Apple Watch Ultra 3 / Garmin Forerunner 970

Ultra 3 is sold only as a 49 mm GPS + Cellular watch; bands fit 130–210 mm wrists.

Apple says the wide-angle OLED pixels emit light at wider angles, so the screen stays readable without fully turning the wrist. LTPO3 allows thinner borders and lets the always-on mode refresh once per second, so a seconds hand is visible without raising the wrist. The 1-nit minimum reduces glare in the dark.

Garmin calls it its brightest AMOLED yet but publishes no nit figure. Touch and buttons can be used together.

RedCap is a reduced form of 5G for low-data devices such as watches. Satellite connectivity lets you call for emergency help and send short messages outside cellular coverage; Apple says Find My shares location via satellite every 15 minutes. Satellite services are free for two years from activation; Find My and Messages need a carrier plan, and availability varies by region.

Using L1 and L5 together helps reduce reflected-signal errors near tall buildings and under tree cover. Ultra Wideband availability varies by region.

The electrical heart sensor powers the ECG app; the optical sensor drives heart rate and Apple’s hypertension notifications. Hypertension notifications passively analyse 30-day periods and are not intended for people under 22, during pregnancy or for those already diagnosed. The temperature sensor is not for medical use; the Blood Oxygen app is for wellness use.

Diving needs a compatible third-party app; the depth gauge is accurate to ±1 m. MIL-STD 810H covers altitude, high/low temperature, temperature shock, immersion, freeze/thaw, ice and freezing rain, shock and vibration. Passing these tests does not mean the watch cannot be damaged.

Apple says 15 minutes of charging gives 12 hours of normal use and 5 minutes gives 8 hours of sleep tracking. Apple’s 80% in 45 minutes figure is based on its 20 W USB-C power adapter. Low Power Mode is rated at 20 hours of continuous outdoor workout with full GPS and heart rate.

The siren helps people nearby locate a user who is lost or needs help.

The watch does not pair with Android phones; setup and most features require an iPhone.

The numbers correspond to colour options; the US page does not map each number to a colour. The page image belongs to 010-02969-01, Whitestone case with Whitestone/Amp Yellow band.

The Forerunner 965 used Gorilla Glass 3 DX; sapphire is more scratch-resistant.

Red light disturbs night vision less in the dark.

The ECG app screens for signs of atrial fibrillation; it is for adults 22 and over and is not available in every region.

Running tolerance suggests a weekly maximum distance. Running economy and step speed loss need the separately sold HRM 600 chest strap.

With activity tracking, notifications and wrist heart rate; Garmin notes active features affect the result.

With music the figures are 14, 13 and 12 hours. Multi-band uses several satellite frequencies to improve accuracy in cities and valleys at the cost of more power.

Used for music and maps; this is not RAM.

Withstands pressure equivalent to 50 m depth; it is not a dive watch.

13.56 MHz is the NFC band used for contactless payments.