Apple introduces Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 with AI

Apple unveiled its new generation of smartwatches, Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4, at its traditional presentation in Cupertino. According to Ixbt.com, while these gadgets have not undergone radical changes in external design, they have received significant software updates enriched with AI capabilities. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports.

AI and audio capabilities

The new smartwatches have joined the growing market of AI-powered wearable devices. One of the most notable features added to the devices is called "Audio Intelligence," which allows users to remember important details from daily conversations and review them when needed.

With the "Live Rewind" feature introduced on the watches, users can rewind conversations by up to 15 seconds. By double-pressing the Digital Crown, the conversation from the last 15 seconds is converted into a text snippet. Users can ask Siri about the content of this transcription or save it to the new Siri app for later review.

Additionally, the "Siri Recap" function, which works by listening to ambient sounds, records key takeaways from public meetings or parent-teacher conferences. When this feature is enabled, Apple Intelligence automatically generates a title and key points after the conversation ends. For those with hearing impairments, a special "Sound Recognition" system has been introduced to detect sounds such as sirens, alarms, doorbells, and baby cries. Apple emphasizes that these audio features do not create or store any voice recordings.

A new level of health tracking

Both new smartwatch models are equipped with an improved health tracking system featuring an expanded electrode surface area to ensure better skin contact during ECG readings. To improve optical sensitivity, the redesigned photodiodes are arranged in a ring to capture light more efficiently.

More energy-efficient green LED lights allow for accurate heart rate measurement throughout the day, even during movement. The new health system provides high-frequency heart rate data continuously. Heart rate metrics are now measured continuously every five seconds throughout the day, which is 60 times more frequent than before.

Drawing on the experience of smart rings, the new watches include "readiness scores" that analyze the user's recent activity, vital signs, and sleep quality. Also introduced is the "Health Age" feature, which uses VO2 max and sleep data to show how well the user's core health metrics align with their actual age.