Apple brings a host of interesting new features to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4. Here's what you need to know.
Apple has upgraded the optical sensing system
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, bringing new health, fitness and AI features to its smartwatch lineup. Both models run watchOS 27 and introduce a new Readiness app designed to provide more detailed insights into daily health and recovery. The watches also add richer strength workout tracking and upgraded optical sensing. The Series 12 brings back a ceramic case option, while the Ultra 4 offers improved battery life. Apple has also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside the AirPods 5 and the company's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo.
The Apple Watch Series 12 price starts at $399 (roughly Rs. 37,956). The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is priced at $799 (roughly Rs. 76,000). Both the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 will be available for pre-order starting today, and both smartwatches will go on sale starting September 18, 2026.
In India, the Apple Watch Series 12 comes with a starting price of Rs. 56,900. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 comes with a starting price of Rs. 1,09,900.
Apple Watch Series 12 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, with aluminium, titanium and ceramic case options. The aluminium models are offered in dark bronze, black, light gold and space grey, while the titanium variants come in radiant gold and natural titanium. The new ceramic model is available in pearl white and night blue.
Apple Watch Ultra 4, meanwhile, is offered in natural and black titanium finishes. The company has also introduced new colours for its Trail Loop, Alpine Loop and Ocean Band options. The Ocean Bands now use a translucent silicone material and are available in translucent grey, kelp and black.
The Apple Watch Series 12 brings a host of new features. To start with, the company has introduced a new Health Sensing System, which uses new optical and electrical heart sensors. The company claims that the optical heart sensor uses larger, power-efficient green LEDs and measures heart rate every five seconds throughout the day. The smartwatch also measures HRV up to 24 times more frequently than before. The company has also introduced two HRV measurements: Recovery HRV and overall HRV.
The Watch Series 12 also comes with new Readiness scores. The feature analyses recent activity, training load, vitals and sleep data to provide a daily score from 0 to 10. The feature also provides one of four recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It.
The company claims that the smartwatch comes with up to 24 hours of everyday battery life, which is a 25 percent increase over the previous model. Apple says that a mere 15 minutes of charging can provide up to 12 hours of additional battery life. Apple Watch Series 12 supports Siri AI through watchOS 27. The brand has introduced a new Siri app and Siri Modular watch face, allowing users to continue conversations and access Apple Intelligence capabilities directly from their wrist.
The newest smartwatch is powered by the new S11 chipset. The chipset also enables new Audio Intelligence features on the Apple Watch Series 12. These include Sound Recognition, Live Rewind, Siri Recap, and Shazam integration.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is the latest rugged smartwatch from the brand. The latest smartwatch features the Health Sensing System and S11 chipset, which is also available on the Apple Watch Series 12. The Watch Ultra 4 also gets the new Readiness feature, which combines activity, training load, vitals and sleep data into a 0-10 score. Unlike the Series 12, however, the Ultra 4 is built around longer endurance for extended outdoor activities.
The Ultra 4 also gets Apple's redesigned pedometer model and machine learning algorithms. The company says the changes improve distance measurements during indoor workouts and provide more accurate step counts throughout the day.
The smartwatch offers up to 50 hours of battery life with everyday use and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. The company claims that with 15 minutes of charging, users can get up to 18 hours of battery life.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.