Apple has introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, bringing a stronger focus on artificial intelligence and health tracking to its latest smartwatches.
The new models were unveiled at Apple’s Surprise and Shine event in Cupertino. While the company has not made major changes to the overall hardware design, the new watches receive several software and health-related upgrades.
The biggest change is Apple’s push into AI-powered wearables through a collection of features called Audio Intelligence.
What Happened?
Apple’s new AI features are designed to help users remember information from conversations and everyday situations.
One of the most notable additions is Live Rewind, which can go back up to 15 seconds in a recent conversation. Users can double-press the Digital Crown to see a text version of what was recently said.
The transcript can then be used with Siri to ask questions about the conversation or saved in the new Siri app for later reference.
Siri Recap Helps Users Remember Conversations
Apple is also introducing Siri Recap, a feature designed to summarize important moments from conversations.
When enabled, the feature uses ambient listening to create high-level notes. For example, it could capture important points from a work meeting or a parent-teacher discussion.
After a conversation, Apple Intelligence can automatically generate a title and key points, which are then available through the new Siri app.
Apple says its audio intelligence features do not create or store audio recordings.
New Sound Recognition Feature
The new watches also include an expanded Sound Recognition capability aimed particularly at people who are hard of hearing.
The feature can detect sounds such as sirens, alarms, doorbells and a crying baby, helping users become aware of sounds they may not otherwise notice.
Apple Improves Health Sensors
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 also receive changes to their health-sensing systems.
Apple has increased the electrode surface area to improve skin contact during ECG readings. The optical sensing system has also been redesigned, with photodiodes arranged in a ring to improve how efficiently the watch captures light.
The watches also use more power-efficient green LEDs to support heart-rate measurements throughout the day, including when users are moving.
Heart Rate Data Gets More Frequent
One of the more significant health upgrades is the increased frequency of background heart-rate measurements.
Apple says the new system can capture background heart-rate readings every five seconds throughout the day, including during activity. The company says this is 60 times more frequent than on previous models.
The more frequent data can provide a larger amount of information about changes in a user’s heart rate over time.
New Readiness Score
Apple is also bringing a feature commonly associated with smart rings and fitness trackers to its smartwatch lineup.
A new Readiness Score looks at recent activity, vital signs and sleep information to provide a single score each morning.
The idea is to give users a quick indication of how prepared their body may be for the day rather than requiring them to review multiple health measurements individually.
Health Age Compares Your Health Metrics
Another new feature is Health Age.
It uses information collected by the Apple Watch, including factors such as VO2 max and sleep, to estimate how the user’s health-related measurements compare with their actual age.
The feature is intended to provide another simple way for users to understand longer-term trends in their health and fitness data.
Why It Matters
Apple’s latest watches show that the company’s wearable strategy is moving beyond notifications, fitness tracking and traditional health monitoring.
With features such as Live Rewind and Siri Recap, Apple is attempting to make the smartwatch more useful as an everyday memory and information tool.
At the same time, the improved health sensors, more frequent heart-rate readings and new readiness and Health Age features give users more ways to understand their health data.
The combination of AI, health monitoring and everyday assistance could make Apple’s latest watches more competitive as AI-powered wearables become an increasingly important part of the technology market.
Conclusion
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 may not represent a major redesign, but Apple is adding several important software and health capabilities.
The new Audio Intelligence features are particularly notable as Apple looks to bring AI-powered memory and conversation assistance directly to the wrist. Meanwhile, upgraded sensors and new health metrics expand the watch’s role as a personal health and fitness device.
The bigger question will be how useful people find these AI features in everyday situations and how Apple’s approach to privacy around ambient listening is received by users.