Apple unveiled Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 at its fall iPhone event in Cupertino. With the new watches, the company is focusing not on a radical design overhaul, but on software capabilities and more accurate health data collection.

The main new features are Audio Intelligence tools, designed to help users remember details of everyday conversations. In addition, Apple updated the sensor system, added a morning readiness assessment for physical strain, and introduced a “Health Age” feature.

AI will learn to remind users about conversations

The new watches received a feature called Live Rewind. It allows users to go back 15 seconds: a double press on the Digital Crown shows the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as a text excerpt.

The transcript content can be уточнить у Siri or saved in the new Siri app to revisit later. In this way, Apple suggests using the watch not only for notifications, but also as a tool for quickly restoring the context of a conversation.

Another feature is Siri Recap. It is intended to help users remember the key points of everyday conversations. For example, this could include takeaways from a team meeting or a parent-teacher meeting.

If Siri Recap is enabled, Apple Intelligence automatically creates a headline and key bullet points in the Siri app after a conversation. The company describes this as high-level notes rather than a detailed record of the discussion.

Apple also emphasizes separately that the audio intelligence features do not create or store audio recordings.

Sound recognition for people with hearing impairments

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 also gained a new Sound Recognition feature. It is designed for people with hearing impairments and can recognize surrounding sounds, including sirens, alarms, doorbells, and a crying baby.

The watch will be able to notify users about such sounds even if they cannot hear them on their own.

New health sensor system

Both models received an updated system for measuring health metrics.

For more accurate ECG measurements, Apple increased the surface area of the electrodes that come into contact with the skin. To improve optical reading, the company redesigned the photodiodes: they are now arranged in a ring, which should allow them to capture light more effectively.

Apple also used more energy-efficient green LEDs. According to the company, this makes it possible to measure heart rate more accurately throughout the day, including while in motion.

One of the most noticeable changes is the frequency of background heart rate measurements. The watches now collect data every five seconds throughout the day, even when the user is moving. That is 60 times more often than before.

Apple believes that more frequent measurements will help better track changes in health metrics and provide a more complete picture of the body’s condition.

Morning readiness score

The new Apple Watch models also received a feature called Readiness Score — a morning assessment of the body’s readiness for physical strain.

It analyzes recent activity, health metrics, and sleep, then combines the data into a single score. Apple’s idea is that it should help users understand how prepared their body is for the day ahead and for physical exertion.

The feature resembles an approach already used in some smart rings and other health-tracking devices: instead of many separate metrics, the user gets one final indicator.

Another new feature is Health Age, or “Age of Health.” It allows users to compare key health metrics with their actual age.

The assessment uses watch data, including VO2 max, sleep metrics, and other measurements. Apple does not claim that this score is a medical diagnosis: it is a comparative assessment of the body’s condition based on the collected data.

The design remains almost unchanged

Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro, where the main update was the camera, Apple did not introduce radical changes to the appearance of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4.

The main emphasis is on software features and improved sensors. Apple positions the new watches as a more useful tool for everyday life, health, and physical activity.

Price and availability

Apple Watch Series 12 will start at $399, while Apple Watch Ultra 4 will start at $499.