Motorola Watch Ultra leak adds LTE to Motorola’s smartwatch reset

Motorola’s smartwatch range could be about to move into much more expensive territory. Leaked Motorola Watch Ultra renders show a stainless steel watch with LTE, GPS and stronger water resistance, although some of the biggest questions are still unanswered.

The images were published by The Mac Observer and reportedly show an unannounced device carrying the internal name Moto Watch Ultra. That may not necessarily be the final retail name, but the hardware looks considerably more ambitious than Motorola’s current watches.

The circular watch has a 46mm stainless steel case, a numbered bezel, a large rotating crown and a second button on the side. Markings on the rear also reveal built-in GPS, LTE connectivity, IP68 protection and water resistance to 50 metres, or 5ATM.

Interestingly, the Ultra is not actually bigger than Motorola’s existing round watch. The current Moto Watch uses a 47mm case, so Motorola appears to be putting the emphasis on materials and features rather than simply making another oversized Ultra watch.

LTE is part of the package

The LTE marking is probably the detail worth paying most attention to. Motorola’s current Moto Watch can handle calls through a connected phone, but it does not have cellular connectivity of its own.

That raises a fairly obvious question about the software. Motorola launched the current Polar-powered Moto Watch at CES earlier this year with its own lightweight operating system rather than Wear OS. The approach comes with limitations, including no third-party app store, but it also helps the watch stretch to a claimed 13 days of battery life.

LTE does not mean Motorola is switching to Wear OS. A cellular connection could work perfectly well with its existing platform, and there is no evidence in the leak confirming Google’s operating system.

Still, an LTE-equipped Ultra watch makes the software choice much more interesting. Motorola could build a more capable version of its current platform and retain the long battery life advantage, or it could use the Ultra as a route back into the full smartwatch market. For now, both possibilities are speculation.

Motorola’s smartwatch reset is starting to make more sense

The timing also fits with something we spotted earlier this year. In May, Motorola quietly reduced its smartwatch lineup to just two current models, removing the Moto Watch 40, Watch 70 and Watch 120 from its wearable pages. At the time, it looked less like routine housekeeping and more like a reset of a range that had become crowded with similar lower-cost watches.

That left the rectangular Moto Watch Fit covering the fitness-focused end of the range and the newer round Moto Watch sitting above it. Adding a Watch Ultra would give the lineup a much clearer third tier, particularly if Motorola intends to move beyond the affordable end of the smartwatch market.

The leaked model also appears better suited to that role. Stainless steel construction is a step up from the aluminium used on the current Moto Watch, while 5ATM water resistance is considerably more useful than the current model’s 1ATM rating. LTE would also give Motorola a feature it does not currently offer anywhere in the range.

These renders make Motorola’s recent wearable moves look a little less isolated. The company spent the first half of 2026 simplifying its range and strengthening the fitness side through Polar. The Watch Ultra could be the next part of that strategy, this time aimed considerably further up the smartwatch market.