Overview
- Apple announced the Series 12 and Ultra 4 on Wednesday, Sept. 9, opened preorders immediately, and said both models will be in stores on Sept. 18 with Series 12 starting at $399 and Ultra 4 at $799.
- Both models use a new S11 system chip and a redesigned Health Sensing System that takes background heart‑rate readings every five seconds and samples HRV far more frequently than prior watches.
- Apple launched an Audio Intelligence suite that includes Sound Recognition, Live Rewind (a 15‑second transcript on a double press), Siri Recap summaries, and faster Shazam music ID, with Live Rewind and Recap entering staged betas later in 2026 and limited by device, language, and region.
- Apple says raw audio is processed in the S11 Secure Enclave or Private Cloud Compute, deleted immediately, and that saved snippets and summaries are encrypted, but reporters note those choices limit external verification and may prompt regulatory scrutiny.
- The changes aim to deliver continual recovery and fitness guidance and new accessibility tools for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, yet independent validation of sensor accuracy and real‑world usefulness will be critical to whether users and regulators accept Apple’s claims.