Apple Event 2026: AirPods 5, Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 unveiled
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Apple has expanded its wearable lineup with three new products, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, bringing Active Noise Cancellation to its open-ear AirPods, a new health sensing system to its mainstream smartwatch and longer battery life to its high-end Ultra model.
The three products also have a common thread running through them: Apple is pushing more of its intelligence features into devices that users wear rather than simply use alongside the iPhone. AirPods 5 get hands-free Siri AI and Live Translation, while both new Apple Watch models use the S11 chip and Apple's new health sensors to collect more frequent data and turn it into features such as a daily readiness score.
What is new with AirPods 5?
AirPods 5 bring Active Noise Cancellation to Apple's open-ear design, with Apple claiming they can remove up to 50% more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC. The new model uses a redesigned multiport acoustic architecture and next-generation Adaptive EQ, while Transparency mode has been tuned to make nearby voices and sounds feel more natural.
The headphones also get Adaptive Audio, which automatically balances ANC and Transparency mode depending on the surroundings, along with Conversation Awareness, which lowers media volume when the user starts talking. Apple is also leaning heavily on AI. With an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, AirPods 5 can access the new Siri AI hands-free, including personal-context features that can pull information from messages, emails and photos. Users can even respond to Siri by nodding or shaking their head. Live Translation is another addition. Once set up through the Translate app, users can use AirPods to hear conversations in their preferred language, with Apple Intelligence handling the translation.
The higher-end AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case add a force sensor that lets users adjust volume by swiping up or down on the stem. They also offer up to five hours of listening with ANC on a single charge and up to 22 hours with the case. AirPods 5 start at ₹14,900 in India, while AirPods 5 with the Wireless Charging Case are priced at ₹17,900. They are available for pre-order, with sales beginning September 18.
What is new with Apple Watch Series 12?
Apple Watch Series 12 is centred on a new Health Sensing System, which combines new optical and electrical heart sensors with the S11 chip. Apple says the system provides its most accurate heart-rate sensing yet in a wearable, with the watch now measuring heart rate every five seconds throughout the day.
Heart-rate variability, or HRV, is also measured much more frequently—up to 24 times more often than before—and is now incorporated into the Vitals experience. Apple separates recovery HRV from overall HRV, giving users more information about daily stress and recovery as well as broader cardiovascular trends.
The bigger addition, however, is Readiness. The feature looks at recent activity, training load, sleep and vital signs and produces a score intended to give users an idea of how prepared they are for the day. The watch also feeds into a redesigned Health app coming to the iPhone later this year. A new Longevity tab will include a Health Age feature that shows how a user's health metrics are tracking relative to their age.
“Apple Watch Series 12 is the most advanced health and fitness companion we’ve ever created,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Apple Watch Product Marketing. “With our new Health Sensing System and S11 chip, Apple Watch Series 12 gives you meaningful insights, like readiness, so you can better understand how to take on your day and care for your health, plus intelligence features that make everyday life easier.”
The S11 chip also powers new Audio Intelligence features coming later this year, designed to help users remember parts of conversations and recognise important sounds. Siri AI is coming to the watch through watchOS 27, bringing personal-context understanding and broader AI capabilities to the wrist.
Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes, with aluminium and titanium options as well as ceramic finishes. Aluminium models also get Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says is 60% tougher than the Ion-X glass used on previous aluminium models.
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at ₹56,900 for the aluminium model with GPS, while the GPS + Cellular version is also available. The new titanium model, which comes with GPS + Cellular, starts at ₹99,900, while the ceramic variant with GPS + Cellular starts at ₹1,24,900. Pre-orders are open now, with availability beginning September 18.
How is Apple Watch Ultra 4 different?
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 takes the same new health platform and puts it into Apple's more rugged sports and adventure watch. It gets the Health Sensing System, higher-frequency heart-rate and HRV measurements, the new Readiness feature and Apple's S11 chip. Where the Ultra 4 pulls ahead is battery life. Apple says it can last up to 50 hours under normal use and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. A 15-minute charge can add up to 18 hours of battery life.
For people using the watch primarily for outdoor workouts, the Extended Workout mode provides up to 25 hours of tracking with full GPS and heart-rate readings. Max Extended Workout mode stretches that to 45 hours, with GPS readings every second. The Ultra 4 also gets Apple's most advanced on-device GPS yet for a sports watch, while the new Readiness feature produces a 0-10 score based on activity, training load, sleep and vital signs, along with recommendations such as “Recover”, “Pace Yourself”, “Ready” or “Go For It”.
The cost of the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is ₹1,09,900.
What AI features are coming to the new Apple Watches?
Apple is making AI a bigger part of both watches through watchOS 27. Siri AI can use personal context and broader knowledge, while new Audio Intelligence features are designed to make the watch more useful in situations where the iPhone is not immediately available. The Ultra 4 also gets Sound Recognition features that can alert users to sounds such as sirens, alarms, doorbells or a baby crying. Another feature, Live Rewind, can help users recall something that was just said in a conversation.