Apple unveils Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 with an AI upgrade that can recap your day

image via TechCrunch

September 9, 2026, 6:08 PM

• •Apple introduced the Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 with software-focused updates rather than a major hardware redesign.
• •New "Audio Intelligence" features include Live Rewind, which shows a text snippet of the previous 15 seconds of conversation, and Siri Recap, which generates notes and key points from conversations.
• •Apple says the audio features do not create or store audio recordings.
• •The watches add a revamped health-sensing system with improved ECG contact, redesigned photodiodes, more efficient green LEDs, and background heart-rate readings every five seconds.
• •New wellness features include a readiness score based on activity, vitals, and sleep, plus a Health Age metric comparing health indicators with a user's actual age.
• •Pricing starts at $399 for the Apple Watch Series 12 and $499 for the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Apple introduced the Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 with a focus on new AI-driven audio features and upgraded health sensing rather than a major redesign. The new Live Rewind feature lets users view a text snippet of the previous 15 seconds of conversation, while Siri Recap generates notes and key points from daily interactions. Apple also added improved ECG and optical sensing hardware, continuous background heart-rate sampling every five seconds, a readiness score, and a Health Age feature. The Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and the Watch Ultra 4 starts at $499.

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