GoKawiilThe Apple Watch Ultra 4, which starts at $799, has a new processor and reengineered health sensors that unlock more frequent health measurements, new recovery insights and AI-powered audio tools.
I got to test the Apple Watch Ultra 4 to see some of these new features in action in a demo room at the Steve Jobs Theater after the company’s Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday.
At first glance, the Ultra 4 looked and felt very familiar. But when I flipped it over, the difference was obvious. Compared with the sensor array on my Ultra 3, the back of the Ultra 4 looks almost flower-like, with 32 electrodes resembling the thin petals of a gerbera daisy replacing the previous ring of two. That gives the electrodes more surface area to capture ECG readings. Apple also rearranged the green and infrared LEDs into a new, smaller circular cluster in the middle of the petals with smaller dots.
Those redesigned sensors, combined with the new S11 processor, allow the Ultra 4 to take heart-rate readings every 5 seconds, compared with roughly every 5 minutes on previous models. The same goes for heart-rate variability, or HRV, which the watch can now measure every 5 minutes instead of just a few times throughout the day. Apple says the increased sampling frequency makes it the most accurate wearable on the market. It also powers a new Readiness score, a measure of how well your body is recovering from exercise during the day.
The sensors on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are different from those on earlier models. Apple/Screenshot by CNET
Unlike many wearables that give you a recovery or readiness score based largely on what happened overnight, Apple’s score changes throughout the day. Because the Ultra 4 samples heart rate and HRV more frequently, Readiness can react in real time as you drain or recharge your body.
I also found a new Daytime toggle in the Vitals app on the watch that lets you view daytime heart rate and HRV alongside the overnight measurements already available in Vitals, like temperature and SpO2. Both features require seven days of data to unlock, so I’ll need at least a week to test them and see whether they align with how I’m feeling, which has often been at odds with what I’ve seen on other devices.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Series 12 are available for preorder and will arrive on Sept. 18.
Apple/Screenshot by CNET
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