September 10, 2026, 9:32 am by Rich Brome @rbrome.bsky.social
Apple has refreshed its smartwatches with a few hardware upgrades – across both the standard and Ultra models – with the design remaining largely the same. Both Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are powered by a new S11 chip, which has a new always-on sensing core that supports always-on audio. This enables a suite of functions that Apple calls Audio Intelligence. Live Rewind is one such feature, where a double tap of the crown displays a transcript of the previous 15 seconds of audio. This text can then be fired or sent to Siri for further prompts, or simply saved. Siri Recap is a feature that can be engaged manually for longer conversations that uses AI to generate a “high-level summary” of the conversation. For the hard of hearing, Sound Recognition will alert the wearer to important sounds, such as sirens, alarms, doorbells or a baby crying. Apple designed the S11 so that actual audio recordings cannot be created or stored, for privacy. Both watches also have a new sensor cluster on the back that measures heart rate every five seconds, throughout the day, which is 60 times more frequent than previous generations. This gives the watch what Apple claims is the “most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable”. It also lets the watches better track heart rate variability (HRV), which can be a key health metric. Using this and other sent data, a future update to the health app will offer new metrics such as readiness, health age and longevity. Both watches also now have faster charging, and better battery life during longer workouts. The Ultra 4 also has better battery life overall. As before, the Apple Watch Series 12 comes in 42 or 46mm sizes, and in aluminum or titanium bodies. New is a ceramic body option, available in pearl white or midnight blue. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is available in the same natural or black titanium finish. Prices remain the same, starting at $399 for the Apple Watch Series 12 and $799 for the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Pre-orders are available now, with full availability on Sept. 18.
No messages yet