music community.