A premium watch arrives at its familiar price in a year when the cost of memory is rising across the electronics world, and that steadiness says something about how makers choose to spend their gains. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 keeps its $799 tag while offering a sharper view into the body: heart rate read more often, recovery measured more richly, and a battery that lasts longer between the nightly ritual of charging. Yet the story is still unfinished, since several of the features that will define its character, including the Health tools and the Audio Intelligence functions, are still waiting
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Review: Same Price, Longer Battery, and Smarter Health Tracking, With Caveats
A premium watch arrives at its familiar price in a year when the cost of memory is rising across the electronics world, and that steadiness says something about how makers choose to spend their gains. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 keeps its $799 tag while offering a sharper view into the body: heart rate read more often, recovery measured more richly, and a battery that lasts longer between the nightly ritual of charging. Yet the story is still unfinished, since several of the features that will define its character, including the Health tools and the Audio Intelligence functions, are still waiting to arrive. What it offers now is a careful refinement, and whether it becomes something larger depends on what follows.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 begins at $799, the same price as every Ultra before it, and that matters this year. Memory costs have been rising as AI data centers absorb supply, and against that backdrop a device that improves on most things without costing more feels like a fair deal.
The review comes with a caveat. It appeared about ten days after release, and several core features are not yet available. The redesigned Health app with its Insights and Longevity tabs has only just reached beta testers, and the more controversial Audio Intelligence features, which transcribe recent sound and summarize conversations, are promised for later in the year.
The hardware is largely familiar. The 49mm titanium case, the Action button, the diving computer and the rugged ratings all carry over. The real change sits inside, in a new sensing system that brings larger electrodes and brighter light sensors. Heart rate is now sampled every five seconds, and variability is measured far more often, which the reviewer sees as catching up to rivals rather than leading.
The daily Readiness Score, running from 0 to 10, is easy to read at a glance and only as useful as one's willingness to follow it. The reviewer found the AI health summaries warm and brief, though he ignored the watch's advice more than he would like to admit.
Battery life is the clearest win, rising to 50 hours with a faster 15-minute charge. After weeks of testing, he calls himself a convert, though current Ultra 3 owners may not need to upgrade, and Android users are directed elsewhere. Important software is still to come, so the final judgment remains open.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799, the same price as every Ultra before it. That detail carries weight this year. Memory costs for consumer electronics have been climbing because AI data centers are absorbing supply, and Gizmodo's reviewer calls the situation the RAMpocalypse. Against that backdrop, a gadget that improves on nearly everything without costing more counts as decent value.
The review comes with a stated limit. It was published a week and a half after the watch's official release, and some core features aren't available yet. The redesigned Health app only reached the iOS 27.1 developer beta and iOS 27.2 public beta within the past week. It includes an Insights tab with Readiness Scores and Apple Intelligence summaries, plus a Longevity tab that estimates health age and lets users schedule and buy lab tests from Quest Diagnostics. The more controversial Audio Intelligence features, Live Rewind (which transcribes the last 15 seconds of detected audio) and Siri Recap (which summarizes conversations into notes through the day), are promised for later this year.
The hardware is largely unchanged. The case is still 49mm titanium with a 1.98-inch display, a programmable Action button, a diving computer, 5G cellular, satellite connectivity, an IP6X rating and MIL-STD 810H durability. The new part is the S11 SiP. The reviewer says he has warmed to the watch's bulk, crediting the $99 Translucent Gray Ocean band, though he calls that steep. After four generations he wants a fresh design, or at least new finishes beyond natural and black titanium, and a brighter screen for direct sunlight.
The biggest change is a new Health Sensing System, shared with the Watch Series 12. It has a larger electrode surface for ECG, revamped photodiodes, and larger green LEDs. Apple says a study it commissioned, with more than 1,000 participants, shows the most accurate heart rate sensing in any wearable. Competitors in the comparison included the Garmin Forerunner 970, Oura Ring 5, Whoop 5 and Polar H10 chest strap. The reviewer notes that the study didn't test the newest Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch models. Heart rate is now sampled every five seconds instead of every five minutes, and heart rate variability every five minutes instead of every two hours, in two forms: recovery HRV and overall HRV. The reviewer notes that continuous heart rate is catch-up to rivals that have offered it for years.
The Readiness Score runs from 0 to 10, drawing on at least seven nights of activity, sleep and overnight vitals. Zero to 1 means Recover, 2 to 4 Pace Yourself, 5 to 7 Ready, and 8 to 10 Go For It. The reviewer says it is easy to read at a glance but only as useful as your discipline. He saw Ready most days, sometimes ignored Recover or Pace Yourself, and stayed up on YouTube and Reddit until 3 a.m. despite bedtime nudges. He credits Apple with presenting the data cleanly. Its AI health summaries run no longer than two sentences and read more like a friend than a machine. They require an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence; others get the classic Health app. His Health Age came out 2.5 years older than his actual age.
A new machine-learning pedometer is meant to improve step counts when the arms are still. In three 1,000-step tests with an Ultra 4 and an Ultra 3 on opposite wrists, the Ultra 4 logged 1,004 steps in the one reported result and the Ultra 3 logged 1,009. The gap never exceeded 5 to 10 steps, and neither watch was consistently closer.
Battery life is the clearest gain. The Ultra 4 is rated for up to 50 hours, versus 42 on the Ultra 3, and 84 hours in low-power mode versus 72. The reviewer charged every two to three days over weeks of testing. A 15-minute fast charge now yields up to 18 hours instead of 12, using the included 10W puck (A3277), which looks identical to older pucks. Older charging stands will cap the speed. He puts the overall gain at nearly 20%.
After 2.5 weeks, he calls himself an Ultra convert. Ultra 3 owners probably needn't upgrade; owners of older models get Apple's best watch if it fits their wrist. Android users are pointed to Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Siri is noticeably faster on watchOS 27, while automatic Shazam recognition struggled with many Mandarin and Cantonese pop songs. With key software still pending, the verdict may shift once it arrives.
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