Apple Launches Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 as S11 Chip Reboots watchOS 27
Updated
Updated · MacStories · Sep 14
Apple Launches Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 as S11 Chip Reboots watchOS 27
3 articles · Updated · MacStories · Sep 14
Summary
Apple unveiled Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, with both models going on sale later this week as the centerpiece of its watchOS 27 rollout.
The S11 chip underpins the shift, giving watchOS 27 enough power to move beyond years of incremental updates and support new AI-driven features, some arriving only later this year.
watchOS 27 now splits into three tiers: features available immediately on compatible older watches, new capabilities reserved for Series 12 and Ultra 4 at launch, and a later wave still to come.
That reset also brings a sharper cutoff for older devices, with Apple dropping support for more Apple Watch models than usual as it pivots away from slower hardware.
The launch marks Apple's biggest Apple Watch platform overhaul in years, recasting the device from a mature notification-and-fitness companion toward a broader AI-enabled wearable roadmap.