Apple has officially introduced its latest Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, both powered by the new Apple S11 chip and running on watchOS 27. Along with performance upgrades, the new wearables bring a redesigned Health Sensing System, new Readiness feature, improved heart-rate and HRV measurements, Audio Intelligence features, and several new health and fitness capabilities.
Here’s more about these two new Apple Watches.
Apple Watch Series 12 – Specifications and Features
Starting with the Apple Watch Series 12, the smartwatch has been introduced in 42mm and 46mm sizes and is powered by the new Apple S11 chip.
One of the major highlights this year is the new Health Sensing System, which comes with upgraded optical and electrical heart sensors.
Apple says the watch can now take heart-rate measurements every five seconds throughout the day, while larger and more power-efficient green LEDs have also been used in the optical heart sensor.
HRV measurements can now be taken up to 24 times more frequently, while separate recovery HRV and overall HRV readings are also offered.
The watch further supports daytime and overnight vitals monitoring, along with a new real-time heart-rate complication.
Speaking more about health and fitness, Apple has introduced a new Readiness feature, which analyses activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score to generate a score between 0 and 10.
Depending on the score, recommendations such as Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, and Go For It are displayed, while the score itself updates throughout the day.
Apple has also redesigned the step-tracking model using machine-learning algorithms, while a new real-time Steps complication has been introduced.
Existing health and safety features such as ECG, sleep and workout tracking, sleep-apnoea notifications, heart-health notifications, Fall Detection, and Emergency SOS also continue to be offered.
Coming to the battery, the Apple Watch Series 12 is claimed to offer up to 24 hours of battery life, while outdoor workouts can last for up to 10 hours.
Fast charging is also supported, with a 15-minute charge claimed to provide up to 12 hours of battery life.
Speaking of durability, aluminium models now feature Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple claims is 60% tougher than the previous Ion-X glass.
Apple Intelligence and Audio Features
The new S11 chip also enables several Audio Intelligence features.
Siri now comes with personal-context understanding and broader world knowledge, while Sound Recognition can identify sounds such as sirens, alarms, doorbells, and babies crying.
Another new feature called Live Rewind can display the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as text, while Siri Recap can generate titles and key-point summaries from conversations.
Shazam music recognition has also been integrated into the Smart Stack.
Apple says audio processing is handled through the hardware-isolated Secure Exclave, while raw audio is deleted after processing and recordings are not stored.
The Live Rewind and Siri Recap features will arrive in beta later in 2026.
Health App and watchOS 27
Apple has also redesigned the Health app for iPhone, introducing a new Insights tab for timely health information and a Longevity tab for tracking long-term health trends.
A new Health Age feature compares selected metrics with the user’s actual age.
Vision-based movement evaluations for flexibility, strength, and balance are also being introduced.
In the US, users will additionally be able to opt for laboratory testing covering more than 50 biomarkers across around 2,000 Quest Diagnostics locations, priced at $119.
The redesigned Health app will initially launch in US English later in 2026.
Coming to watchOS 27, it brings a dynamic app grid with five Siri-suggested applications, a new single-handed tap gesture, double-tap scrolling, single-tap widget selection, contextual Smart Stack suggestions, perimenopause and menopause support in Cycle Tracking, Workout Buddy support without a nearby iPhone, and a new Siri Modular watch face.
Materials and Colours
The Apple Watch Series 12 is available in multiple materials and colour options.
The aluminium models are offered in:
- Dark Bronze
- Black
- Light Gold
- Space Grey
The titanium models are available in:
- Radiant Gold
- Natural Titanium
The ceramic models are offered in:
- Pearl White
- Night Blue
Ceramic variants also come with matching Sport Bands featuring ceramic pin-and-tuck closures.
The Apple Watch Hermès Series 12 will be available in Radiant Gold and Silver Titanium.
Apple also says the watch is made using 40% recycled material overall, while the aluminium case uses 100% recycled aluminium and the 3D-printed titanium case uses 100% recycled titanium.
Apple Watch Series 12 – Pricing and Availability
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 in the US.
Pre-orders opened on 9th September 2026, while store availability will begin on 18th September 2026.
The smartwatch will be available in India, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the US, and more than 50 other markets.
The watchOS 27 rollout will begin on 14th September 2026.
It will be compatible with Apple Watch Series 9 or later, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and requires an iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE 2nd generation or later, running iOS 27 or newer.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 – Specifications and Features
Moving to the Apple Watch Ultra 4, this model is also powered by the new Apple S11 chip and runs on watchOS 27.
Just like the Series 12, the Ultra 4 comes with the new Health Sensing System, upgraded optical and electrical heart sensors, heart-rate measurements every five seconds, and HRV measurements up to 24 times more frequently.
Apple claims that the Ultra 4 offers its most accurate wearable heart-rate sensing, along with its most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch.
The smartwatch also supports advanced workout and sleep tracking, heart-health notifications, ECG, and satellite communication.
The same new Readiness feature is offered here as well, analysing recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score to provide a score between 0 and 10.
The redesigned pedometer with machine-learning algorithms is also claimed to improve indoor walking and running distance measurements.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 – Battery and Charging
Battery life is one of the major highlights of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
The smartwatch is claimed to offer up to 50 hours of everyday battery life and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode.
Its Extended Workout mode provides up to 25 hours with full GPS and heart-rate readings.
Meanwhile, the Max Extended Workout mode can offer up to 45 hours for outdoor runs, walks, and hikes, while still retaining GPS readings every second.
Fast charging is supported as well, with a 15-minute charge claimed to provide up to 18 hours of battery life.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 – Design and Colours
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 comes with a titanium case and is available in:
- Natural Titanium
- Black Titanium
The new Trail Loop is offered in Dark Umber, Sand, and Burgundy, while the Alpine Loop comes in Desert, Dark Olive, and Burgundy.
The translucent silicone Ocean Band is available in Translucent Grey, Translucent Kelp, and Translucent Black.
The Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 4 will be offered in Natural Titanium.
Its Hermès Grand H titanium band comes with a built-in extension mechanism for use over a wetsuit, while the new Hermès Fathom and Wonder watch face offers four ocean-depth themes.
Apple says the Ultra 4 is made using 45% recycled material overall, with the case using 100% recycled titanium and the battery using 100% recycled cobalt.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 – Pricing and Availability
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799 in the US.
Pre-orders opened on 9th September 2026, while store availability will begin on 18th September 2026.
Just like the Series 12, it will be available in India, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UAE, the UK, the US, and over 50 other markets.
The watch requires an iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE 2nd generation or later, running iOS 27.
Stay tuned for more updates!
