Apple launched the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at its autumn product launch event. This time, there were no significant changes to the appearance of the two watches; the focus of the updates was on the software, particularly regarding the audio capabilities centered around Apple Intelligence.
Viewable 15-second conversation record
Apple has added a new feature this time called “Live Rewind”. After users double-click on the digital crown, they can view text snippets of conversations from the past 15 seconds, and then continue to ask questions to Siri, or save them to a new Siri application to view later.
Another “Audio Intelligence” feature is “Siri Recap”. Once enabled, this feature will listen to and organize the key points of daily conversations, such as the main contents after team meetings or parent-teacher conferences. Apple claims that the system will automatically generate titles and key points, which will be saved within the “Siri” app.
Apple also emphasizes that these audio intelligence features will not create or save audio recordings.
Add voice recognition functionality
The new watch also features the “Sound Recognition” function, which can recognize sounds such as sirens, alarms, doorbells, and baby cries, providing reminders for users with hearing impairments.
This also shows that Apple is placing more of the AI capabilities into the everyday scenarios of wearable devices, not only for voice assistant interactions but also for tasks such as reminders, recording, and information organization.
Health monitoring upgraded synchronously.
In terms of hardware, both watches have been equipped with a new health sensing system. Apple claims that the new electrodes have a larger contact area, which improves the skin contact during ECG readings; the redesigned photodiodes are arranged in a ring pattern to enhance light collection efficiency, and the green LED also consumes less power.
On this basis, the device can provide continuous heart rate data at a higher frequency. The background heart rate reading frequency has been increased to once every 5 seconds, which Apple claims is 60 times higher than before, allowing for continuous monitoring even when the user is in motion.
Two new health indicators added
Apple has also incorporated the "readiness score" that has become popular in recent years on devices such as smart rings into its watch products. The system generates a score every morning based on recent activities, vital signs, and sleep patterns, to reflect the body's recovery and readiness for the day.
Another new feature is “Health Age”. Users can compare their health indicators with their actual age based on indicators such as the maximum oxygen uptake and sleep recorded by the watch.
Additional information:In terms of price, the starting price for Apple Watch Series is $399, and the selling price for Apple Watch Ultra is $499.
