Apple has unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 today during its September hardware event.
The new models retain the signature designs of their predecessors but add a faster S11 chip, new health and fitness features, and the watchOS 27 software update announced at WWDC last June.
Both the Series 12 and Ultra 4 run on the upgraded S11 chip, which Apple says delivers faster CPU and GPU performance, along with improved Siri capabilities. Apple is also expanding the smartwatch’s wellness-tracking suite with a redesigned Health app that includes a Longevity tab with new metrics, like Health Age and a Readiness score.
There’s also a new “Health Sensing System,” designed with 32 electrodes for more accurate readings (the Series 11 only had two), photodiodes organized in a ring to capture light more efficiently, and new LEDs that allow heart rate measurements to be collected every 5 seconds, giving you a continuous stream of heart data throughout the day.
Both the Series 12 and Ultra 4 run on the upgraded S11 chip, which Apple says delivers faster CPU and GPU performance, along with improved Siri capabilities. Apple is also expanding the smartwatch’s wellness-tracking suite with a redesigned Health app that includes a Longevity tab with new metrics, like Health Age and a Readiness score.
Perhaps most notably, the Series 12 brings back the ceramic case, available in pearl white and night blue finishes. Apple first offered a ceramic option with the Series 2 in 2016, marketed as a luxury alternative to the company’s long-retired 18-karat gold edition; the ceramic casing was discontinued in 2020. The aluminum and titanium models are available in black, space gray aluminum, natural titanium, gold, and a new dark bronze color.
The new hardware arrives alongside watchOS 27, which will also be made available to people who already own compatible Apple Watches when the Series 12 goes on sale. The new OS updates the divisive Liquid Glass redesign on the smartwatch, and adds a more capable Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence.
Following the industry trend of AI-notetakers, the new Siri Recap can translate and transcribe real-time conversations for users. In a demonstration video today, Apple showed a server at a restaurant reciting menu specials, and the person sitting at the table was able to use their watch’s dial to scroll back through a transcript of the last 15 seconds, then read what the server said on their Apple Watch screen.
There are several features—all of them opt-in, at least for the person wearing the watch—that are powered by the watch’s ability to record the wearer’s surroundings. Read more about them in Lily Hay Newman’s story about the Apple Watch’s newfound listening abilities on WIRED.
WatchOS 27 also introduces a dynamic app grid that surfaces five Siri AI-suggested apps, the Siri app, and a shortcut to the full app grid. A new one-handed tap gesture lets you select widgets in Smart Stack, and a double-tap lets you scroll through them. A wrist-flick gesture can return you to the watch face, silence timers, and dismiss notifications.
The 24-hour battery life remains the same for the Series 12, but it now offers faster charging: 15 minutes gets up to 12 hours of battery life. The Ultra 4’s battery has expanded to up to 50 hours.
Like its competitors, health and fitness remain a major focus. Workout Buddy now incorporates more wellness metrics and can run without an iPhone nearby; it’s also now available in Spanish. In addition to the “Functional Strength Training” workout mode, users can now log sets, repetitions, weights, and equipment. Cycle Tracking is also gaining support for perimenopause and menopause, including notifications about cycle deviations associated with perimenopause.
With the launch of watchOS 27, Apple is removing Walkie-Talkie, its real-time voice communication tool that lets Apple Watch users communicate directly with one another.
Update at 9 pm, September 9: Details were added about the new sensor array and the watches’ battery life.
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