Alongside the new iPhone 18 series, Apple also introduced updates to its wearables and audio lineup during its latest event. This included the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.
The new Apple Watch models focus heavily on health, fitness, and AI-powered features, while AirPods 5 bring Active Noise Cancellation to Apple’s open-ear design.
Here is a summary of Apple’s accessories announcements.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
Health Features
The Apple Watch Series 12 introduces an updated health-sensing system designed to improve how it captures wrist data. Apple says the new system improves skin contact and light capture for more accurate heart rate readings and describes it as the most accurate heart sensing in a wearable.
The collected data are then input into features such as Readiness, which looks at your health status to help determine how prepared you are for the day.
Apple is also adding Health Age to its watch lineup, which compares key health metrics with your actual age and provides information on what may be affecting the result and how you can improve it. Health data can even be integrated with your personal lab results and other medical test information.
The watch can also provide personal guidance and suggestions using AI, helping users understand their health data and what they can potentially do to improve it, while the Apple Watch continues to provide measurements such as VO2 max and other health assessments.
Audio Intelligence Comes to Apple Watch
The Series 12 also adds more Audio Intelligence. Its built-in microphones can now recognize sounds such as sirens and a baby crying and give alerts, which could be useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Apple notes that the audio used for these features is not recorded or stored. The company also says speakers are not identified and that the data is protected with end-to-end encryption.
Another feature that can help users catch something they may have missed during a conversation is the Live Rewind function, where users can just double-press for the watch to display a transcript of what was said during the past 15 seconds. Siri can also provide a recap with high-level notes and takeaways with Siri Recap.
Apple Watch Series 12 Specs
The Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes, with aluminum, titanium, and ceramic case options. It has an always-on Retina OLED display with up to 2,000 nits of brightness.
It runs on Apple’s S11 chip and includes health features such as ECG, heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen, wrist temperature, sleep tracking, cycle tracking, HRV, and high and low heart rate alerts. It also supports the new Readiness and Health Age features.
Battery life is rated at up to 24 hours, or up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode. Fast charging can take it to 80% in around 30 minutes, while a five-minute charge can provide up to 10 hours of sleep tracking.
The Series 12 is water-resistant to 50 meters and has IP6X dust resistance. Cellular models also support LTE for calls and connectivity without relying on a nearby iPhone.
The Apple Watch Series 12 is available in aluminum (Black, Dark Bronze, Light Gold, and Space Gray), titanium (Radiant Gold and Natural), and ceramic (Pearl White and Night Blue) finishes with the options of rubber, textile, and stainless steel bands.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Specs
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is built for more demanding activities and keeps its 49mm titanium design, offering users more additional durability and battery life, with up to 50 hrs of normal use.
It has a 422 x 514 always-on OLED display with 1,245 mm² of screen area and up to 3,000 nits of brightness. The screen uses sapphire crystal and can drop to 1 nit, with Night Mode available on supported watch faces.
The Ultra 4 also uses the S11 chip and 64GB of storage. Its health features largely overlap with the Series 12, including ECG, blood oxygen, temperature, heart rate and HRV tracking, Readiness, Vitals, cycle tracking, sleep monitoring, and other health features.
For outdoor use, the Ultra 4 supports dual-frequency GPS and adds features for activities such as running, hiking, cycling, swimming, and diving.
The Ultra 4 is available in Black and Natural finishes with the options of Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, Titanium Milanese Loop, and Ocean bands.
AirPods 5
Apple also introduced AirPods 5, bringing Active Noise Cancellation to its open-ear AirPods design.
Apple says the new model provides up to 50% more noise reduction than AirPods 4 with ANC and includes an improved Transparency Mode that lets users hear their surroundings and interact with other people.
On the other hand, the Adaptive Audio can automatically balance ANC and Transparency depending on the environment, while Conversation Awareness lowers media volume when you start speaking. The Personalized Spatial Audio feature is also supported for a more immersive listening experience.
The AirPods 5 are also more resistant to dust, sweat, and water, making them better suited for workouts and use in the rain.
Battery life is rated at up to five hours with ANC enabled on a single charge.
Siri, Live Translation, and Hands-free Controls
AirPods 5 also get several features tied to Apple’s AI capabilities.
Users can now interact with Siri hands-free using head gestures, while Live Translation can translate conversations using Apple Intelligence. These features depend on supported devices, languages, software, and availability.
For users who want wireless charging, AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case support Apple Watch chargers, Qi-compatible chargers, and USB-C.
Pricing and availability in the Philippines
Here are the announced Philippine prices:
| Product | Philippine Pricing |
|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 12 42mm Aluminum | ₱28,990 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 46mm Aluminum | ₱31,990 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 with GPS + Cellular | ₱35,990 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 42mm Titanium with GPS + Cellular | ₱50,990 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 46mm Titanium with GPS + Cellular | ₱53,990 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 42mm Ceramic with GPS + Cellular | ₱65,990 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 46mm Ceramic with GPS + Cellular | ₱68,990 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 (Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, and Ocean bands) | ₱59,990 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 (Titanium Milanese Loop band) | ₱65,990 |
| AirPods 5 | ₱9,490 |
| AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case | ₱10,990 |
The Series 12 pricing varies depending on the case material, size, and connectivity, so buyers should check the specific configuration before purchasing.
AirPods 5 are coming soon to the Philippines. Apple Intelligence features require compatible hardware and software, with Apple Intelligence becoming available with iOS 27 starting September 14, 2026, for supported devices and languages.
What Stands Out
It is noticeable that Apple’s new wearables are less about adding one major hardware change and more about making health data and everyday interactions more useful.
The Series 12 puts more emphasis on health sensing, Readiness, Health Age, and AI-powered insights, while the Ultra 4 adds the battery life and durability needed for longer outdoor activities.
AirPods 5 are arguably the more interesting change for everyday users. Apple is bringing ANC to an open-ear design while keeping Transparency, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Siri controls, and Live Translation in the mix.
The bigger question is value. The Series 12 and Ultra 4 are still premium wearables, while AirPods 5 sit in a more accessible price range. For users already invested in Apple’s ecosystem, the new health and AI features could make the upgrade more appealing. But for everyone else, the pricing and how much these features are actually used daily will likely matter more.
Overall, Apple’s new accessories continue the company’s push toward health, accessibility, and AI while keeping the familiar Apple Watch and AirPods experience intact. Whether these upgrades are enough to justify upgrading will depend on which of these new features users actually plan to use.
