Apple has begun rolling out watchOS 27, which requires iOS 27 to install via the iPhone Watch app. The update brings a fully capable Siri AI assistant matching the version on iPhone and Mac, a new Siri watch face, a Tap gesture, and additional health features, along with general performance improvements. Notably, the update drops support for several older models including the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra, Series 6, 7, 8, and the second-generation SE.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-14
Apple has begun distributing iOS 27, watchOS 27, iPadOS 27, and visionOS 27, with a revamped Siri AI as the centerpiece feature, launching in beta for English users first. Other additions include a Liquid Glass opacity slider, redesigned app icons, larger widgets, and separate volume controls for alerts versus alarms, plus performance and connectivity improvements across iPad and Apple Watch.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-14
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 has unveiled the Watch Series 12, updating the aluminum casing with a Dark Bronze finish and tougher Ceramic Shield 2 glass, while adding a new Ceramic case option in Pearl White and Night Blue. The device also gains a faster S11 chip, double the RAM at 4GB, and a redesigned 'Health Sensing System' with improved heart rate tracking through a second-generation electrical sensor and always-on optical sensor.
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
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