Apple's marketing materials for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 reveal that the small circular Heart Rate complication, previously just an app-launcher icon, will now display an actual live heart rate number. This upgrade is enabled by the new Health Sensing System, which measures heart rate every five seconds—60 times more often than earlier Apple Watch models. The feature does not appear on watchOS 27's release candidate for the older Series 11 and Ultra 3, suggesting it's tied to new hardware.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-11
Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at its Sept. 9 event, both running WatchOS 27 with features that work independently of a paired iPhone. Unlike this year's iPhones, which saw price increases, both watches kept their previous starting prices—$400 for the Series 12 and $800 for the Ultra 4—with preorders open now and shipping Sept. 18.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-11
Apple has launched the Watch Series 12 with faster charging but the same 24-hour battery life, alongside the Ultra 4, which extends battery life to 50 hours. Both models run watchOS 27, which brings tighter Siri and Apple Intelligence integration, including AI-suggested apps, new one-handed gestures, expanded workout and women's health tracking, and a Siri Recap feature for real-time transcription and translation.
hardware.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-10
Data from Xcode 27 reveals that Apple's new Watch Ultra 4 and Series 12 both ship with 4GB of RAM, twice the 2GB found in last year's Ultra 3 and Series 11. Apple did not disclose this memory increase in its official announcements, and the discovery came from developer tools rather than Apple's own specs pages.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-10
Apple has published full release notes for watchOS 27, the major software update arriving alongside the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4. The update brings a more conversational Siri with natural-sounding voices, a dedicated Siri app, Apple Intelligence upgrades to Workout Buddy and Phone call context, expanded perimenopause-related cycle tracking, and a redesigned Siri Modular watch face.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-10
At its 'Surprise and Shine' event, Apple introduced its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, priced around $2,000, which automatically adjusts its display based on orientation. The company also launched the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at higher prices, alongside updates to iOS 27 and WatchOS 27, including a revamped Siri. This event also marked John Ternus' debut as CEO leading an Apple hardware launch.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event introduced the company's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, which automatically adjusts its display based on orientation and starts around $2,000. Alongside it, Apple raised prices on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which run the previously announced iOS 27 software, while John Ternus made his debut as CEO leading a product-design-heavy presentation.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-09
watchOS 27 introduces a single new watch face called Siri Modular, available on both Apple Watch Series and Ultra models, though the Ultra version offers extra customization like bezel options. The face includes a top line complication, centered time, a wide complication, and three circular complications, with three clock-height styles and multiple color and font choices. The feature is included in today's release candidate build of watchOS 27.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple introduced the Watch Series 12 alongside the Ultra 4, iPhone 18 lineup and a foldable iPhone Duo, keeping the smartwatch's exterior design unchanged while overhauling its internals. The update centers on a new S11 processor and redesigned health sensors that improve heart rate accuracy, add deeper recovery tracking, and enable an AI-powered Audio Intelligence feature for transcribing conversations. Despite the upgrades, pricing stays flat at $399 for the Series 12 and $799 for the Ultra 4, even as iPhone 18 Pro prices rose.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple introduced the Watch Series 12 at its September event, retaining last year's design but overhauling internals with a new S11 chip and upgraded health sensors. The device gains features like more accurate heart rate tracking, deeper recovery data, and an AI-powered Audio Intelligence tool that can record, transcribe and save conversations. Despite these upgrades and new colors, Apple held the starting price at $399, while the Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple has released Release Candidate versions of iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, and other upcoming operating systems for developers and public beta testers. These builds, available now through Settings, represent the near-final software slated for public release to all users on Monday, September 14.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple confirmed watchOS 27 will launch on September 14, bringing a dedicated Siri app with a more capable, synced assistant to Apple Watch. The update also reworks the Digital Crown into a dynamic app grid, drops Walkie-Talkie, and adds a unified Find My app plus expanded Smart Stack and Workout Buddy features. The update runs on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Ultra 2 and later, and the new SE 3.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-09