Apple has revealed the Apple Watch Ultra 4, a more powerful wearable that boasts improved battery life, upgraded health sensors, and both design refinements and new features under the hood. Available today for preorder with a September 18 delivery date, the Ultra 4 starts at $799. The device will be offered in Black and Natural titanium finishes, alongside fresh band colors and a special titanium Hermès band. Apple cites two full days of battery life with its latest build, thanks to what it calls “larger battery cells” and efficiency boosts built into its new system.
Efficiency & Battery Life
With its newly introduced S11 chip and enhanced power efficiency, Watch Ultra 4 delivers up to 18 hours of workout tracking with full access to GPS and heart rate metrics. In its maximum extended workout mode—which reduces the frequency of certain measurements—this stretches out to 45 hours. The two-day battery life claim relies on typical, mixed usage.
Health Sensors & Metrics Upgrades
The Ultra 4 brings a redesigned health sensor array: the ECG electrode surface area has been increased to improve skin contact, photodiodes now sit in a more efficient ring configuration, and green LEDs used for heart rate monitoring are both larger and more power efficient. These changes feed into an updated Heart Rate app and new watch face complications that offer more frequent readings.
A new Readiness feature analyzes a combination of sleep, recent activity, and vital signs every morning to recommend whether to recover, take it easy, or push harder. Meanwhile, the revamped Health app—coming later this year—integrates Apple Intelligence to offer personalized guidance. Among the new additions are a Health Age tool, which compares metrics like VO₂ max, sleep quality, and blood biomarkers to your chronological age, and a Longevity tab that merges insights from heart health, movement, and sleep.
New Features & Extras
Ultra 4 introduces fresh capabilities powered by its energy-efficient always-on processor. Sound Recognition can detect alarms, doorbells, or a baby crying, while Live Rewind lets users view transcripts of speech from 15 seconds prior. A new Siri Recap feature delivers summaries of conversations or points of interest—the app keeps text and titles only, not full recordings. U.S. users will also get access to Quest blood panels covering more than 50 biomarkers for $119. A VO₂ max test with video instructions through the iPhone is part of the upcoming health software updates.
Preorders begin today, with the product landing in stores September 18. Pricing starts at $799.
This marks a notable evolution in Apple’s Ultra line. Two-day battery life brings the Ultra 4 closer to flagship multi-day smartwatches from other brands, while Apple’s health sensor redesigns aim to close the gap in accuracy. For users, upgrades in Readiness, Health Age, and longevity metrics suggest Apple is leaning harder into health and wellness as key differentiators. What to watch: real-world battery performance, sensor accuracy (especially during high-intensity or mixed workouts), and whether the new features deliver meaningful, _daily_ value beyond just incremental improvements.
