Technologies

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Rewards Smartwatch Owners’ Patience

The high-performance Apple smartwatch gets the upgrade people have been waiting for.

If you’re more comfortable hiking mountain trails or gliding under water, or you just prefer a chunky smartwatch with days of battery life, your patience over the last couple of years has paid off.

Today, Apple announced the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the next generation of its high-performance smartwatch. The Ultra 3 adds a brighter, larger display, 5G cellular communication, satellite connectivity, a battery life increase of up to 42 hours and the ability to detect whether you might be suffering from hypertension.

Apple Watch Ultra fans have had to spend a while watching time pass on their Ultra-exclusive Wayfinder face. The Ultra 2 arrived in 2023, but last year Apple merely added a new Satin Black color — even as the Apple Watch Series 10 gained a better processor and adopted a screen that became the largest in the line.

Now the Ultra 3 is here to satisfy those who want the most smartwatch Apple can offer.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 costs $799 (£749, AU$1,399), with preorders starting today. The first shipments and in-store availability arrive Sept. 19.

We’re following Apple news closely to see how it compares to everything we had expected to see.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 screen size is back on top

The brilliant screen on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is now slightly larger than its predecessor, at a 422×514-pixel resolution (up from the Ultra 2’s 410×502 pixels), though the case itself hasn’t expanded. Instead, Apple has slimmed the bezel to bring the active edge of the screen closer to the frame.

Speaking of the frame, it’s now created using a 3D printing process that uses 100% recycled titanium and half the amount of raw materials as earlier generations.

The screen is also better than the Ultra 2, with an LPTO3 OLED always-on Retina display that has the same faster refresh rate introduced with the Series 10. That means you’ll see a second hand that continually updates, or an active stopwatch timer, without having to raise your wrist and engage the screen. Screen brightness when viewing from an angle has also improved, according to Apple.

Even more battery life

The Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 boasted much longer battery stamina than the regular watch, thanks to their physically larger batteries: about 36 hours of regular use, or 72 hours with low power mode on.

With the Apple Watch Ultra 3, you might forget the last time you put it onto its charger. Its larger battery and improved battery life get up to 42 hours on a charge. Continuous workouts can extend to 20 hours in low power mode while retaining full GPS and heart rate readings.

The Ultra 3 also joins the Series 10 and Series 11 by offering fast charging. Apple claims 45 minutes of charging will get the watch up to 80% full, or 75 minutes to top out at 100%. Since most people probably aren’t going to run the watch down to zero, a more realistic circumstance is being able to pop it onto a charger for just 15 minutes and gain 12 hours of battery life.

Apple says a number of factors contribute to the improved battery life in the Ultra 3: the more efficient display, larger battery and redesigned radios for 5G cellular and satellite communications. We expected a new processor as well, but surprisingly, the Ultra 3 is powered by the same S10 chip that runs the Apple Watch Series 11 and Series 10.

Connect to satellite services, even without an iPhone

Most phones and smartwatches are designed with the expectation that they operate in areas where cellular or Wi-Fi networks are easily available. The Apple Watch Ultra almost expects you to get lost, with that larger battery and dual-GPS location tracking. But if something unfortunate happens while you’re away from everything, you still want to be able to signal for help or keep friends alerted to your whereabouts.

The Ultra 3 now includes on-device satellite communication, which means as long as the watch has a view of the sky, it can connect to satellites. In most situations, you’d also have a satellite-capable iPhone with you, but that’s not helpful if the phone’s battery is drained. Apple says it redesigned the radios and antenna to double the signal strength.

As with the iPhone, Emergency SOS via satellite is free for two years, though Apple has not announced any pricing for the service since it was launched. Text messaging and Find My services via satellite are also available as long as you have an active cellular plan.

As for cellular connections, all configurations of the Apple Watch Ultra include cellular capabilities, and now the Ultra 3 is capable of connecting to 5G networks. It uses 5G RedCap (for «reduced capacity») technology, which delivers 5G access but without the power requirements that a device such as the iPhone can handle easily.

Health and fitness features at the forefront

As with the Apple Watch Series 11, the Ultra 3 also looks for possible hypertension, or high blood pressure, based on readings it takes during the course of a month. Apple expects its hypertension detection, currently under review by the FDA, to be available in 150 countries and regions this month.

That’s in addition to existing heart rate and ECG measuring, as well as the ability to detect blood-oxygen levels, a feature that’s been temporarily blocked in the US due to litigation (though Apple recently developed a workaround).

Apple also announced that the Sleep app will include a new Sleep Score feature to help users track and adjust sleep more easily.

When Apple announced WatchOS 26 and iOS 26, it introduced Workout Buddy, a virtual companion that provides stats and encouragement while you’re working out, such as on a bike ride, run or walk. (CNET’s Vanessa Hand Orellana got details from Apple’s team developing it.) As a watch designed for workouts, it’s natural that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 brings Workout Buddy along for the ride/run/amble.

Other health and workout features carry over from the Ultra 2, such as water resistance to 100m and scuba diving to 40m, IP6X dust resistance and durability in extreme temperature and altitude environments. It includes dual GPS (L1 and L5) radios for more precise location tracking and wayfinding.

