Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 get S11 chip, measure heart rate every 5 seconds

Apple’s new watches just arrived – meet the Series 12 and the Watch Ultra 4. All three (Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm) feature the new S11 chip, improved optical/electrical heart rate sensors, and an upgraded Health Sensing System.

Apple boldly says that both new devices have the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable, something Apple verified through a study of more than 1,000 participants, comparing against industry-leading competitors.

Both new smartwatches will measure your heart rate every 5 seconds, while heart rate variability is measured 24 times more frequently than on older models.

The new watches also introduce what Apple calls a Readiness score, going from 0 to 10; it gives you an idea of how ready you are for different training loads.

There’s also a new Health Age as part of the redesigned Health app and its new Longevity tab. It combines metrics like your VO₂ max, resting heart rate, HRV and sleep to tell you if your Health Age is younger (or older, gasp) than your biological one.

A neat thing is that Health Age is a new feature that’s not exclusive to Apple’s latest wearables, and will make it to older Apple Watches later this year (and in the US, “initially”).

The big story with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is battery life. As usual, Apple doesn’t share milliamp hours, but it does share actual hours – the Watch Ultra 4 is up to 50 hours of normal use – 8 hours more than its predecessor, or a 19% improvement. The watch can go as long as 84 hours in Low Power Mode – 12 hours more than the Watch Ultra 3.

The Watch Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of normal use and 38 hours in Low Power Mode – the same as Series 11. However, outdoor workout battery life is now rated at up to 10 hours – a 25% bump over the previous gen.

The Apple Watch Series 12 comes in three case materials and eight finishes across the two sizes (42mm/46mm). The aluminum models are Dark Bronze, Black, Light Gold, which are all new, and Space Grey. The aluminum models feature Ceramic Shield 2 glass, which is claimed to be 60% tougher than Ion-X glass.

The Radiant Gold (new color) and Natural Titanium are both Titanium. The titanium case is 3D printed from 100% recycled titanium (and yes, the aluminum is also 100% recycled).

Series 12 also marks the return of ceramic to the regular lineup. The Ceramic models are Pearl White and Night Blue.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 comes in Grade 5 titanium in two colors: Natural Titanium and Black Titanium.

And finally, the bands. There’s a Trail Loop in three colors: Dark Umber, Sand, and Burgundy. The Alpine Loop comes in Desert, Dark Olive, and Burgundy. While the Ocean Band now has a translucent finish and comes in three colors: Translucent Gray, Translucent Kelp, Translucent Black.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are available to pre-order today and will go on sale on September 18, starting at $399/€449 and $799/€899, respectively.