Apple Watch Ultra 4 is coming next month, launching alongside iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Ultra, and more. Here are three rumored Apple Watch Ultra 4 features that I’m excited about.
#1: More powerful S11 chip for Siri AI
Siri AI is a major focus of Apple’s new software this fall, including watchOS 27. And rumors indicate that Apple Watch Ultra 4 will boast a more powerful chip that should be optimized for the new Siri.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple Watch Ultra 4 (and Series 12) will benefit from “a long-awaited bump in chips and speed.” He writes:
The actual processing performance of Apple Watches hasn’t budged since 2023 with the launch of the S9 chip, despite the company technically rolling out new processors since then.
Current Apple Watch models have an S10 chip, so presumably the new version will be called S11. Siri AI has the potential to be transformative for watchOS use, so I’m excited for a faster, more responsive experience on the latest Watch hardware.
#2: New health sensors and features
Health features are at the core of the Apple Watch’s value proposition. And we’re expecting some big changes on that front with Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Digitimes reported last summer that “the number of sensor components will double” in Apple Watch Ultra 4. And more recently they reiterated that the new model will pack “a significant upgrade to sensing functions.”
While we don’t know specifics regarding sensor changes, the outlet also recently reported that Apple has a new high blood pressure notification feature under FDA review. So at a minimum, upgrades to last year’s hypertension feature are expected.
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