{"id":412533,"date":"2025-09-10T07:12:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T07:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/412533\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T07:12:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T07:12:32","slug":"satellite-messaging-everything-detailed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/412533\/","title":{"rendered":"Satellite Messaging & Everything Detailed!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Apple has just announced the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and as expected, added satellite messaging as well as a larger and brighter display. That\u2019s in addition to a number of other hardware and software improvements. Beyond this, the company announced the Apple Watch Series 11, as well as the new Apple Watch SE 3. And perhaps most notably: All of the existing pricing remains the same \u2013 there were no price increases here for watches.<\/p>\n

The lineup gets the previously\u00a0announced WatchOS 26<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Workout Buddy<\/a>, but all three watches also get new sleep score features, as well as all units getting 5G cellular connectivity for the cellular editions.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive into a quick overview of things, and then down the road I\u2019ll have a full in-depth review of them.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s New:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything that\u2019s changed, compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2:<\/p>\n

\u2013 New display for increased viewing angle brightness
\u2013 Increased display size to largest in an Apple Watch (roughly 5% bigger in pixel sq mm)
\u2013 New LTPO3 display increased refresh rate in always-on mode \u201cwithout impacting battery\u201d
\u2013 Added ability to see ticking seconds in watch faces in dimmed always-on state
\u2013 Decreased bezel\/borders slightly (but same case size)
\u2013 Added new Waypoint watch face
\u2013 Added 5G cellular
\u2013 Added Satellite SOS
\u2013 Added Satellite text messaging
\u2013 Added Satellite FindMy location sharing
\u2013 Apple says they doubled the signal strength compared to Ultra 2
\u2013 Added Hypertension tracking\/notifications (pending FDA approval)
\u2013 Added sleep score (coming to all WatchOS 26 units)
\u2013 Increased battery life to 42 hours of regular battery life, from 36 hours
\u2013 Available in both black and natural titanium (like before)
\u2013 Added new band colors
\u2013 Price remains $799USD (including cellular hardware)<\/p>\n

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be available for pre-order today, and start shipping on September 19th. The satellite messaging pieces will be free for two years, after which, Apple may or may not decide to charge for them (just as they\u2019ve not yet charged for other satellite features to date)<\/p>\n

Looking at the display real quick, here\u2019s how the Apple Watch Ultra 3 compares to the existing Apple Watch Ultra 2:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You can see the difference at a lower viewing angle:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And you can see the decreased bezel area (between display and frame) compared to the Ultra 2:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There\u2019s, of course, a slate of other new bands as well across all the usual band realms within the Apple Watch sphere (e.g., Nike, Hermes, etc).<\/p>\n

How the Satellite Messaging Pieces Work:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Apple becomes the third company in as many weeks to announce satellite messaging from the wrist, following Google and Garmin. Apple allows you to reach emergency SOS services, as well as regular text messaging, plus sharing of FindMy location.<\/p>\n

In order to message via satellite (for either emergency or regular purposes), you\u2019ll need to be aware of where things are available:<\/p>\n

\n

\u2013 Satellite SOS (Emergency):<\/strong> All 17 countries currently supported by the iPhone Emergency SOS*
\u2013 Satellite text messaging (regular chatting):<\/strong> 3 countries: US, Canada, Mexico
\u2013 Sending FindMy location\/position (non-emergency):<\/strong> All 18 countries supported by the iPhone for FindMy (basically includes Mexico that\u2019s not in the SOS list)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Here\u2019s the list of countries for the above:<\/p>\n

\n

Satellite SOS:<\/strong> Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S<\/p>\n

FindMy Updates (simply adds Mexico to list above):<\/strong> Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Next, you\u2019ll need one more piece to remember:<\/p>\n

\n

\u2013 Satellite SOS:<\/strong> Available without a cellular plan attached to the watch
\u2013 Satellite text messaging:<\/strong> Requires a cellular plan from any supported carrier in US, Canada, or Mexico<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ok, with that backstory, you\u2019ve got the three core scenarios above.<\/p>\n

If it\u2019s an emergency SOS situation, it\u2019ll ask you the typical flow of questions related to the emergency situation. It\u2019s simply now optimized for the smaller screen:<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

To send a message (of any type), you\u2019ll need to raise your wrist in order to contact a satellite. Just like the iPhone, you\u2019ll orient your body towards a satellite, which will slowly pass across the sky around you.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In addition to the SOS messages, there\u2019s also the regular non-emergency messaging, and the FindMy Updates:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

These act a bit differently (aside from the region areas noted above).<\/p>\n

In the case of regular text messaging, you can use iMessage to any iMessage contact that you\u2019ve talked to in the last 30 days (it has a 30-day limitation because it needs to maintain a secure channel which was instantiated within that time window), or any SMS contact as long as your phone is online elsewhere. Meaning, if your phone is with you (and also offline), then you\u2019ll need to use iMessage to another contact. In terms of inbound messages, that\u2019ll realistically only work when you manually check for them. It sounds like there is a brief time period until the satellite passes when, if you\u2019re lucky, existing messages may sync down.<\/p>\n

