At its recent event, Apple not only unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and the new iPhone Duo, but also surprised smartwatch enthusiasts by introducing the new generation of its watches: the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Although the external design follows the usual quiet updates, what's hidden inside represents a quantum leap in personal fitness and health tracking, thanks to a completely rebuilt health sensor system and the S11 chip that pushes artificial intelligence capabilities to your wrist in extraordinary ways we've never seen before.
Continuous heart rate monitoring: Goodbye to intermittent checks
The Apple Watch has long relied on a strategy of intermittently monitoring heart rate throughout the day to conserve battery life, with continuous tracking only enabled during exercise. Today, Apple is changing this equation entirely with the introduction of what it calls the “Health Sensing System.” This system centers around a redesigned, always-on optical heart rate sensor, paired with a third-generation electrical heart sensor—the first major update to the heart sensors since the Apple Watch Series 6 introduced blood oxygen measurement.
Thanks to the synergy between the new sensors and the S11 chip, equipped with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, Apple asserts that the Series 12 and Ultra 4 watches offer the most accurate heart rate monitoring of any wearable device. This claim is supported by a specialized scientific study that compared the watch's performance to a medical chest strap for electrocardiograms (ECGs). This accuracy isn't the only advantage; it's accompanied by an exceptionally fast measurement rate, with the watch measuring heart rate every five seconds throughout the day—more than 60 times faster than its predecessor.
It doesn't just measure your regular pulse; the system also tracks your heart rate variability (HRV) every five minutes—about 24 times faster than the Apple Watch Series 11 and earlier. This constant stream of data gives you a highly accurate view of your physical condition, and Apple has added a new software feature to the watch face that allows you to monitor your live heart rate at a glance, along with an update to the Vitals app that displays a daytime window showing vital signs before you go to sleep.
The Readiness app provides a holistic view of your healthy life.
In response to requests from athletes and fitness enthusiasts, the Apple Watch Series 12 introduces a brand-new app called “Readiness.” This app aims to summarize complex metrics into a single, understandable number from 0 to 10, accurately determining your body’s current activity level based on your recent activity, training load, metrics, and sleep quality.
This number is linked to clear, practical recommendations ranging from: Recovery, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. What's unique here is that the Readiness indicator updates automatically throughout the day as conditions change, explaining the direct reasons behind each assessment, such as reminding you to rest after an intense training session.
In parallel, the iPhone Health app is receiving a complete redesign to offer a holistic view, leveraging Apple's AI capabilities to intelligently summarize and interpret health metrics. A key addition is the "Longevity" tab, which presents a "Health Age" metric, revealing your biological age compared to your chronological age. This feature is expected to launch later this year, initially in English.
Voice intelligence: Apple's intelligence listens and remembers
Apple hasn't limited artificial intelligence to health and fitness tracking; it has expanded the concept of "visual intelligence" into the world of audio under the name "Audio Intelligence." Leveraging the S11 processor, the Secure Exclave, and the watch's built-in microphone, the Apple Watch works seamlessly with AI models on the iPhone and its private cloud computing to deliver advanced audio functions.
The first of these features is Live Rewind, which lets you read a text summarizing the last 15 seconds of a live conversation on your screen, saving you in situations where you might miss a particular sentence. You can also pass this snippet to Siri for further clarification or save it for later review.
The “Siri Recap” feature acts as a smart note-taker during meetings, accurately summarizing lengthy conversations. Additionally, Shazam can now run continuously in the background, automatically identifying ambient music and displaying the song title without requiring you to manually open the app.
To allay any privacy concerns, Apple clarified that Siri Recap is entirely optional and disabled by default. No audio recordings are stored; it simply processes text and summaries without identifying speakers, automatically shielding sensitive financial and government data, and providing a clear audio alert and visual indicator when live transcription is enabled.
The return of ceramics: premium materials and welcome price stability.
The biggest surprise for users was Apple maintaining the same price levels despite significant technological advancements. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 for the aluminum models, available in black, space gray, dark bronze, and light gold.
For lovers of luxury materials, the beloved ceramic material returns in pearl white and midnight blue starting at $899, while the titanium versions are available in radiant gold and natural titanium starting at $699. It should be noted that the ceramic and titanium models all come with cellular connectivity as standard.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4, designed for extreme conditions and intense sports, maintained its usual price of $799 with its natural and black titanium case. Apple has already begun accepting pre-orders, with the watches expected to officially arrive in stores and on customers' hands on September 18.
Source:
20 comment