The Apple Watch Ultra 4 features a redesigned sensor array with 32 electrodes and a new S11 processor that enable heart-rate readings every 5 seconds (versus every 5 minutes previously) and introduce new health features like Readiness scores and Daytime vitals tracking. The watch also gains AI-powered audio tools including Live Rewind and Siri Recap for conversation transcription and summarization. Battery life improves to approximately 50 hours, up from 42 hours on the Ultra 3.
The AI hardware market is experiencing rapid growth with diverse devices like wearables, robots, and tabletop gadgets designed around specific AI use cases such as note-taking, translation, and companionship. Unlike early failed products like the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1, today's AI devices leverage AI agents capable of understanding context and performing tasks, with notable designers like Jony Ive and former Nothing employees creating innovative form factors.