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Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: longer battery life but still awaiting new features
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- DeepHorus
Apple has launched the Apple Watch Ultra 4, a £749 (€899/$799/A$1,349) smartwatch. It improves battery life but otherwise remains largely unchanged from last year’s model. The fourth-generation Ultra keeps the same 49 x 44mm case, 12mm thickness and 63g weight. It runs watchOS 27 and Apple’s new S11 chip, the first meaningful processor speed boost in several generations. The device is available now, but several key features announced for Apple’s 2026 lineup await software updates expected late this year. That leaves the Ultra 4 as the top Apple Watch but basically the same as last year’s model. Battery life is the most tangible improvement. In testing, general use stretched to 79 hours, lasting well into a third day between charges. The watch charges at 10W via its magnetic puck, up from 5W, reaching 82% in under an hour and 100% in less than 90 minutes. Upgraded rear sensors take heart rate readings every five seconds during the day, up from every five minutes on previous Apple Watches. They also enable daytime heart rate variability measurement, feeding new recovery metrics. The Vitals app now works during the day to flag when heart rate and HRV fall outside a user’s baseline, indicating strain or sickness. A new readiness app scores recovery out of 10 and offers exercise advice. The watch includes dual-band GPS, ECG, blood oxygen, temperature, depth, compass and altimeter sensors, plus 100m water resistance and 64GB storage. Connectivity covers Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 4, 5G RedCap/4G and UWB. The S11 chip and watchOS 27 bring an upgraded Siri, a new Siri Modular watch face, faster Shazam recognition and sound recognition accessibility alerts for fire alarms, doorbells, car horns or crying babies. However, the marquee “audio intelligence” features that could be transformative and controversial are not yet enabled. Apple expects them in late 2026.
