Apple has launched the Apple Watch Ultra 4, its latest rugged smartwatch aimed at users who need longer battery life and advanced fitness and health tracking. The new model gets the S11 chip, an upgraded Health Sensing System, new machine learning features and longer battery life.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 runs watchOS 27 and comes in Natural and Black titanium finishes. It retains the 49mm case size but brings several changes to health tracking and endurance features.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at ₹1,09,900 in India. The Titanium Milanese Loop version costs ₹1,24,900.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 gets a redesigned Health Sensing System that combines upgraded optical and electrical sensors with the new S11 chip.
The optical heart sensor uses larger and more power-efficient green LEDs to measure heart rate every five seconds. Apple has also increased the frequency of heart rate variability (HRV) measurements by up to 24 times.
The watch separates HRV measurements into Recovery HRV and Overall HRV. Recovery HRV is designed to help users track daily recovery and stress, while Overall HRV provides broader health information.
The watch also adds a Daytime Vitals view alongside the existing overnight measurements. This allows users to see changes in their health metrics during the day.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 introduces a new Readiness score that rates the user’s current condition on a scale of 0 to 10. The score uses recent activity, training load, sleep data and vitals. It then provides recommendations such as Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready and Go For It.
The score can change during the day as new health and activity data becomes available.
Apple has also redesigned its pedometer machine learning model. The company says it improves distance estimation during indoor walking and running and provides more accurate daily step tracking.
Battery life is one of the main advantages of the Apple Watch Ultra 4. The watch offers up to 50 hours of battery life during normal use. Low Power Mode extends this to up to 84 hours. For longer activities, the watch can provide up to 25 hours in Extended Workout mode and up to 45 hours in Max Extended Workout mode, which uses continuous one-second GPS measurements.
Apple says a 15-minute charge can provide up to 18 hours of typical use. The watch can reach 80% charge in about 45 minutes.
The S11 chip also enables new Audio Intelligence features through Apple Intelligence.
Sound Recognition can identify sounds such as sirens, alarms and a crying baby. Live Rewind can display text from the previous 15 seconds of a conversation after a double press of the Digital Crown.
The watch also supports Siri Recap, which provides a summary of a conversation rather than a full transcript. Apple says these features process audio inside a hardware-isolated Secure Exclave and immediately delete the audio after processing.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 runs watchOS 27 and supports new Siri features powered by Apple Intelligence. The software update also brings new Smart Stack gestures, expanded Cycle Tracking features for perimenopause and menopause, and Workout Buddy guidance that can work without the iPhone nearby.
Apple has also updated the iPhone Health app with an Insights section and a Longevity section that includes a Health Age assessment. Camera-assisted movement evaluations are also part of the updated health experience.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 retains the 49mm titanium case and is designed for outdoor use. It measures 49 x 44 x 12mm and weighs around 63 grams. The display is a 422 x 514-pixel LTPO3 OLED panel with an Always-On mode, a 1Hz refresh rate and brightness of up to 3,000 nits. It also supports Night Mode.
The watch is rated for water resistance up to 100 metres and has an IP6X dust-resistance rating. It also meets MIL-STD 810H requirements.
The Ultra 4 includes a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, dual-frequency GPS, 5G/LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.3.
It also includes an ECG, optical and electrical heart sensors, blood oxygen sensing, temperature sensing, depth gauge, compass, altimeter, accelerometer and gyroscope.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 specifications
- Case: 49mm titanium
- Colours: Natural Titanium, Black Titanium
- Display: 422 x 514 pixels, LTPO3 OLED, Always-On, up to 3,000 nits
- Processor: S11 dual-core with 4-core Neural Engine
- Storage: 64GB
- Battery: Up to 50 hours, up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode
- Charging: Up to 18 hours of use from 15 minutes of charging
- Connectivity: 5G/LTE, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, Ultra Wideband
- GPS: Precision dual-frequency GPS
- Water resistance: Up to 100 metres
- Dust resistance: IP6X
- Operating system: watchOS 27
Apple Watch Ultra 4 India price and availability
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at ₹1,09,900 in India with the Alpine Loop, Trail Loop and Ocean Band. The Titanium Milanese Loop version costs ₹1,24,900.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is available to pre-order, with sales beginning September 18.
