Electronics & Computing Mobile & Communication Smartwatches APPLE Watch Ultra 4 - 49 mm

APPLE Watch Ultra 4 - 49 mm

Published date: 21/Sept/2026

APPLE Watch Ultra 4 - 49 mm

Colour

Currently unavailable

Key Features

Battery Life
Up to 50 hours
Supported OS
iOS
Display size
2.04"
Always-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3
Payments & calls
Pay & LTE
Resistance
Water resistant 100 m

What Customers Say

Reviewers agree the Ultra 4 looks identical to the Ultra 3 and that everything worthwhile is underneath, led by the redesigned heart-rate sensor: readings every five seconds through the day, tested against chest straps and found close to spot on, with heart-rate variability sampled far more often and a daytime Vitals view on the wrist. Testers liked the Readiness score that moves through the day as workouts and naps come in, the two-day battery that held up in practice with one tester logging 48 hours including 90 minutes of workouts and two nights of sleep tracking and another still at 61% after a day with three and a half hours of exercise, the faster 15-minute top-up that adds most of a day, the customisable Action button that works with sweaty fingers, and the new Extended and Max Extended modes that stretch GPS tracking to 25 and 45 hours. Dual-band GPS tracks matched a top multisport watch almost everywhere on trails and mountain switchbacks, and the S11 chip makes apps and Siri feel quicker.

The repeated complaints are that the headline Audio Intelligence features were not available at launch and arrive later in the year, that the Readiness score needs seven nights of sleep before it appears, and that with the case, display and bands unchanged an Ultra 3 owner has little reason to upgrade.

Reviewers call it the best Apple Watch Ultra yet and the one to buy for an iPhone owner who wants two-day battery, ruggedness and satellite messaging, while the Series 12 covers the same sensors for less.

Who Should Buy This

  • iPhone owners who want the longest battery life on an Apple Watch,
  • Runners, cyclists and hikers who want dual-band GPS and long workout modes,
  • Swimmers and divers who want a rating for open water and recreational scuba,
  • Phone-free users who want calls, data and satellite messaging on the wrist,
  • Buyers who want ECG, blood oxygen, temperature and recovery readings.

Who Should Skip It

  • Android phone owners, since the watch pairs only with an iPhone,
  • Small-wrist buyers who would find the large titanium case too bulky,
  • Anyone who wants a week or more of battery between charges,
  • Health-focused users who do not need the rugged or satellite extras.

What Experts Says

Overall Assessment and Positioning

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is Apple's adventure watch and the top of its range: a single 49 mm Grade 5 titanium case at 12 mm thick and 63 g, a flat sapphire crystal over a 422 x 514 Always-On Retina display that reaches 3,000 nits, the S11 chip and watchOS, sold only as a GPS + Cellular model. It is aimed at the iPhone owner who wants more endurance and toughness than the Series 12, and it competes with the multisport watches from the sports brands rather than with everyday smartwatches; like every Apple Watch it pairs with nothing but an iPhone.

Key Strengths and Standout Features

The Health Sensing System is shared with the Series 12: a third-generation electrical heart sensor for ECG readings, an always-on optical sensor, blood oxygen and temperature sensing, high-frequency background heart-rate tracking, recovery HRV and a Readiness app that turns the data into a daily score. What the Ultra adds is endurance and hardware: up to 50 hours of normal use, 84 hours in Low Power Mode and 18 hours of outdoor workout tracking, with Extended and Max Extended modes for longer efforts and a charge to 80% in about 45 minutes; precision dual-frequency GPS with multi-band support; water resistance to 100 metres with a depth gauge and EN13319 recreational diving to 40 metres; MIL-STD 810H testing; a customisable Action button; dual speakers, a three-microphone array and a Siren; and satellite communications for Emergency SOS and Find My alongside 5G and LTE.

Value Proposition and Who It's Best Suited For

This is the watch for an iPhone owner who runs, rides, swims or hikes for hours at a time, wants two days between charges and values the cellular and satellite safety net, and who accepts a large case in exchange. Anyone who mainly wants the health sensors, sleeps with a smaller watch more comfortably, or uses an Android phone should look at the Series 12 or elsewhere; buyers who want a week of battery still belong with the sports brands.

Similar Reviews

Video Reviews

ChoiceWise Scores: 87 Out Of 100

Display
98
Battery
59
Fitness & Health
98
Durability
98
Smart Ecosystem
88
Connectivity & GPS
98
Comfort Build
70

The ChoiceWise Score is calculated using a defined methodology based on the features and factors that matter most in this category. Read our full scoring methodology: choicewise.app/methodology#score

