STILL GREAT, BUT SMALL UPGRADES

Apple's new Watch lineup – the Ultra 3, Series 11, and SE 3 – looks exciting at first glance, but most of the upgrades are incremental. For recent owners, it's a year of refinement rather than reinvention.

- BY KENNY YEO

Apple gave us a new Ultra watch this year – it's called the Apple Watch Ultra 3. They also gave us a new standard Apple Watch called the Series 11, and a new entry-level one called the SE 3. This looks like an exciting year for Apple Watches. However, if you look closer, you'll find that, aside from the SE 3, the Ultra 3 and Series 11 actually received only incremental upgrades. Let's start with the Ultra 3, which comes with a new wide-angle OLED display (that's 5% larger), the S10 chip, 5G and satellite connectivity, a larger battery, and faster charging.

The Ultra 3 mostly looks like its predecessor. The case is still made of titanium, in Natural Titanium and Black. However, it's now made using a 3D printing process that produces less waste and uses 100% recycled titanium. Thanks to this, Apple was able to make the Ultra 3 about 16% thinner. That said, I can't tell that it's slimmer.

The display is also slightly larger, but again, the difference isn't night and day. What's more noticeable is the wide-angle OLED, which makes it easier to see the screen when viewed at an angle. This can be handy when you can't raise your hand to get a good look at the watch, like when you are exercising or driving. The other improvements don't drastically alter the experience. Though the Ultra 3 is powered by the S10 chip, the previous Ultra 2 feels just as fast and snappy. 5G support is nice to have, but it doesn't fundamentally change the wearing experience.