I’ve tested every model of the Apple Watch and done a lot of running with each of them, including logging marathons with the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple has made steady improvements to its sports tracking with each mode, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has some meaningful upgrades that I’m particularly excited for as a runner.
A couple of these are obvious — the new satellite connectivity on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will make long trail runs in the wilderness a lot safer, and more battery life is always a plus for those doing GPS workouts regularly.
However, one line in the presentation launching the Apple Watch Ultra 3 that stood out to me was the claim that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 offers the most accurate GPS in a sports watch, because if there’s one thing I always want as a runner, it’s the most reliable data possible on my wrist.
The best GPS in a sports watch
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 uses dual-frequency GPS, which is the most accurate mode available on watches at the moment and used by all the best sports watches.
However, the launch material for the Ultra 3 claims it has the most accurate GPS in a sports watch, based on testing it against "industry‑leading dual‑frequency GPS sports watches commercially available at the time of testing in August 2025."
These tests were done in challenging urban environments, where I have seen the Apple Watch Ultra 2 thrive even in comparison to other highly accurate watches, so I’m excited to test the Ultra 3 against the best Garmin watches and others.
While lots of watches offer dual-frequency or multi-band GPS tracking, the results can vary substantially depending on the design of the watch. When running in city centers, this is most noticeable because tall buildings block GPS satellite signals, which is why you often get quite wild GPS tracks during major marathons like London and New York.
Modern watches are better than ever at working around this problem thanks to dual-band tracking, but if the Ultra 3 lives up to its claim, it will be an attractive feature for city-based runners in particular.
Satellite connectivity
Three watches have launched with this feature lately, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 following on from the Google Pixel Watch 4 and Garmin Fenix 8 Pro in offering the ability to communicate and send emergency messages when outside cellular and Wi-Fi range.
Crucially for me, Apple is offering the ability to send SOS messages on the Ultra 3 via satellites for free for two years, without needing a cellular plan on the watch. Google is also making this feature available for free, but Garmin is charging for emergency messages with the Fenix 8 Pro.
This added layer of security will be appreciated by any runner who likes to head off the beaten track, and with a cellular plan, you can also send location updates from your watch to your emergency contacts.
The emergency SOS feature is currently available in 17 countries — Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.
Longer battery life
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will last for 42 hours on a charge, an increase of six hours on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and it now offers 14 hours of full GPS tracking, up from 12 on the Ultra 2.
It’s a modest increase, and it still won’t last as long as sports watches, but every little helps on this front, and I’ve generally found that Apple is quite conservative in its battery estimates on its watches — the Ultra 2 lasts two days for me even on a marathon weekend.
The extra juice just means less battery anxiety around runs in general, especially when you’re travelling for races and knocked out of your usual charging routine.
The Ultra 3 also charges very quickly, going from 0-75% in just 45 minutes and 0-100% in 75 minutes, so if you do find you’re short on juice just before a run, you’ll not be waiting too long for it to charge enough to cover your workout.
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