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

Apple launched the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 alongside iPhone upgrades during its recent event in Cupertino. Although the smartwatches don't feature significant hardware changes, they do receive notable software enhancements. Apple has focused on integrating AI into wearables with new "Audio Intelligence" capabilities, allowing users to rewind moments and recall details from daily conversations.

The watch launches with "Live Rewind," which goes back up to 15 seconds of a conversation when activated with a double press of the Digital Crown. Siri can then transcribe the transcript, and users can save it to the new Siri app for later reference. The "Siri Recap" feature captures high-level notes of daily conversations, generating a title and key points in the Siri app after a conversation.

A "Sound Recognition" feature aids individuals with hearing difficulties by alerting them to various sounds like sirens, alarms, doorbells, and crying babies. Both new smartwatches include an upgraded health-sensing system with enhanced electrode surface area for better ECG readings. The redesigned photodiodes capture light more efficiently for improved optical sensing.

The system delivers higher-frequency continuous heart rate data, taken every five seconds throughout the day, 60 times more frequently than before. The smartwatches also introduce readiness scores that analyze recent activity, vitals, and sleep, providing a single score indicating how prepared the body is for the day. Lastly, a new "Health Age" feature allows users to compare their key health metrics with their actual age, based on data from the watch, including VO2 max, sleep, and more. The Apple Watch Series 12 begins at $399, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs $499.