For the FindMy feature, you\u2019re allowed to update your FindMy location every 15 minutes, manually. There is no automatic tracking here, it\u2019s purely a manual process. Which is fine, it still updates your location and all works out.<\/p>\n

If you were to compare how this fits into the recently announced offerings from Google and Garmin, it\u2019s closest to Garmin\u2019s satellite offering from a features standpoint, except Apple is free and Garmin is charging for it. Here\u2019s where each company stands:<\/p>\n

\u2013 Satellite SOS (Emergency):<\/strong> Apple, Google, Garmin
\u2013 Satellite text messaging (regular chatting):<\/strong> Apple, Garmin (though Garmin is a bit more complex for their messaging)
\u2013 Sending location\/position (non-emergency):<\/strong> Apple, Garmin<\/p>\n

Now, when it comes to technology, Apple is using LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites (identical to their iPhone) provided by Globalstar, whereas Google and Garmin are using GEO (Geostationary) satellites by Skylo. From a technical standpoint, this means that you\u2019ll need to wait for and track a LEO satellite as it\u2019s orbiting past you. On the flip side, this means that even if you have to wait a few minutes, it might have better coverage than GEO satellites if they were being blocked by a mountain\/ridge\/etc\u2026<\/p>\n

Of course, beyond all that, there\u2019s the reality that Apple isn\u2019t charging users for these features, whereas Garmin is charging for satellite connectivity. Though notably, Apple does require you to have a cellular plan enabled on your watch for satellite text messaging features to work. In other words, someone is still taking your money for that piece \u2013 just instead of being Apple (or Garmin), it\u2019s your cellular carrier.<\/p>\n

Still, I suspect this will (rightly) only frustrate Garmin users looking at the new Fenix 8 Pro\/LTE models, which require a Garmin subscription for the emergency satellite SOS pieces to work on a $2,000 watch. It\u2019ll be interesting to see if Garmin reacts.<\/p>\n

Sleep Score & Hypertension:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Next, Apple has added both a sleep score feature, as well as an FDA-cleared (or cleared soon) Hypertension tracking feature.<\/p>\n

Starting with the sleep score piece, this is looking at four key sleep-related metrics:<\/p>\n

\u2013 Sleep duration
\u2013 Bedtime consistently
\u2013 Interruptions
\u2013 Time in Sleep Stages<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll then get both a sleep score (number), as well as a classification, such as above (class-action is \u2018Excellent\u2019). Beyond this, you\u2019ll get more details about how your score is compiled:<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Of course, this is hardly groundbreaking in the grand scheme of wearables. In fact, almost every wearable company today has a sleep score.\u00a0 I occasionally compare these in reviews, against both each other and a gut check. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how things are handled here. Apple says they leveraged more than 5 million nights of sleep from their greater study dataset. Further, the company noted that they aimed to at least provide simplicity in how the score is calculated, rather than it being entirely black magic.<\/p>\n

Next is hypertension detection and notifications. This will require tracking for 30 days before it gives notifications, though, at least 14 of those days you must wear the watch during the day (this only tracks during the day). This feature is pending FDA clearance this month, along with regulatory approval in \u201c150 regions\u201d globally.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once a hypertension notification is triggered, it\u2019ll then recommend you acquire a blood pressure monitor, and will walk you through twice-daily (morning\/night) recording of your blood pressure. From there, it combines all that data into a PDF report that you can send to your doctor. Notably, none of this requires calibration (unlike Whoop\/Samsung\/etc\u2026), though inversely, it doesn\u2019t provide a specific blood pressure number either. Said differently: This is not a blood pressure monitoring device per se.<\/p>\n

Apple says they expect to notify over 1 million adults in the first year alone, who aren\u2019t aware they have hypertension. Though they also noted they don\u2019t expect to find every single case of hypertension.<\/p>\n

Wrap-Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, Apple\u2019s Watch releases tend to be incremental in nature. Meaning, they don\u2019t tend to be aimed at getting the previous generation unit owners to immediately upgrade their sub-1-year-old watches. Instead, it\u2019s designed more for getting Apple Watch owners from 3-4 years back to upgrade. But the Ultra series is different. To begin, it\u2019s younger, and thus, there isn\u2019t as much historical precedent.<\/p>\n

But this time, I\u2019d argue there\u2019s a solid reason to upgrade even an Apple Watch Ultra 2 (which can be 1-2 years old depending on when you bought it), if you travel outside of cellular range often. Having simple texting is a massive feature for people spending time in the mountains, assuming it works well-ish from a coverage and usage standpoint.<\/p>\n

This will be something I\u2019ll be keen to test over the coming weeks, to see how well it compares side-by-side with both LEO and GEO-based satellite messaging options (including the iPhone). All things to dive into in the review.<\/p>\n

With that \u2013 thanks for reading!<\/p>\n

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