Rumor: Apple Watch Ultra 3 will not launch this year

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Apple might not launch the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at its iPhone 16 event Monday. Instead, the company supposedly will simply refresh the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a new black color option.

The second-gen Apple Watch Ultra packed modest upgrades over its predecessor. But this year, Apple will take an odd approach and not update its Ultra smartwatch at all.

No Apple Watch Ultra 2 successor this year?

Rumors surrounding the Apple Watch Ultra 3 indicated it would not pack any substantial improvements. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously predicted that Apple’s third-gen Ultra smartwatch might not feature any hardware upgrades.

This suggested the watch would sport the same internals as its predecessor: an S9 chip and a 3,000-nit peak brightness display. However, it turns out that Apple might not launch an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year at all.

In a Sunday post on X, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman wrote, “I don’t expect Apple to announce an Apple Watch Ultra 3” at the September 9 “It’s Glowtime” event.

The company undoubtedly will unveil the Apple Watch Series X at the event, though. Rumors indicate the new models could sport even bigger displays and include sleep apnea detection.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 could get a new color option

Apple’s new Ultra smartwatch would have been an underwhelming upgrade without any underlying hardware upgrade or new health sensors. Thus, it makes sense for the company not to launch a new model this year.

A recent CIRP Research revealed limited demand for the Apple Watch Ultra lineup. Therefore, the lack of a new model is unlikely to impact Apple’s bottom line or consumer demand significantly.

Still, a new black titanium color option would be a welcome addition to the lineup. Users have eagerly anticipated this shade since the Apple Watch Ultra’s debut in 2022.

Gurman also suggests Apple might delay the launch of a rumored Apple Watch SE with a plastic casing.