New Health Tracking Features
Apple Unveils $799 Watch Ultra 4 Featuring Advanced Health Tracking And 50-Hour Battery
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Key Points
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The Apple Watch Ultra 4 keeps the same $799 starting price as its predecessor and costs $400 more than the Apple Watch Series 12, which starts at $399.
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The Ultra 4 introduces additional Health app features, including a Longevity section and a Health Age metric that compares selected physiological measures with a user’s chronological age.
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Apple says the Ultra 4’s audio-processing system deletes captured audio immediately, keeping it inaccessible to apps, the operating system and Apple itself.
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The watchOS 27 update adds single-handed tap gestures and dynamic app grids, alongside the Ultra 4’s audio-intelligence tools; some of these features are scheduled to arrive later in the year.
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The Ultra 4 uses 45% recycled materials, including recycled titanium and cobalt, as part of Apple’s materials and sustainability changes.
Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 4 on September 9, priced at $799 and available September 18. Apple kept the same price tag as the Ultra 3, but added the new S11 chip, a redesigned Health Sensing System, and battery life stretched to 50 hours in normal use and 84 hours in Low Power Mode. The watch also introduces daily Readiness scores and enhanced heart-rate tracking that takes readings 60 times more frequently than previous models.
The Ultra 4 costs $400 more than the entry-level Apple Watch Series 12, which starts at $399. MacRumors reports preorders opened immediately after the announcement, with general availability beginning September 18 in major markets including the US, UAE, and Singapore. The watch retains the rugged 49mm titanium case design while gaining new health and audio features, though Hypertension Notifications will not launch in the UAE and 32 other countries pending regulatory approval.
New Health Tracking and Readiness Scoring
The Ultra 4's redesigned Health Sensing System delivers unprecedented measurement frequency. Heart-rate readings now occur every 5 seconds—60 times more often than earlier models. Heart Rate Variability measurements happen up to 24 times more frequently, giving athletes and health-conscious users real-time insight into their recovery and stress levels. Apple Vice President Kaiann Drance stated the new system offers "the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable."
The watch introduces a daily Readiness score (ranked 0–10) that evaluates activity, sleep, and vital signs. Daily Guardian noted this feature directly competes with recovery trackers like Oura Ring and Whoop Band. Apple's Health app will later add a Longevity section and Health Age metric, which compares your physiological measures against your chronological age. A blood panel feature from Quest Diagnostics will also integrate optional lab results into the Health app.
Battery Gains and Endurance Sport Modes
Battery endurance sets the Ultra 4 apart from standard Apple Watch models. Normal use stretches to 50 hours—more than double typical smartwatches. In Low Power Mode, battery lasts up to 84 hours. Most impressively, Max Extended Workout mode delivers as much as 45 hours of continuous GPS and heart-rate tracking for ultramarathons, multi-day hikes, and endurance events. A 15-minute fast charge provides up to 18 hours of normal operation.
These figures position the Ultra 4 as a credible competitor to dedicated sports watches from Garmin and Polar. However, MacRumors notes that hard-core ultra-runners see the battery gains as modest compared to multi-week solar sports watches. The extended battery capacity, combined with the new S11 chip (built on 2nm architecture), enables both longer tracking sessions and faster performance for on-device health calculations.
Audio Processing and Privacy Safeguards
The Ultra 4 adds Sound Recognition, automatic Shazam, and Live Rewind features that process audio directly on the device. PC Tablet highlighted that Apple's audio system uses a hardware-isolated Secure Exclave to keep processing private. Captured audio is immediately deleted and made permanently inaccessible to third-party apps, the operating system, and Apple itself. This architectural safeguard addresses privacy concerns around on-device microphone usage.
watchOS 27, rolling out September 14, enables these audio-intelligence tools and adds single-handed tap gestures and dynamic app grids for easier navigation. Some audio features and the redesigned Health app will arrive in late 2026 through planned software updates. Apple says audio is never stored, never sent to servers, and never accessible outside the Secure Exclave—a key differentiator for privacy-conscious users.
Sustainability Materials and Regulatory Delays
Apple built the Ultra 4 using 45% recycled materials, including 100% recycled titanium in the case and recycled cobalt in the battery. Free York reported that the watch also comes with new band colors and materials for fall 2026. This sustainability push aligns with Apple's broader environmental commitments and reduces mining dependence for raw titanium and cobalt extraction.
Regulatory delays will prevent Hypertension Notifications from launching in the UAE, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, and 27 other countries at release. MacRumors explained that Apple must obtain local regulatory clearance for the new Health Sensing System before activating medical features. Buyers in these regions will gain access once their authorities grant approval—a process that could take weeks to months depending on local health ministry timelines.
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