Apple unveils Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with S11 chip and 15-second audio rewind
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 feature S11 silicon, heart rate tracking every five seconds, and audio transcription tools that will debut outside the EU on September 18.
Hardware architecture and S11 processor
Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 during its keynote event titled 'Surprise and shine', presented by John Ternus alongside the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and AirPods 5. Both watch models integrate the S11 System in Package processor, designed to handle expanded on-device artificial intelligence computations and faster sensor management. The Series 12 keeps the 42 mm and 46 mm casing dimensions while equipping aluminium editions with Ceramic Shield 2 front glass, measured to be 60% more resistant than the prior Ion-X glass. The Ultra 4 retains its 49 mm titanium chassis, 3,000-nit LTPO 3 OLED display, 100-meter water resistance, and 40-meter recreational dive rating, offering up to 45 hours of battery life.
Audio Intelligence and conversation transcription
A central focus of the S11 platform is the Audio Intelligence suite, which includes two ambient audio tools named Live Rewind and Siri Recap. Live Rewind continuously buffers 15 seconds of audio in isolated memory; double-pressing the digital crown generates an instant text transcript on the display. The system emits a mandatory audio tone, displays a full-screen graphic, and activates a microphone indicator during transcription to alert nearby individuals. Siri Recap operates in the background to summarize conversations rather than storing verbatim transcripts, processing data via Apple Intelligence and Private Cloud Compute with end-to-end encryption when synchronized to iCloud.
Siri Recap ambiently takes notes on your conversations throughout your day and creates high-level Apple Intelligence-generated summaries that you can use later to jog your memory, so you can stay present in the moment.
Health tracking and daily readiness metrics
- Apple unveils Series 12 and Ultra 4 during the 'Surprise and shine' keynote
- Pre-orders open for both watch models across international markets
- Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 arrive in retail stores
- Live Rewind launches in English beta outside the European Union
Retail availability, European rollout, and pricing tiers
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 launch in stores on September 18, 2026, following pre-orders opened on September 10. In Spain, the Series 12 starts at 449 euros for the 42 mm aluminium GPS version and 499 euros for 46 mm GPS, with cellular configurations costing 569 euros and 619 euros. Titanium Series 12 models start at 799 euros for 42 mm and 849 euros for 46 mm, while ceramic editions begin at 1,049 euros. The Ultra 4 sells for 899 euros with Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, or Ocean bands, and 999 euros with the titanium Milanese Loop. Audio Intelligence features arrive in English beta in late 2026 and will remain unavailable in the European Union during initial rollout.
- Series 12 42mm Aluminium GPS
- 449 EUR
- Series 12 46mm Aluminium GPS
- 499 EUR
- Series 12 42mm Titanium Cellular
- 799 EUR
- Series 12 46mm Titanium Cellular
- 849 EUR
- Ultra 4 Titanium Base
- 899 EUR
- Ultra 4 Titanium Milanese
- 999 EUR
- Series 12 42mm Ceramic Cellular
- 1049 EUR