CategorySmartwatch
Strap materialSilicone
Supported OSiOS
Operating systemwatchOS
ConnectivityWiFi 4 Bluetooth 5.3 Ultra Wideband
GPSBuilt-in GPS
GPS systemsGPS Galileo QZSS BeiDou Multi-band
Cellular5G LTE
Battery typeBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Charging methodApple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable
Charge timeUp to 80% charge in about 45 minutes
Battery lifeUp to 50 hours Multi-day battery life, up to 50 hours of normal use Up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode Up to 18 hours outdoor workout Up to 25 hours Extended Workout Up to 45 hours Max Extended Workout
Size2.04"
Resolution422 x 514 pixels
TypeAlways-On Retina display with wide-angle OLEDs and LTPO3
TouchscreenYes
ShapeRectangular
ResistanceWater resistant 100 m (ISO 22810:2010) IP6X
Voice assistantSiri powered by Apple Intelligence
Health & fitness trackingReadiness app Vitals app with heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, sleep duration and heart rate variability (HRV) Blood Oxygen app ECG app Heart Rate app High and low heart rate notifications Recovery HRV High-frequency background heart rate tracking Irregular rhythm notifications Advanced Cycle Tracking app with fertile window estimates, retrospective ovulation estimates, and perimenopause and menopause support Medications app Mindfulness app with state of mind tracking Noise app Sleep app including sleep stages Sleep score Sleep apnoea notifications Hypertension notifications Running: Custom workouts Running: Customisable Workout Views Running: Training Load / Workout Effort Tracking Running: Heart Rate Zones (customisable) Running: Post-workout heart rate Running: VO2 max Running: Race Route Running: Pacer Running: Precision Start using Action button Running: Cadence, Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, Vertical Oscillation and Running Power Running: Automatic track detection Running: Multisport workout Running: Heart Rate Zone, pace and target alerts Hiking: Compass with bearing, incline, elevation and coordinates Hiking: Custom waypoints Hiking: Automatically generated waypoints to cellular connectivity Hiking: Backtrack GPS data Hiking: Offline maps with custom route creation Hiking: Elevation alerts Hiking: Topographic maps for thousands of national and regional parks (US only) Hiking: Hundreds of curated hikes across all 63 US national parks Hiking: Siren Cycling: Custom workouts Cycling: Customisable Workout Views Cycling: Training Load / Workout Effort Tracking Cycling: Average speed, elevation gained and distance Cycling: Bluetooth-compatible with power meters Cycling: Functional Threshold Power (with power meter connection) Cycling: Live Activity on iPhone Cycling: Heart Rate Zones (customisable) Cycling: Cadence (rpm), speed (mph), power (watts), power zones (with power meter connection) Cycling: Post-workout heart rate Swimming: Custom workouts (pool swim) with haptics to cue the next interval Swimming: Customisable Workout Views (pool swim, open water swim) Swimming: Splits and auto sets Swimming: SWOLF score Swimming: Automatic stroke and count detection (including kickboard) Swimming: Water temperature Swimming: Average pace, total distance, heart rate and lengths Diving: Recreational dive to 40m Diving: Dive computer app (available on the App Store) Diving: Automatic launch at 1m Diving: Current and maximum depth duration Diving: GPS entry and exit points Diving: Depth gauge Diving: Water temperature sensor
Smart functionsMedia playback Siren Apple Pay GymKit Apple Watch For Your Kids Satellite communications (Emergency SOS, Find My) Emergency SOS International emergency calling Torch Fall Detection Crash Detection Last Emergency Call Availability Waypoint Noise monitoring Backtrack Check In
Other featuresPay & LTE calls Lens: Flat sapphire crystal display 3,000 nits peak brightness 1 nit minimum brightness S11 chip with 64-bit dual-core processor Audio Intelligence (Live Rewind, Siri Recap, Shazam, Sound Recognition) 4-core Neural Engine 64 GB storage Customisable Action button Digital Crown with haptic feedback Side button Single tap, double tap and wrist flick gestures Three-microphone array with beamforming and wind noise mitigation Dual speakers Fast-charge capable Compatible with iPhone 11 or later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation or later), with iOS 27 or later EN13319 recreational scuba diving to 40m (±1m accuracy) Tested to MIL-STD 810H against subsections for altitude, high temperature, low temperature, temperature shock, immersion, freeze with thaw, ice and freezing rain, and shock and vibration Fits 130–210mm wrists
SensorsHealth Sensing System: third-generation electrical heart sensor, always-on optical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensor, temperature sensor Depth gauge Water temperature sensor Compass Always-on altimeter High-g accelerometer High dynamic range gyroscope Ambient light sensor
Dimensions49 x 44 x 12 mm (H x W x D)
Case size49 mm
Case materialTitanium (Grade 5)
ColourNatural Black
Weight63 g (natural) 63.1 g (black)
Box contentsApple Watch Ultra 4 Strap Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable (1m)

Frequently Asked Questions

Apple quotes up to 50 hours of normal use, up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode, up to 18 hours of outdoor workout, 25 hours in Extended Workout and 45 hours in Max Extended Workout, with a charge to about 80% in around 45 minutes.

Yes, it is water resistant to 100 metres under ISO 22810:2010, rated to EN13319 for recreational scuba diving to 40 metres, and has a depth gauge and a water temperature sensor.

No, it requires an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 27 or later; there is no Android support.

Yes, every Ultra 4 is a GPS + Cellular model with 5G and LTE, so calls, messages and notifications work away from the iPhone on a compatible mobile plan.

Yes, the sheet lists satellite communications for Emergency SOS and Find My, alongside Emergency SOS, Fall Detection and Crash Detection over the cellular connection.

Precision dual-frequency GPS with multi-band support across GPS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou for accurate tracks in cities, forests and mountains.

Yes, the ECG app uses the third-generation electrical heart sensor, alongside high and low heart-rate, irregular rhythm and hypertension notifications.

The 49 mm titanium case fits wrists from 130 to 210 mm and weighs 63 g in Natural or 63.1 g in Black.

ChoiceWise does not perform hands-on product testing for this page. The expert opinion and recommendations are based on third-party reviews and sources, which we analyze and summarize using our editorial process.