Apple launches Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with new audio AI

Apple released its new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 on Friday, September 18, introducing a set of artificial intelligence features called Audio Intelligence. Powered by the S11 chip and an upgraded microphone array, the devices can continuously process environmental sound rather than limiting microphone use to Siri commands and phone calls.

The company introduced Live Rewind, a tool that lets users step back 15 seconds in a conversation to view a text transcription on the screen. Triggered by double-pressing the digital crown, it plays an unsilenceable audio alert to nearby people, immediately deletes the original audio for privacy, and allows the transcript to be saved in the Siri app. Another tool, Siri Recap, compiles daily summaries of key conversational points while omitting speaker identities, deleting unsaved summaries after seven days. Both features will launch in beta late this year, initially in English.

Available at launch are automated Shazam music recognition and an acoustic detection system that alerts users with hearing impairments to doorbells, sirens, or crying babies. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 in aluminum, $699 in titanium, and $899 in ceramic. The Apple Watch Ultra 4, built for extreme activities with up to 50 hours of battery life, has a base price of $499.