Apple announced the Apple Watch 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at its annual fall event on September 9, 2026. While the hardware on these watches isn't too different from last year's lineup, there are a lot of new features that make up for any disappointment we might feel about them having the same old look and feel. Read more about what makes these devices worth the upgrade below.
Release Date & Pricing
Availability
- Pre-order September 9
- Available September 18
Pricing
As for pricing, the new Apple Watches will cost the same as the previous generation:
- Apple Watch 12 GPS-Only Aluminum Finish: Starts at $399
- Apple Watch 12 GPS + Cellular Aluminum Finish: Starts at $499
- Apple Watch 12 GPS + Cellular Titanium Finish: Starts at$699
- Apple Watch 12 GPS + Cellular Ceramic Finish: Starts as$899
- Apple Watch Ultra 4 GPS + Cellular: Starts at $799
US-based customers can trade in a previous Apple Watch model for credit or use the new Apple Upgrade program to lease the Apple Watch 12 starting at $11.99 per month for 24 months and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 for $24.99 per month for 24 months.
Same on the Outside, Different on the Inside
At first glance, the new Apple Watch lineup is not that exciting. The size of the Apple Watch Series 12 is the same as last year's Apple Watch Series 11, which is also true for the Apple Ultra 4 compared to the Apple Ultra 3. The one visual difference is that the Apple Watch Series 12 now comes in a ceramic finish alongside the aluminum and titanium finish options, and of course we have new color options:
- The aluminum finish versions of the Apple Watch 12 are dark bronze, light gold, black, and space gray.
- The titanium finish versions of the Apple Watch 12 are radiant gold and natural.
- The ceramic finish versions of the Apple Watch 12 are pearl white and night blue.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is still only available in black and natural, just like last year. Plus, the display specs and materials are also identical to their counterparts from last year. But these same-old, same-old exteriors belie the exciting new features on the inside.
A Brand New Approach to Tracking Health
For years, Apple has intentionally had the Apple Watch stand out from other wearables by focusing on closing rings rather than meeting a step goal. Previously, you could only look at details of your individual fitness trends, rather than seeing a single number that tells you whether to push yourself or take a rest day. While the three Apple Watch rings we have come to love (or hate) will still be there, we will also have more holistic ways to track overall health and wellness, giving every user the option to use the tracking style that suits them best.
The newest Apple Watch models will now have a Readiness app, which will give you a daily score based on your overall vitals. If you've ever tried an Oura ring (which I personally love to wear alongside my Apple Watch), you'll recognize how similar the new watch feature is to the Readiness Score that Oura introduced in 2015. Even though the concept isn't novel, I am really excited to have it on my watch so I can wear fewer devices and use fewer apps to track my health.
In addition to this, the new watches also feature a redesigned Health app with a Longevity tab. Here, you can see how various aspects of your health work together, what areas can be improved, and what this says about your "Health Age," a metric similar to the at-home biological age assessment Withings devices have pioneered since 2021. It is important to note that many older watch models, including the Apple Watch 6, will offer Health Age in the new Longevity tab, so you might not need to buy a new watch to try it out.
Speaking of the improved Health app, it will also now be possible for users to order their own blood work directly through the app for a fee of $119, but this won't be available until later this year and will be limited by a user's physical location.
Apple Watch has also finally given in to user demands and given us the step-tracking we've wanted all along. What started as a way to differentiate the Apple Watch from wearables like Fitbit turned into frustrated users downloading third-party apps just to see their step count on their watch face. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will be the first (and currently only) watch models with Apple's new Steps complication, which you can add to your watch face and see in your Smart Stacks. Apple says this is thanks to the new S11 chip, but I don't see why they couldn't offer this complication on older watch models. Apple also claims that this will make the Apple Watch the "most accurate step counter of any smartwatch" which seems like a bold claim but could be accurate, especially since the current competitive wearables that claim to have better step accuracy are considered fitness trackers rather than smart watches.
