The Apple Watch Ultra 3 Might Be the First Smartwatch With This Off-Grid Feature Leave a comment

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will reportedly get a unique new off-grid communication tool. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has just leaked interesting new details about the upcoming smartwatch.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

According to the report, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is slated to arrive in 2025 with the ability to send text messages via satellite without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. It would be the first smartwatch on the market with that feature.

The feature would be similar to what Apple added to its iPhone lineup. Apple added satellite communication starting with the iPhone 14 in 2022. That allows users to communicate with emergency services.

Since then, Apple has expanded the service to allow anyone to contact roadside assistance providers and text others via iMessage.

Gurman also said blood pressure monitoring might finally be ready to unveil in both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the next-generation Apple Watch.

Here’s more from Gurman about the feature:

The blood-pressure feature, meanwhile, is designed to work in a similar way to Apple’s sleep apnea detector. It won’t give users specific readings — such as diastolic or systolic levels — but it will inform them that they may be in a state of hypertension.

The report also says that Apple continues to work on a noninvasive blood glucose monitoring feature for the watch, but that is likely years away before it is ready.

A True Reason to Upgrade

Adding the satellite feature would definitely help the Apple Watch Ultra 3 standout and give many outdoor adventurers a reason to upgrade. Being able to communicate via satellite with just a smartwatch would allow hikers and more to leave their iPhone at home when hitting the trail.

I liked the Apple Watch Series 10 in my review thanks to its thinner case and larger screen, but there still aren’t many reasons to upgrade if you have a recent model. Instead of a completely new Apple Watch Ultra model this year, Apple only added a black titanium model of the Ultra 2.