Apple’s new smartwatches feature AI‑powered audio intelligence, including Live Rewind and Siri Recap, enhancing user experience and health monitoring.
Apple announced its latest wearables — the Watch Series 12 and the Watch Ultra 4 — at a virtual event on Tuesday, highlighting a new AI‑driven audio engine that can automatically summarize a user’s day and replay key moments on demand.
AI‑powered audio intelligence
Both watches now include a built‑in “Live Rewind” feature that captures ambient sound and health data, then uses on‑device machine learning to create short audio clips of notable events, such as a workout peak or a calendar reminder.
The companion “Siri Recap” mode stitches those clips together into a narrated summary, letting users hear a quick rundown of their day while glancing at their wrist.
Health and safety upgrades
Apple says the AI engine runs entirely on the watch’s new S9 chip, preserving privacy by keeping all processing local. The system also cross‑references heart‑rate spikes, temperature changes, and motion data to flag potential health events, such as irregular heart rhythms or signs of dehydration.
- Enhanced ECG and blood‑oxygen monitoring
- Temperature sensor calibrated for outdoor extremes
- Fall detection with automatic emergency call
- New sleep‑stage analysis powered by AI
Design and durability
The Series 12 retains the classic 41 mm case size but adds a brighter always‑on display and a titanium option, while the Ultra 4 bumps the case to 49 mm, features a sapphire crystal front, and meets MIL‑STD‑810H standards for depth and temperature resistance.
Battery life sees a modest lift, with the Series 12 promising up to 18 hours of mixed use and the Ultra 4 up to 36 hours, thanks to the more efficient S9 processor.
“We wanted a watch that not only tracks your health but also helps you reflect on your day without lifting a finger,” said Apple senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Jeff Williams.
The new models will ship in October, with pricing starting at $399 for the Series 12 and $799 for the Ultra 4.