Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 4 on Wednesday, bringing two-day battery life, a redesigned health sensing system, and a new S11 chip to its flagship wearable. Priced at $799, it goes up for preorder today and ships September 18.
The biggest change is the longer battery life. Apple says the Ultra 4 lasts two full days under typical use, with up to 18 hours of continuous workout tracking using GPS and heart rate monitoring, or 45 hours in its low-power extended workout mode.
A larger battery paired with efficiency gains from the S11 chip drives those numbers.
A rebuilt sensor system
Apple redesigned the health-sensing hardware from the ground up. A larger electrode surface should improve skin contact during ECG readings, while photodiodes arranged in a ring capture light from more angles and bigger green LEDs track heart rate more efficiently.
Apple claims the Ultra 4 delivers the most accurate heart rate data of any wearable, citing an internal study with hundreds of participants across running, cycling, and high-intensity interval training, using a chest ECG strap as the benchmark.
Whether that holds up under real-world athletic conditions, particularly for swimmers who have found earlier Ultra models less reliable, remains to be tested.
A new Readiness feature synthesizes overnight sleep, recent activity, and vital signs each morning into a single score that recommends whether to push hard, ease back, or rest.
It joins an updated Heart Rate app with more frequent readings and new watch face complications that surface that data at a glance.
Health app overhaul
Apple is also using the Ultra 4 launch to announce a broader redesign of the iPhone Health app, powered by Apple Intelligence.
A Health Age feature combines Apple Watch metrics, including VO2 max and sleep data, with blood test biomarkers to compare a user’s biological age with their actual age. A new Longevity tab consolidates sleep, movement, and heart health insights in one place.
Users can enter lab results manually or sync medical records. In the U.S., Apple will also offer access to a Quest blood panel covering more than 50 biomarkers for $119.
A new VO2 max test uses the iPhone camera alongside Apple Watch to assess fitness through a series of exercises, with results available immediately. The redesigned Health app arrives later this year.
Audio Intelligence and Siri features
The S11 chip’s always-on processor enables a set of Audio Intelligence tools. Sound Recognition can detect alarms, doorbells, and a baby crying, while Live Rewind displays a 15-second scrolling transcript of recent audio so users can catch something they missed.
A separate Siri Recap feature generates summaries and key points from conversations, which users can review in the Siri app or schedule automatically.
Apple says none of these features create or store audio recordings. Siri Recap will launch in beta later this year in English, with additional languages to follow.
The Ultra 4 comes in Black and Natural titanium finishes, with new band colors and a new titanium Hermès band option.
