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Apple Watch Ultra 4: Battery Boost, AI Wait
23 Oct
Summary
- Ultra 4 boasts extended battery life up to 79 hours.
- New readiness app scores recovery from exercise and stress.
- Controversial AI features are expected in late 2026.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4, released in late 2026, receives a substantial battery life upgrade, now lasting up to 79 hours on a single charge. This iteration also enhances health tracking with more frequent heart rate and heart rate variability measurements, enabling new Vitals and readiness features.
The Vitals app now provides daytime health assessments, alerting users to deviations from their baseline. The new readiness app offers a score out of 10, indicating recovery from strenuous activity and daily stress, assisting users in their training. These features are available on watchOS 27, which also includes an improved Siri.
While the Ultra 4 boasts faster charging and enhanced health metrics, its most transformative "audio intelligence" features, such as Siri Recap for AI-powered conversation summaries, are slated for release in late 2026. The hardware itself remains largely unchanged from previous models, with identical design and screen.
Despite the delayed AI capabilities, the Ultra 4 is positioned as Apple's premier smartwatch, offering robust health tracking, dual-band GPS, and seamless iPhone integration. It represents a solid, albeit not revolutionary, upgrade for users seeking extended battery life and advanced recovery metrics.
