{
  "id": 6476696,
  "title": "Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Offer These Eight New Health and Fitness Features",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/apple-watch-series-12-and-ultra-4-offer-these-eight-new-health-and",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-09T21:07:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MacRumors",
    "slug": "macrumors",
    "url": "https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/09/apple-watch-series-12-and-ultra-4-health-and-fitness/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 bring a suite of eight new health and fitness features. Apple unveiled these enhancements, detailing the following improvements:\n\nA redesigned sensor architecture marks a key upgrade, featuring three primary enhancements. Firstly, the electrode surface area has increased for superior ECG skin contact. Secondly, photodiodes are arranged in a ring for more efficient light capture. Lastly, larger, more energy-efficient green LEDs provide accurate heart rate readings even during motion.\n\nContinuous heart rate monitoring now occurs every five seconds throughout the day, a 60-fold increase from previous models. This real-time data is accessible via a new watch face complication.\n\nThe frequency of heart rate variability (HRV) sampling has been doubled to up to 24 times more often, with separate recovery and overall HRV values displayed in a dedicated section of the Heart Rate app.\n\nA new toggle option allows users to switch between daytime and overnight vital signs, potentially detecting changes in metrics before they appear in overnight readings.\n\nAn innovative VO2 Max test has been introduced, guiding users to set their iPhone to record a series of exercises. Results are then delivered immediately alongside data from the Apple Watch.\n\nStep tracking has been refined through a redesigned pedometer model utilizing new machine learning algorithms. This improvement enhances distance accuracy for indoor workouts and overall step counts throughout the day.\n\nA brand-new watch face complication, made possible by the S11 chip, provides real-time step count tracking.\n\nThe Apple Watch Ultra 4 takes these enhancements further, offering up to 50 hours of everyday battery life and 84 hours in Low Power Mode. It also introduces a Max Extended Workout mode rated for up to 45 hours of outdoor tracking. Charging for 15 minutes at a time now adds up to 12 additional hours of battery.\n\nPricing for these devices starts at $399 for the Apple Watch Series 12 and $799 for the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Pre-orders for both models opened today, with availability commencing Friday, September 18.",
  "summary": "The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 offer a range of new health and fitness features. Here's everything that's new. Apple today revealed the following features for the two new devices: New \"Health Sensing System\" : A redesigned sensor architecture with three main improvements, including increased electrode surface area for better ECG skin contact, photodiodes arranged in a ring for more…",
  "key_points": [
    "Redesigned sensor architecture with increased electrode surface area for better ECG contact",
    "Continuous heart rate monitoring every five seconds throughout the day",
    "Doubled heart rate variability (HRV) sampling to up to 24 times per minute"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MacRumors",
        "title": "Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Announced Featuring All-New Health Sensing System",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/apple-watch-series-12-and-ultra-4-announced-featuring-all-new-health",
        "published": "2026-09-09T17:42:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Wired",
        "title": "Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4: Price, Specs, Release Date",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/apple-watch-series-12-and-apple-watch-ultra-4-price-specs-release-date",
        "published": "2026-09-09T17:43:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "9to5Mac",
        "title": "Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 unveiled with upgraded health tracking system",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/apple-watch-series-12-and-ultra-4-unveiled-with-upgraded-health",
        "published": "2026-09-09T17:44:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "AppleInsider",
        "title": "New Apple Watch Series 12 highlights: improved health sensing system, Readiness app",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/new-apple-watch-series-12-highlights-improved-health-sensing-system",
        "published": "2026-09-09T17:52:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}