Apple Watch Series 12 has an always-on Siri that makes AI recaps of your day

Apple has introduced the Apple Watch Series 12, featuring a new S12 processor and enhanced Siri AI capabilities to transform the smartwatch into a smarter on-wrist assistant. Announced on September 9 alongside the company's latest iPhones and the Apple Watch Ultra 4, the Series 12 retains the familiar design while introducing a faster S12 system, upgraded health and fitness features, and AI improvements to make Apple's AI more useful throughout the day.

The S12 chip represents a step forward in computational power, focusing on enhancing on-device AI, Siri, and sensor processing. Rather than a significant speed boost, the S12 provides additional processing capacity for artificial intelligence, natural language understanding, and on-watch functionalities. A notable advancement is the integration of "audio intelligence" through the watch's microphones and sensors, allowing Siri to better comprehend users' context without continuously recording conversations.

This development aims to address privacy concerns related to always-on AI listening. Siri's upgrade includes the ability to understand personal context, screen content, perform actions across apps, maintain conversations across devices, and provide more natural responses, dictation, and web-based answers. Health and fitness tracking on the Series 12 sees expanded features, including continuous heart-rate monitoring and new wellness metrics.

Apple's watchOS 27, paired with the Series 12, incorporates AI-powered features to improve workout tracking, health insights, and personalization. Siri AI will be available across multiple Apple Watch models, signaling a broader shift toward context-aware assistance that leverages the device's existing data about users' daily activities.

Priced starting at $429 for the Series 12, the watch and Ultra 4 will be available for pre-order from September 12, with retail availability set for September 18, 2026. The Series 12 marks a pivotal step in Apple's strategy to embed AI deeply within its devices, emphasizing contextual awareness and intelligence in a product that already gathers extensive information about users' lives.