Apple is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Apple Watch Series 12 at its 'Surprise and Shine' event on September 9, alongside new iPhone 18 models. Preorders are expected to open later that week, with units shipping the following week. Both watches are expected to ship with the new watchOS 27 software.
Pricing is one of the biggest open questions for both models. Apple has held the Ultra at $799 since 2022, but with inflation and rival smartwatch makers raising prices — the Pixel Watch 5 now starts at $399 and the Galaxy Watch 9 at $379 — a price increase is considered possible for both the Ultra 4 and the standard Series 12, whose current starting price of $399 is not guaranteed to hold.
On design, a report from Digitimes suggests the Ultra 4 could get a slimmer case, while a fingerprint reader for Touch ID — located under the display or on the digital crown/action button — has also been rumored for both the Ultra 4 and Series 12, though it's described as plausible rather than confirmed. A ceramic case option has been rumored for both models as well; Apple last offered a ceramic Apple Watch in 2019, when it cost $1,299. The Series 12 is also rumored to get an updated S12 processor and possibly a more efficient LTPO display, though a major redesign of its case is considered unlikely. A hidden front-facing camera for Face ID or visual recognition on the Series 12 has also been floated but is seen as unlikely.
Health tracking is expected to be a major focus. Both watches are rumored to gain a continuous heart rate sensor, which Apple has reportedly been testing, that would track heart rate around the clock rather than only during workouts, similar to devices like the Oura Ring 5 or Whoop 5.0. Code found in the watchOS 27 beta reportedly points to a new 'Readiness' feature, separate from the existing Vitals app, that would sit on the home screen after Workout and give users a recovery or training-load score, similar to Garmin's Body Battery or Training Readiness metrics. The beta code also reportedly hints at improvements to the Functional Strength Training workout mode, allowing users to log sets, reps, weights, equipment, and duration. On blood pressure, reports suggest Apple is working on an expansion of its Hypertension Alerts feature, possibly including blood pressure trend reports, though a cuff-like numeric reading is considered unlikely for this generation; on-wrist blood glucose monitoring is described as further out still.
Both watches are expected to support Apple's new Siri AI assistant, and a personalized, AI-powered wellness concierge feature has been rumored for the Health app to help users set and track goals. Battery life improvements are also expected, driven by more efficient processors, though specifics remain unclear. The Ultra 3 currently offers 36 hours of battery life (72 hours in low-power mode), and one report notes that rival Garmin's Fenix 9 offers up to 16 days in smartwatch mode, raising the stakes for Apple to improve battery performance, which was the top upgrade requested by Tom's Guide readers in a reader poll, ahead of better health features and a slimmer case.
Much remains unconfirmed, including exact battery capacity, case dimensions, and screen specifications for both models. Additional wishlist items floated by Tom's Guide writers — such as more physical buttons for touch-free operation on the Ultra 4, or higher screen brightness on the Series 12 — are described as unlikely to materialize. Whether either watch represents a substantial upgrade or a more iterative one is expected to become clear once Apple's event takes place.