The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is easily one of the best smartwatch models in 2026 and Apple’s best smartwatch for battery life, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning out potential Apple Watch Ultra 4 upgrades. In fact, a new Ultra model could debut as soon as this fall.
I’ve been tracking all Apple Watch Ultra 4 rumors ever since the arrival of the Ultra 3 last fall, and there are quite a few juicy ones to chew on, including hints of a massive redesign, new health tech, and even better battery performance.
Here’s everything we think we know about the Apple Watch Ultra 4, so far.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: Possible price and launch date
The lapse between Apple Watch Ultra refreshes varies from one to two years, which means an Ultra 4 could debut this fall… or it might not arrive until fall 2027.
In terms of price, Cupertino has kept the cost of the Ultra series consistent ever since the first model debuted in 2022. Unfortunately, given inflation — $799 in 2022 is roughly equivalent to $885 in 2026 dollars — there’s a good chance we will see some sort of price hike for the Ultra 4, in my humble opinion.
Pricier smartwatches aren’t unprecedented either: Garmin sells numerous models that cost more than the Ultra 3, including the excellent Garmin Fenix 8.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: Design rumors
The Apple Watch Ultra case design has remained essentially the same, going back to the first model. Could a major redesign be on the horizon? According to a report from Digitimes, it’s totally possible!
What might that entail? Rumors suggest a thinner case, at the very least, while a deep dive done by 9to5Mac hints at the possible addition of a fingerprint scanner on the Ultra 4 as an alternative to passcodes to lock your device.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: Possible health upgrades
Significant health tracking upgrades are also rumored for the Apple Watch Ultra 4, including new and improved high blood pressure monitoring tech, according to a report in Digitimes.
Like Hypertension Alerts on the Ultra 3, this new bit of tech is rumored to use the optical heart rate sensor to track how your blood vessels react to individual heartbeats. Presumably, it will do so with better accuracy than currently available, but it’s unlikely that it will be able to provide a numeric blood pressure reading like a traditional cuff.
It also doesn’t seem likely that non-invasive blood glucose monitoring — a holy grail for the wearables industry — will be ready in time for the Ultra 4’s launch, but we know Apple is hard at work on such a feature.
Digitimes also reports that the number of sensors in the Ultra 4 will be double that of the Ultra 3, but we don’t know whether that refers to holistic sensors, fingerprint reading sensors, or both.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: Battery life predictions
Battery consumption improvements are always welcomed. Unfortunately, the jump in battery life from the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to the Ultra 3 was pretty minimal: 36 hours vs 42 hours. Might the Ultra 4 boast even better longevity?
Here’s hoping. While little is known about the physical battery in the forthcoming watch, the Digitimes report suggests that the new device will see at least modest improvements in power efficiency, which could potentially lead to substantial longevity gains… or not.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: Outlook
It’s worth reiterating that an Apple Watch Ultra 4 debut for 2026 is far from certain. However, when the watch does eventually debut, all signs point to it being a pretty significant upgrade over prior models, with potentially a new design, more health sensors, improved heart health tracking, a fingerprint reader, and better battery performance.
The million-dollar question is, will the Apple Watch Ultra 4 cost more than the Ultra, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3? Only time will tell.
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