Apple Watch Ultra 3 Vs Series 11, Ultra 2 Battery Life: Big Upgrades

Apple Watch Ultra 3 is the first new Ultra model to come with battery life gains, but Apple Watch Series 11 brings battery increases too. Here’s how Apple’s two new flagship Watch models compare against each other and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in battery life.

Battery life comparison: Apple Watch Ultra 3, Ultra 2, Series 11

Out of all of Apple Watch Ultra’s unique strengths, battery life has long been a key differentiator.

This year, Apple is increasing battery on the Ultra 3 to be longer than ever—while also boosting the Series line’s battery with Apple Watch Series 11.

Here are Apple’s estimates for Watch battery life across Ultra 3, Ultra 2, and Series 11 models.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Normal Use: Up to 42 hours
Low Power Mode: Up to 72 hours

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Normal Use: Up to 36 hours
Low Power Mode: Up to 72 hours

Meanwhile, Series 11 inches slightly closer to older Ultra models.

Apple Watch Series 11

Normal Use: Up to 24 hours
Low Power Mode: Up to 38 hours

That’s not the whole story with battery comparisons, though. Fast charging is another differentiator.

Apple Watch fast charging performance varies

While all three Apple Watch models are technically fast-charge capable, they offer different charging speed performance.

Here are Apple’s listed charging specs:

Ultra 3: Up to 80% charge in ~45 minutes, 15 min for 12 hrs normal use, 5 min for 8 hrs sleep tracking
Ultra 2: 0–80% in ~1 hour
Series 11: Up to 80% charge in ~30 minutes, 15 min for 8 hrs normal use, 5 min for 8 hrs sleep tracking

Both the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 offer comparable fast charging features, whereas Ultra 2 lags behind—at least in listed specs.

Apple showed off a lot of new Apple Watch features during its presentation earlier this week, including several that are supported on older Watch models too.

Battery life gains, however, may prove some of the biggest upgrades for this year’s Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11. For two product lines that have previously held steady in battery performance over the years, Apple’s latest boosts are very welcome surprises.

How much will this year’s battery life improvements impact your Apple Watch upgrade decision? Let us know in the comments.