Apple's new Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 boost health sensing with continuous monitoring and AI-driven privacy

Apple has launched the Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, featuring advanced health sensing, on-device intelligence, and new privacy-focused audio features, marking a significant step in wearable health monitoring.

Apple has unveiled the Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 with a sharper focus on health sensing and on-device intelligence, pushing the devices further towards continuous monitoring. According to Apple’s newsroom announcements, both models now use a new Health Sensing System with optical and electrical heart sensors, alongside higher-frequency heart-rate readings that take place every five seconds. The company says this is designed to give a more detailed picture of fitness, recovery and physiological state.

The main addition is a feature Apple calls Readiness, which combines recent activity, training load, vital signs and sleep score into a daily assessment of how prepared a user may be for exercise or demanding work. Apple also says the updated sensing system improves ECG contact and light capture for heart-rate tracking, while the Watch Ultra 4 adds a larger battery and claims up to two days of use. MacRumors reported that the Ultra 4 also supports up to 18 hours of workout tracking with full GPS and heart-rate monitoring, or 45 hours in its extended workout mode.

Apple is also leaning on what it describes as Audio Intelligence. The Independent reported that this includes Live Rewind, which can provide a transcript of what someone has just said, and Siri Recap, which records ambient conversation and summarises the important points. Apple says both features must be switched on manually and that it does not store audio recordings or identify speakers in the notes it creates. In practice, that places the new watches closer to always-on personal assistants, but with the company again stressing privacy controls as a central part of the design.