Reviewers have found that Apple's latest wearables deliver better health tracking and battery life, while Apple's highly promoted, and highly controversial, Audio Intelligence features largely remain untested. Reviews of Apple's newest wearables have begun rolling in ahead of Friday, September 18's release date.

The Apple Watch Series 12 adds the S11 chip, redesigned health sensors, and more frequent heart-rate and HRV measurements. New features include Readiness, Sound Recognition, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap, with several relying on Audio Intelligence. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and became available for preorder on September 9.

CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana hailed improved health sensors, longer battery life, and the faster S11 processor, welcoming its unchanged starting price and subscription-free health features. The Apple Watch Series 12 lasted about 30 hours during testing, beating her Apple Watch Series 11. Engadget's Cherlynn Low found expanded gesture controls reliable and praised faster charging. The Verge's Victoria Song noted redesigned sensors delivered heart-rate readings close to a Polar H10 chest strap, but several major features were unavailable during her review period.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 pairs the new S11 chip with improved health sensors and up to 50 hours of battery life.