Apple announced Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 on 10 September 2026 Australian time, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro. Both are on pre-order now and reach stores on Friday 18 September. The headline change is a new heart sensor, but the detail that matters most for Australian buyers is a feature that is not switched on here yet.
Series 12 starts at A$649 and Ultra 4 at A$1,349, both available from 18 September. Apple says the new sensor reads your heart rate every five seconds and adds a daily readiness score.
Hypertension Notifications, the blood pressure alert feature, will not be available in Australia at launch on either watch. Apple says further regulatory clearance is in process.
Prices and Dates
Apple’s Australian newsroom lists Series 12 from RRP A$649 inc. GST and Ultra 4 from RRP A$1,349 inc. GST. Pre-orders opened on 10 September and both go on sale on Friday 18 September. Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes; the price rises with size and case material, and the base price quoted is for the entry configuration only.
Source: Apple (AU): Introducing Apple Watch Series 12, read 10 September 2026.
Source: Apple (AU): Apple unveils Apple Watch Ultra 4, read 10 September 2026.
The New Health Sensing
Apple says both watches now measure heart rate every five seconds throughout the day, and measure heart rate variability up to 24 times more often than before. Those readings feed a new readiness score, a single number from 0 to 10 with one of four recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It. Overnight vitals now include recovery HRV compared with your personal baseline.
These are Apple’s descriptions of the feature set. We have not worn either watch, and the accuracy claims are the company’s own.
Source: Apple (AU): Introducing Apple Watch Series 12, read 10 September 2026.
What Is Not Available in Australia Yet
Apple’s footnotes say Hypertension Notifications will not be initially available in Australia on Series 12 or Ultra 4 because additional regulatory clearances for the feature on these models are in process. No Australian date is given. If blood pressure alerts are the reason you are upgrading, that is the line to weigh before you order.
The new Audio Intelligence features, including Live Rewind and Siri Recap, are listed as not initially available in the EU. The releases do not say either way for Australia, so treat those as unconfirmed here until Apple’s Australian product pages list them.
Source: Apple (AU): Apple unveils Apple Watch Ultra 4, read 10 September 2026.
Battery, as Claimed by Apple
Figures from the two Australian newsroom releases, read on 10 September 2026.
Series 12
up to 24 hours of everyday use.
- Up to 10 hours in an outdoor workout, 25 per cent more than the previous model
- 15 minutes of charging gives up to 12 hours
Ultra 4
up to 50 hours of everyday use.
- Up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode; 25 hours extended workout, 45 hours max extended
- 15 minutes of charging gives up to 18 hours
Ultra 4 also includes Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite free for two years after activation. Apple notes that connection and response times vary with location and site conditions.
Source: Apple (AU): Apple unveils Apple Watch Ultra 4, read 10 September 2026.
Before You Pre-Order
Sources and How This Was Checked
Prices, dates, sensor claims and the Australian hypertension footnote come from Apple’s two Australian newsroom releases dated 10 September 2026, read on 10 September 2026. No watch was tested. Health features are described as Apple describes them; nothing here is medical advice.
Related on Tech X Telco: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo announced: Australian prices and pre-order dates, from the same event.
Michel Elijah covers technology, streaming and online security for Tech X Telco. He writes practical how-to guides on everything from email troubleshooting to spotting the latest scams doing the rounds in Australia, with a focus on clear steps anyone can follow.
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