Apple’s Watch Ultra series has never been cheap, but Apple’s unveiling last night suggests the Watch Ultra 4 won’t see a price increase in South Africa. Launch pricing for the new premium Apple wearable remains the same as in 2025.
The same goes for the new Apple Watch Series 12. That also holds steady compared to last year’s pricing. South Africa’s market doesn’t directly mirror the American one, but price deviations generally carry through. Fluctuations in Watch Ultra 4 and Series 12 prices will likely mirror exchange rate changes.
Watch Ultra 4-ever
Part of the reason for the static pricing might be that Apple hasn’t done much design work for its newest wearables. The outward appearance isn’t much different from previous outings. Instead, the American company has opted for internal changes. We’ll have to wait to find out how substantial they are, but Apple is prepared to do some early boasting. The Watch Ultra 4 will feature an improved heart rate sensor and enhanced ECG functions. The company is sticking a new Apple S11 chipset inside to power its newer features.
There is, of course, a new AI feature inside the Watch Ultra 4. It’s called Audio Intelligence, and the function is tailored for hearing-impaired users. The watch’s microphones will generate alerts based on ambient sounds. Think a ringing doorbell or phone, or a door knock. Otherwise, the microphones can also display transcripts of the last fifteen seconds of speech. If you’re not hearing-impaired, the Watch Ultra 4 also records and transcribes meetings when requested.
Later, that is. The hardware components are present, but Audio Intelligence will only launch as a software update later in the year.
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 currently stands at R18,800. Its successor will land here at the same approximate price point. Hopefully the Ultra 3 undergoes a decent price drop at the same time.
Unveiling Series 12
The Watch Series 12 has the same internal upgrades, including Apple’s S11 chipset. The improved heart rate sensor, the company’s new Health Sensing System, and general app upgrades carry over to the more affordable model, too. In other words, you can have most of the Ultra 4’s functionality by paying a little over half the price. Or you can wait until next year for it to trickle down to the next SE and pay even less.
If you’re not keen on waiting, Audio Intelligence will also eventually make its way to the Series 12. As usual, Apple reckons this model (and the Ultra 4) offer its most advanced tracking for everything from heart rate (including variability) to step counts. Readiness, a measurement of how prepared you are for the next workout, makes its debut this year as well. We’ll give these functions a test as soon as possible.
The Watch Series 11 starts in SA at R9,400, though you’ll pay up to R17,600 if you want a Milanese loop attached. The Series 12 should hover around the same mark for all comparable models when they arrive here in a few weeks.