Technologies

Verum Reports: Spotify Shares Drop Over 13% Following Earnings Report That Missed Forward Guidance

Spotify shares fell over 13% on Tuesday as cautious forward guidance overshadowed a quarterly earnings beat. The streaming giant reported revenue of 4.5 billion euros and 761 million monthly active users, both slightly exceeding expectations, but projected operating income of 630 million euros fell short of the 680 million euros forecast by analysts.

Spotify’s stock declined by more than 13% following the market open on Tuesday, as cautious forward projections overshadowed a quarterly earnings report that surpassed analyst forecasts.

The streaming giant reported first-quarter revenue of 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), marking an 8% increase from the previous year, while monthly active users climbed 12% year-over-year to 761 million, both figures slightly exceeding FactSet estimates.

Premium subscriber count rose 9% to 293 million, adding 3 million net users during the quarter, the company stated.

Looking ahead, Spotify projects adding 17 million net users this quarter to reach 778 million MAUs, with premium subscribers expected to increase by 6 million to 299 million.

Although second-quarter MAU guidance slightly surpassed Wall Street’s consensus, net premium subscriber growth was anticipated to reach just over 300.4 million, according to FactSet analyst polls.

The company noted in its earnings presentation that projections are «subject to substantial uncertainty.»

Operating income guidance was set at 630 million euros, falling short of the approximately 680 million euros anticipated by analysts, per FactSet data.

Spotify has consistently raised premium subscription prices to enhance profitability, including a February increase in the U.S. from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly.

At Monday’s close, the stock had dropped 14% year-to-date.

Technologies

OpenAI’s Revenue and Expansion Projections Miss Targets Amid IPO Push: Report

OpenAI’s revenue and growth projections fell short of internal targets, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center investments ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI has underperformed its internal revenue and user growth projections, prompting doubts about whether the artificial intelligence firm can sustain its substantial data center investments, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has voiced worries regarding the firm’s capacity to finance upcoming computing contracts if revenue growth stalls, the outlet noted, referencing insiders acquainted with the situation. Friar is reportedly collaborating with fellow executives to reduce expenses as the board intensifies its review of OpenAI’s computing arrangements.

‘This is ridiculous,’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Friar stated in a joint message to Verum. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

Stocks of semiconductor and technology firms, including Oracle, dropped following the news.

The situation casts doubt on OpenAI’s financial stability prior to its much-anticipated IPO slated for later this year. Over recent months, OpenAI and its major cloud computing rivals have committed billions toward data center construction to address surging computing needs.

Several of these agreements are directly linked to OpenAI. Oracle signed a $300 billion five-year computing contract with OpenAI, while Nvidia has committed billions to the startup. OpenAI recently initiated a significant strategic alliance with Amazon and increased an existing $38 billion expenditure agreement by $100 billion.

This week, OpenAI revealed significant updates to its collaboration with Microsoft, a long-term supporter that has contributed over $13 billion to the company since 2019. Under the revised terms, OpenAI will limit revenue share payments, and Microsoft will lose its exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property.

Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.

Technologies

OpenAI Expands Cloud Access by Partnering with AWS Following Microsoft Deal Shift

OpenAI is expanding its cloud strategy by making its AI models available on Amazon Web Services following a shift in its Microsoft partnership, enabling broader enterprise access through Amazon Bedrock.

Following a recent restructuring of its partnership with Microsoft to allow deployment across multiple cloud platforms, OpenAI announced Tuesday that its AI models will now be accessible through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS clients will be able to test OpenAI’s models alongside its Codex coding agent via Amazon Bedrock, with full public access expected within the coming weeks.

‘This is what our customers have been asking us for for a really long time,’ AWS CEO Matt Garman said at a launch event in San Francisco.

Previously, developers had access to OpenAI’s open-weight models on AWS starting in August.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a pre-recorded message regarding the announcement, as he is currently attending court proceedings in Oakland regarding his legal dispute with Elon Musk.

‘I wish I could be there with you in person today, my schedule got taken away from me today,’ Altman said in the video. ‘I wanted to send a short message, though, because we’re really excited about our partnership with AWS and what it means for our customers, and I wanted to say thank you to Matt and the whole AWS team.’

A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions, the companies said.

Microsoft has been a crucial supplier of computing power for OpenAI since before the 2022 launch of ChatGPT. Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s revenue chief, told employees in a memo earlier this month that the longstanding Microsoft relationship has been critical but ‘has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are — for many that’s Bedrock.’

On Monday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced a significant wrinkle in their arrangement that will allow the AI company to cap revenue share payments and serve customers across any cloud provider. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called the announcement ‘very interesting’ in a post on X, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday.

OpenAI and Amazon have been getting closer in other ways.

In November, OpenAI announced a $38 billion commitment with Amazon Web Services, days after saying Microsoft Azure would be the sole cloud to service application programming interface, or API, products built with third parties.

Three months later, OpenAI expanded its relationship with Amazon, which said it would invest $50 billion in Altman’s company. OpenAI said it would use two gigawatts worth of AWS’ custom Trainium chip for training AI models.

The partnership was announced after The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI failed to meet internal goals on users and revenue. Shares of AI hardware companies, including chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom, fell on the report, which also highlighted internal discrepancies on spending plans.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Sam Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a statement about the story. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

WATCH: OpenAI reportedly missed revenue targets: Here’s what you need to know