Updated
Updated · Mashable · Sep 17
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Extends Battery to 50 Hours, Adds New Heart Rate System
Updated
Updated · Mashable · Sep 17

Apple Watch Ultra 4 Extends Battery to 50 Hours, Adds New Heart Rate System

3 articles · Updated · Mashable · Sep 17

Summary

  • Up to 50 hours of normal use and 84 hours in Low Power Mode mark the biggest practical upgrade in Apple Watch Ultra 4, with the reviewer charging it roughly every third day.
  • A new second-generation optical and electrical heart sensing system is the main hardware change, enabling more frequent readings, finer health data and a forthcoming Readiness score after a week of use.
  • Most other hardware stays nearly unchanged from Ultra 3 — the 49mm titanium design, 3,000-nit display and core functionality are largely the same, with the S11 chip powering the update.
  • Several headline software features are still incomplete: Live Rewind and Siri Recap arrive later this year, while Europe may wait longer because of privacy rules and the redesigned Health app is only in iOS 27 beta.
  • For buyers, the review frames Ultra 4 as a meaningful upgrade mainly for endurance athletes who want stronger battery life and more precise heart-rate tracking, while casual users can keep older Ultra models.

Insights

With identical designs and delayed AI features, is the Ultra 4 a genuine breakthrough or just a $799 illusion?
Despite boasting the most accurate heart sensor ever, why might serious athletes still refuse to abandon their old chest straps?