Ultra 4 includes two free years of satellite SOS, Messages and Find My

Satellite is one of the few things Ultra 4 has that a Series 12 owner cannot add later, and Apple has published no price for the service once its included years end.

By iDeviceSep 10, 10:22 PM CTUpdated Sep 13, 3:10 PM CT3 min read

Ask about the Apple Watch Ultra 4

Can it get wet (shower, pool, swimming)? Yes, you can shower and swim in it. It is rated to 100m, and for snorkelling. Its rating is WR100, IP6X.
Does it read blood glucose? No, it has no glucose sensor.
How long does the battery last? It runs 2.1 days. That is 3.5 days in low power mode, and 45 hours, measured on max extended workout.
Does it track sleep apnea? It looks for signs that you may be at risk. It is a signal to act on, not a diagnosis.
How much storage does it have? It comes with 64GB of storage.
Does it do 5G? Yes, it does 5G.
How heavy is it? It weighs 63g to 63.1g. The weight varies by size or finish.
What sizes does it come in? It comes in one 49mm size. There is only one case size.
How sharp and bright is the screen? The screen reaches 3000 nits at its brightest. It packs 326 pixels into every inch.
How thick is it? It is 12mm thick.
What chip is inside? It runs on S11.
Which AI assistant does it use? It uses Siri powered by Apple Intelligence.
What software does it run? It runs watchOS 27.
What is it made of? It is made of Titanium, Grade 5.
Does it do satellite SOS? Yes, it can call for help by satellite. Off-grid emergency messaging where there is no signal.
What kind of screen is it? It uses always-on ltpo3 oled under flat sapphire, 1hz refresh, 3,000 nits peak.
Does it track heart rate? Yes, it tracks your heart rate.
Does it track sleep stages? Yes, it tracks your sleep stages.

BUY?UPGRADE?

Apple is giving existing iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 owners another free year of its satellite features, a change it put in a footnote to the iPhone 18 Pro press release rather than on stage. Per MacRumors, this is at least the third extension for iPhone 14 owners, whose free period was first set to end two years after the phone launched in November 2022, and iPhone 16 owners are covered for the first time. Apple has still not said what it plans to charge once free access ends.

The Mac Observer went through Apple’s comparison pages and found satellite listed on Ultra 4 and marked absent on Series 12, Series 11 and SE 3. On Ultra 4 that means Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite, run through Globalstar and free for two years from the activation of an Ultra 3 or later. Satellite is one of the few things in the $400 step from Series 12 to Ultra 4 that cannot be added later, and for now Apple has priced it for two years and said nothing about year three.

Update, Sep 13, 3:10 PM CT: Apple support page for satellite SOS still lists only Ultra 3 by model, per The Mac Observer, though the Ultra 4 press release says Ultra 3 and later.

Update, Sep 11, 11:54 PM CT: Apple has published no satellite coverage map and no cap on messages, per The Mac Observer.

Update, Sep 11, 10:40 PM CT: Ultra 4's outdoor sensors carry over from the Ultra 3 unchanged, per The Mac Observer, with the depth gauge still rated to 40 meters.

Apple Watch3 min read

The bigger Apple Watch Series 12 costs $20 more

Sep 10

The 42 mm Series 12 still starts at $399, but the 46 mm now starts at $449. The larger aluminum Apple Watch had started at $429 every year since the Series 4.

APPLE WATCH3 min read

Siri AI on the new watches comes with a daily limit and a fee later

Sep 10

Two limits land on Siri AI at once, one metered and one geographic, and neither carries a number or a date.

Apple Watch3 min read

Series 12 Readiness rates your day from 0 to 10, and your sleep counts

Sep 10

The Series 12's headline health score is built partly from sleep, so it asks Apple Watch owners to change when they charge.

Apple Watch3 min read

Audio Intelligence skips the EU at launch

Sep 10

The watch that listens all day needs a paired iPhone, holds to daily limits Apple will not state, and arrives in beta.

APPLE WATCH3 min read

The OS 27 release candidates landed the same afternoon as the phones

Sep 9

Everything ships Monday, September 14, four days before the iPhone 18 Pro reaches stores. The watchOS 27 build already carries features Apple never mentioned at WWDC.

You have reached the end of this stream

Those are all the stories we have lined up here.

More news