Apple has officially introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, bringing internal hardware upgrades, expanded artificial intelligence tools, and new casing options while maintaining the established design language of its wearable lineup.
Both models are powered by Apple’s next-generation S11 chip, designed to handle on-device machine learning tasks more efficiently while extending battery endurance.
- Battery Life: The Series 12 reaches up to 24 hours of normal runtime on a single charge, whereas the rugged Ultra 4 delivers up to two days (50 hours) of battery life.
- Materials and Finishes: Alongside existing aluminum and titanium choices, Apple has reintroduced a premium ceramic finish for the Series 12. A selection of refreshed band options and case colors has also been added across both lines.
Health, Fitness, and AI Capabilities
Apple Watch Ultra 4
Health tracking remains central to both smartwatches, backed by a redesigned health sensor:
- Hypertension and Heart Metrics: The updated sensor suite delivers finer precision for optical heart-rate measurements and adds improved hypertension notifications to alert users to chronic blood pressure elevations.
- Activity Tracking: A dedicated Functional Strength Training mode debuts alongside standard fitness metrics to better track resistance exercises, body mechanics, and power output.
- On-Wrist Intelligence: Deeper Siri and AI integration allows users to perform on-device speech translations, generate message and notification summaries, and process complex voice requests directly from the wrist without a paired phone.
- Core Monitoring: Retained features include standard heart-rate alerts, sleep tracking with sleep apnea detection, stress indicators, and menstrual cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
Apple Watch Series 12
In the United States, pricing across the lineup is structured as follows:
- Apple Watch Series 12 (Aluminum, 42mm): Starts at $399 (GPS) or $499 (GPS + Cellular)
- Apple Watch Series 12 (Aluminum, 46mm): Starts at $449 (GPS) or $499 (GPS + Cellular)
- Apple Watch Series 12 (Titanium): Starts at $699 (includes cellular connectivity)
- Apple Watch Series 12 (Ceramic): Starts at $899 (includes cellular connectivity)
- Apple Watch Ultra 4 (49mm Titanium): Starts at $799 (includes cellular connectivity)
Both models are available for preorder immediately, with standard retail availability beginning September 18.
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