I just went hands on with the Apple Watch Ultra 4: Better battery, improved heart health tracking, and new holistic features galore

The Apple Watch Ultra 4, unveiled at the official Surprise and Shine launch event in Cupertino, California, boasts several notable improvements over its predecessor. Despite its similar appearance, the Ultra 4 houses a faster S11 chip, upgraded health sensors, and a longer-lasting battery. Apple claims the Ultra 4 can last up to 50 hours on a single charge, compared to 42 hours for the Ultra 3.

The new S11 chip supports Siri AI and audio intelligence features, allowing users to relisten to recent ambient sounds and get context-based assistance. The redesigned health sensors now sample heart rate and heart rate variability more frequently, providing more accurate and frequent data. Additionally, the Ultra 4 introduces new health metrics like Readiness score and Health Age, which compare the user's fitness to the average for their age group.

Siri AI is integrated into the Ultra 4, enabling features like Live Rewind, Siri Recap, and Sound Recognition. With a starting price of $799, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be available for preorder starting September 9, 2026, and will hit store shelves on September 18.