An upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3 will reportedly be able to send texts via satellite, reports Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (a subscription is required to read the article).
It may also sport a blood-pressure tool, the article adds. Gurman also says Apple will using MediaTek modems in new watches for the first time.
Apple first introduced satellite connectivity with the iPhone 14. Since then, the feature has been added in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, but not to any Apple Watches. All iPhones come with two years of connectivity for free.
As for the modem, the move to MediaTek will also include support for 5G Redcap, a lower-tier 5G service aimed at internet-connected devices and wearables that typically don’t require fast data connections, Gurman reports. Current Apple Watches use 4G LTE and never moved to the 5G standard, despite Apple switching over the iPhone in 2020, he points out.
