The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was defined as a modest upgrade over its predecessor, but if the latest insights from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman are to be believed, it appears that the next generation will be much improved.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will likely launch next year alongside the iPhone 17 family, and according to Gurman's sources, there are at least three significant changes. The Ultra 3 will apparently be the first wearable with satellite connectivity, allowing users to send emergency messages through the Globalstar satellite network, even in areas without cellular coverage.

Given Apple Watch Ultra's long battery life and direct appeal to long-distance hikers, extreme sports enthusiasts, and other adventurers, this could save lives. Yes, this feature already exists on recently numbered iPhones, which means that owners can access this feature even if they misplace their phone or run out of battery.

The adoption of 5G over 4G LTE technology in current models also improves normal connectivity. However, this does not appear to be due to advanced features and seems to be a result of the ongoing transition from Intel, which provided the old modem. The new supplier is apparently MediaTek, and the modem will be a 5G Redcap number, “typically targeting Internet-connected devices and wearables that do not require high-speed data connections.”

The last upgrade may be another major health-based feature: according to WHO, the Watch Ultra 3 will be Apple's first wearable with blood pressure monitoring, providing early warning of high blood pressure, which accounts for nearly 13% of all deaths worldwide, Garman stated.

It won't be the first wearable to offer blood pressure tracking, but it will be done in a way that seems a bit more convenient to me.

Instead of displaying exact diastolic and systolic readings, like a cuff worn on the arm, it would simply notify the wearable that blood pressure may be high, like a sleep apnea detector.

This may sound a bit excusable, but to me it is - in theory - better than Samsung's flagship wearable implementation since the Galaxy Watch 3.

I have reviewed several Galaxy Watches since this feature was implemented, and while it does seem to provide seemingly accurate diastolic and systolic readings when compared to a medically approved arm cuff, before your rate can be estimated, three times through the hardware You will need to perform a calibration via the hardware three times before your rate will be guessed. In other words, it is difficult to know to what extent you are quoting numbers from specialized hardware rather than calculating them yourself.

To make matters worse, calibration needs to be repeated every month to maintain accuracy. Frankly, if you actually need to track your blood pressure for ongoing health assessment, you would probably prefer the peace of mind provided by a dedicated medical product -- especially if you can't throw away the arm cuff.

Apple's approach seems to be a bit different: instead of providing a medical opinion on your wrist, it sounds an alarm when the situation is about to become critical, so that you can go proactively check it yourself. In other words, it may help those who are unaware that they have high blood pressure, rather than those who are actively trying to get their blood pressure measured on their doctor's orders.

Of course, much depends on implementation, and if regular calibration with an arm cuff is required, it will not save as many lives as the passive introduction of atrial fibrillation detection.

We will know more next year when the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to arrive. If it follows the format of the past, it will debut at the company's annual September launch event.