Finally, the new watch models also introduce high-frequency background heart rate tracking, which means your watch will track your heart rate even when you're not working out. Users can now see their recovery heart rate in addition to their overall heart rate, which can help them better understand their overall health. This feature is exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, so if this matters to you, you'll definitely want to take the leap and buy a new watch.
Audio Intelligence Makes Your Watch Smarter than Ever
As someone who's been beta-testing the new Apple Intelligence, I have been disappointed by the lack of exciting AI-powered features that are watch-specific. But Audio Intelligence changes everything! Audio Intelligence brings Sound Recognition, Live Rewind, Siri Recap, and Shazam to your wrist, and Apple claims that it is done without compromising your security or privacy. Let's get into each of the features.
Sound Recognition is particularly valuable for hard-of-hearing or deaf users, since it alerts you to certain sounds, like a baby crying, sirens, doorbells, and alarms. This way, you'll know about the sound even if you can't hear it yourself because of hearing loss or because you're wearing earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.
Live Rewind is a curious new feature that could be useful if not a tad awkward. Live Rewind can help you better understand or recall a conversation you had in real life. The only caveat is that it only shows you the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as a text snippet, which might not be enough to completely comprehend what was said, but it could help you remember that second part of verbally given walking instructions, for example. Live Rewind-captured snippets can be saved in the Siri app to revisit later, or you can use Siri to get more context in the moment.
Siri Recap is particularly exciting because it is comparable to the AI-powered apps that help record virtual conversations and meetings, except they will help with real-life conversations. When turned on, Siri Recap will take notes about your conversation that include summaries with a title and key points. This lets you focus on listening and discussing without worrying that you'll forget something that someone said.
Finally, Shazam now has a Music Recognition widget that will show up in your Smart Stack whenever your watch hears music around you. For those who don't know, Shazam is the app that helps identify what song is playing so that you don't need to awkwardly hum or search misheard lyrics on Google. I am excited to have it show up automatically so that I can tap it discreetly without interrupting whatever I'm doing, like pausing a conversation because the radio is playing a song I'd love to revisit.
My first reaction to hearing about these features was, oh no, this is kind of creepy. But as always, Apple is serious about privacy, and promises it will never store audio recordings, which means that neither the user nor Apple will be able to access the raw audio; you will just see the written notes. Plus, all these features are voluntary and off by default, so you'll have to actively toggle them on in your settings if you want to use them. If your friend segues from talking about a business idea to sharing a personal secret, you can quickly turn Siri Recap off from your watch's Control Center.
But is it still a little creepy? Maybe. Just as people might be paranoid about being recorded by anyone wearing Meta Glasses, will we have to be paranoid about having our conversations recorded by anyone wearing an Apple Watch? On the other hand, if you find these Audio Intelligence features exciting, you'll be happy to learn that there is a new Siri Modular watch face that makes these new smart features even easier to access.
Some of the Usual Better, Faster & Stronger
We didn't get too much information about the new Apple Watch chip making these watch models particularly faster, but it is important to note that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 has a longer battery life than any previous watch model. This means that the Ultra 4 can last up to 50 hours of regular use, up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode, and record up to 18 hours of an outdoor workout—perfect for ultramarathoners, professional athletes, and those who want to use their Apple Watch to record their hike up Mount Everest. The Apple Watch Series 12 has the same battery life as its predecessor, but Apple does note that it can record up to 10 hours of outdoor workouts.
Should You Upgrade?
People always ask me if it's worth getting a new watch. And my answer is always, "It depends!" Last year was the first time I didn't feel the need to do an annual upgrade, so as an Apple Watch 10 owner, I will definitely be upgrading. If I had the Apple Watch 11, I might hold off, although missing out on the Readiness Score and Steps complication would make me a Bitter Betty. As for the Ultra, I haven't had one since the original model, but if you are an athlete or need the extra battery life and newest features, then it might be worth upgrading, even if you already have the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Whatever you do, make sure to look into trade-in options and check out Apple's new Apple Upgrade for leasing options.
