Apple Watch Ultra 3 SOLAR Teased…by Apple?
Apple has just finished announcing the new features for all its 2025-26 devices. There is very little in store on the sports and activity front, but some nice smart additions for watchOS 26 plus some aesthetic improvements.
However, at the start of Apple’s video, after exiting the F1 car, Craig showed an Apple Watch ULTRA 2 with a never-before-seen SOLAR face.
This could have some significance related to Apple’s eco-credentials and its achievement of carbon neutrality or another milestone involving solar panels. It is far more interesting to speculate that this is a teaser for the Watch Ultra 3 Solar, which is expected to be announced in September.
Historical Context: WWDC Image Hints & Resulting Products
This is not without precedent; WWDC has previously contained hints that later materialised as a new product. However, I temper that by saying that a Watch with the word ‘SOLAR’ on it is quite a significant and direct hint, if it is intended as such.
- Blurred silhouettes or shapes resembling device edges (e.g., thin MacBook Air profile in WWDC 2020) – M1 MacBook Air (2020)
- Wallpaper colour palettes matching new device finishes (pastel wallpapers at WWDC 2021) – M1 iMac colours (2021)
- Floating, glowing spheres and spatial 3D visuals (WWDC 2023 background animations) – Apple Vision Pro / Spatial computing hardware (2023 announcement)
- New UI elements showing notch shapes or sensor layouts (early iOS betas shown at WWDC) – Upcoming iPhone models (various years)
- Animations with small hidden references (e.g., spinning objects shaped like accessories) – New input devices or peripherals
As far as I know, no AMOLED Solar smartwatch exists, although there are patents in the field.
Patents for Solar AMOLED Display Technology in Watches
- US9671762B2 (EverDisplay Optronics ): Solar flexible AMOLED display integrated into smartwatch band.
- US20210255495A1 (Garmin): Garmin patent for AMOLED display with integrated transparent photovoltaic cells beneath the screen.
- US10801683B2 (assignee not stated): Display technology where OLED can act as photovoltaic cells for energy harvesting.
Likelihood?
Without the prominent video teaser, I would have said it is very doubtful that Apple would add the complexity of the solar route when there are so many other things it could focus on.
There will likely be more than yet another new colour for the Watch Ultra 2 released later this year. Watch ULTRA 3, or Watch ULTRA 2 Solar, would fit the bill – or just anything is needed on that front to boost Apple’s lagging Watch sales.
For a new Watch ULTA model number (Gen 3), there must be something significant added or enhanced on the hardware front. New sensor tech would have been a good bet, with Apple rectifying its SpO2 algorithm woes, but more importantly, nailing blood pressure trends for the first time (like Whoop MG), Whatever is in Apple’s next sensor package will not be achieved easily; perhaps the company realised 2025 was too early fro this piece of overdue tech.
Solar would create hype for a new technology at Apple and would also add a real-world battery juice boost to the Watch Ultra—a feature that needs improvement, if ever there was one. That said, solar would not be able to add to the battery life in real-world usage significantly; it would be more of a marketing gimmick, in my opinion. Remember that Watch ULTRA only has 12 hours of proper GPS recording time…hardly very ULTRA. In fact,’ less than average’ is a more suitable phrase. It needs a performance boost to live up to the name.
So, I’d say there is a reasonable chance based on the bluntness of the hint, but temper that by the lack of competitor products with a similar technology.
Last Updated on 29 January 2026 by the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
Interesting twist and good catch!
I do like that AW will tell you “time in sun” (whereas the Garmin with an actual solar panel tells you nothing of the sort) – maybe that’s all it is.
I don’t think they were teasing solar in apple watch. It was just a gag to do with C Fed having been driving an F1 car on the roof of Apple Park. He used his watch to put the roof back into Solar mode rather than track mode. When he taps the Solar button they show the rooftop solar popping back into place. I think it was goofy C Fed dad jokes tying into the Apple F1 Brad Pitt movie. But maybe you are right.
This seems extremely unlikely. With how power hungry the device is with no area that isn’t covered by the screen for stronger solar cells, the power gain just wouldn’t be worth it. Unless they’ve had a break through where they can get 10x the charge from cells over the screen compared to Garmin’s tech with zero impact on screen clarity.
In fundamental technology terms, it’s not difficult at all: OLED screens are transparent, they just emit additional light at pixels that are bright. To get a black pixel, you need a black backdrop behind the transparent screen. Replacing that passive backdrop with a photovoltaic collector would be a much easier setup than garmin’s combination of collectors in screen margins plus their full screen collector for only bands outside the visible spectrum. (and as a bonus, the collector would even “recycle” a small fraction of the energy wasted in bright pixels by emitting towards the backdrop)
Chances are a setup like that would not come anywhere close to breaking even in midday always on at a meaningful brightness level, but sacrificing some depth of blackness (chances are the collector would not be quite as black as a purpose built backdrop) should really not be all that difficult I think.
Living in the northern hemisphere with a lack of sun light from october to April and working an indoor job, solar is pretty much super useless. Unless you heard goats in Mali for a living, I am not sure what real benefit solar gives you!
Note to self: take goats to Mali
YEt another clickbait
Just for you.
you realise that google values interaction more than clicks…so thank you for the interaction 😉