Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 get S11 chip, microphones for Audio Intelligence

Apple's new watches just arrived - meet the Series 12 and the Watch Ultra 4. All three (Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm) feature the new S11 chip, improved optical/electrical heart rate sensors, and an upgraded Health Sensing System.

Apple boldly says that its new wearables have the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable, something it has verified through a study of more than 1,000 participants, comparing against industry-leading competitors.

Both new smartwatches will measure your heart rate every 5 seconds, while heart rate variability is measured 24 times more frequently than on older models.

The new watches also introduce what Apple calls a Readiness score, going from 0 to 10; it gives you an idea of how ready you are for different training loads.

There's also a new Health Age as part of the redesigned Health app and its new Longevity tab. It combines metrics like your VO₂ max, resting heart rate, HRV and sleep to tell you if your Health Age is younger (or older, gasp) than your biological one.

A built-in microphone enables what Apple calls Audio Intelligence. It alerts those with hearing issues of important sounds around them and can help you recall bits of a conversation that you forgot. Siri recap will automatically generate a title and key points in the new Siri app, while Shazam will display the tune that's playing around you.

A neat thing is that Health Age is a new feature that's not exclusive to Apple's latest wearables, and will make it to older Apple Watches later this year (and in the US, "initially").

A big story with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is battery life. As usual, Apple doesn't share milliamp hours, but it does share actual hours - the Watch Ultra 4 is up to 50 hours of normal use - 8 hours more than its predecessor, or a 19% improvement. The watch can go as long as 84 hours in Low Power Mode - 12 hours more than the Watch Ultra 3.

The Watch Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of normal use and 38 hours in Low Power Mode - the same as Series 11. However, outdoor workout battery life is now rated at up to 10 hours - a 25% bump over the previous gen.

The Apple Watch Series 12 comes in three case materials and eight finishes across the two sizes (42mm/46mm). The aluminum models are Dark Bronze, Black, Light Gold, which are all new, and Space Grey. The aluminum models feature Ceramic Shield 2 glass, which is claimed to be 60% tougher than Ion-X glass.

The Radiant Gold (new color) and Natural Titanium are both Titanium. The titanium case is 3D printed from 100% recycled titanium (and yes, the aluminum is also 100% recycled).

Series 12 also marks the return of ceramic to the regular lineup. The Ceramic models are Pearl White and Night Blue.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 comes in Grade 5 titanium in two colors: Natural Titanium and Black Titanium.

And finally, the bands. There's a Trail Loop in three colors: Dark Umber, Sand, and Burgundy. The Alpine Loop comes in Desert, Dark Olive, and Burgundy. While the Ocean Band now has a translucent finish and comes in three colors: Translucent Gray, Translucent Kelp, Translucent Black.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are available to pre-order today and will go on sale on September 18, starting at $399/€449 and $799/€899, respectively.