Apple Launches Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with AI

During its Surprise and Shine event in Cupertino, Apple Inc. unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, alongside the AirPods 5. Both watch models are powered by the new S11 chip, which enables on-device AI processing and the integration of Apple Intelligence via watchOS 27. A redesigned Health Sensing System now samples heart rate every five seconds, powering a new Readiness score from 0 to 10 that recommends daily activity levels based on sleep and vitals.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 maintains a 49mm titanium design with extended battery life of up to 50 hours. The Series 12 introduces a return to ceramic cases and Ceramic Shield 2 for aluminum models, which is 60% tougher than previous glass. Both devices introduce Audio Intelligence features, including Sound Recognition and Shazam. More advanced tools, such as Live Rewind for 15-second conversation transcripts and Siri Recap for AI summaries, are scheduled for a beta release later this year.

Apple stated that raw audio is processed in a Secure Exclave and is not stored, though some critics have raised surveillance concerns regarding bystander consent. The AirPods 5 introduce active noise cancellation to an open-ear design and support live translation. While the devices launched on September 18, early reviews of the Series 12 are mixed, with some users reporting sluggish responsiveness and build quality issues despite praise for heart-rate accuracy.