Apple launches Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with S11 audio AI and heart sensors

Audio intelligence and real-time capture

Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 during its product presentation in Cupertino on 9 September 2026. Both smartwatches feature the new S11 chip, which powers a collection of on-device capabilities called Audio Intelligence. A tool named Live Rewind generates a text transcript of the preceding 15 seconds of spoken audio on the screen whenever a wearer double-presses the Digital Crown. The device also includes Siri Recap, which uses ambient listening to compile meeting summaries, titles, and key points in the Siri application. Additional audio features include instant song identification through Shazam and sound recognition alerts for sirens, alarms, doorbells, and crying infants.

Apple outlined the role of the new processing hardware in running these background tools.

With the built-in microphone, the power of the S11 chip, the latest Apple Intelligence models on iPhone, and Private Cloud Compute, Apple Watch Series 12 offers a brand-new class of Apple Intelligence features.

Hardware isolation and privacy controls

To address data privacy, Apple built a hardware partition into the S11 processor known as the Secure Exclave. Audio gathered for transcription and summarization is processed entirely inside this isolated environment and deleted immediately after use. Raw audio recordings are neither created nor stored, preventing access by the operating system, third-party software, or Apple. Siri Recap does not identify individual speakers and filters out government identifiers and financial information. To notify bystanders during active transcription, Live Rewind plays an audible chime even when the device is silenced, while displaying an active microphone indicator and a full-screen animation on the display. Audio Intelligence features will not be available in the European Union at launch.

The company described the internal architecture responsible for isolating and clearing audio streams.

This is because the S11 chip on Apple Watch Series 12 includes Secure Exclave, a dedicated hardware-isolated compartment that processes audio in complete isolation from the rest of the system, then immediately deletes it.

Sensor redesign and health metrics

The Series 12 and Ultra 4 incorporate a redesigned Health Sensing System with ring-shaped photodiodes, larger green LEDs, and an expanded electrode surface area utilizing a 32-petal configuration instead of the previous two-petal layout. The optical sensor array reduces light leakage and records background heart rate readings every 5 seconds, an increase in measurement frequency from previous models. Heart rate variability readings occur up to 24 times more frequently. The watches introduce a daily Readiness score graded from 0 to 10 based on training load, activity, vitals, and sleep metrics. An updated Health app will add a Health Age score, vision-based movement evaluations, and optional $119 laboratory test bookings covering over 50 biomarkers at 2,000 Quest Diagnostics locations across the United States.

Apple specified how the denser biometric data integrates into daily health tracking.

Overnight vitals now includes recovery HRV measurements analyzed against a user's personal baseline, providing a more complete view of their health status.

Pricing, battery specifications, and release

The Apple Watch Series 12 aluminum model starts at $399 in space gray, black, light gold, and dark bronze. Titanium editions in natural and radiant gold cost $699, while ceramic versions in night blue and pearl white cost $899. Everyday battery life on Series 12 reaches 24 hours, with 10 hours supported during outdoor workouts and fast charging providing 12 hours of power in 15 minutes. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799 in natural and black titanium, delivering over 2 days of battery life, or 45 hours in Max Extended mode. Apple also announced AirPods 5 for $129. Preorders opened on 9 September 2026, ahead of retail availability on 18 September 2026.