The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 offer a range of new health and fitness features. Here’s everything that’s new.
Apple today revealed the following features for the two new devices:
- New “Health Sensing System”: A redesigned sensor architecture with three main improvements, including increased electrode surface area for better ECG skin contact, photodiodes arranged in a ring for more efficient light capture, and larger, more power-efficient green LEDs for accurate heart rate readings during motion.
- Continuous heart rate sensing: Heart rate is now measured every five seconds throughout the day, 60 times more frequently than before, viewable via a new watch face complication.
- Higher-frequency HRV: Heart rate variability is sampled up to 24 times more often, with separate recovery and overall HRV values shown in a new section of the Heart Rate app.
- Daytime vitals view: A new toggle lets users switch between overnight and daytime vitals, potentially catching shifts in metrics before they show up in overnight readings.
- VO2 Max test: A new test has users set up their iPhone to watch them perform a series of exercises, delivering results immediately alongside data from their Apple Watch.
- Most accurate step tracking: A redesigned pedometer model with new machine learning algorithms improves distance accuracy for indoor workouts and all-day step counts.
- Steps complication: A brand-new watch face complication, enabled by the S11 chip, lets users track their step count in real time.
- Longer workout battery life: Up to 10 hours during an outdoor workout, 25% more than the previous model, with 15 minutes of charging now delivering up to 12 hours of extra battery. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 goes further, with up to 50 hours of everyday battery life, 84 hours in Low Power Mode, and a new Max Extended Workout mode rated for up to 45 hours of outdoor tracking; 15 minutes of charging adds up to 18 hours of battery.
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799, with pre-orders for both open today and availability beginning Friday, September 18.
Popular Stories
New Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 Features Revealed
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9. While it was initially rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch this year, Gurman reiterated that he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. …
Apple Event Today: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo Cheat Sheet
Apple’s biggest event of the year is almost here, and all eyes are on Cupertino. With the first foldable iPhone expected to headline Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, the rumor mill has been running full throttle, fuelled by the biggest single design change in the life of the iPhone. To get you up to speed, here’s a quick reference…
Leak Hints at Four New Features for Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
Ahead of the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 later this week, code in the watchOS 27 and iOS 27 betas points to a series of new features for the product line. The information comes from a new post from MacRumors forums member “pdfu.” The findings include: New “Readiness” app: An all-new separate Watch app referred to in code as “Readiness,” distinct from the…