The iPhone may have stolen the spotlight at Apple‘s September event, but some of the company’s more interesting updates landed on the wrist — and in your ears.

Now that the event has come and gone, the bigger picture is becoming clearer: Apple is putting more of its health and AI ambitions into its wearables. The company introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, along with a new generation of AirPods 5, bringing features that push its watches further into fitness tracking and give its open-ear earbuds a new trick.

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The headline feature is a new Readiness metric, which takes direct aim at the recovery and wellness scores popularized by devices from Oura and Garmin. Meanwhile, the AirPods 5 add Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to an open-ear design, along with hands-free Siri controls that let you answer questions — or calls — with a simple nod or shake of your head.

Here’s a closer look at everything Apple announced at its latest event that isn’t an iPhone.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: Ready or not

The biggest upgrade coming to your wrist this year is under the hood. Both the Apple Watch Series 12 and the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 are powered by the new S11 chip and feature what Apple is calling the Health Sensing System.

What does that mean for you? The new optical sensors now take your heart rate every five seconds, all day long. They also measure your heart rate variability up to 24 times more often than previous models.

The Cupertino technology giant is using all that data to introduce a Readiness score scaled from 0 to 10. When you wake up, your watch will analyze your recent activity, vitals, and sleep to tell you if you should “Go For It,” “Ready,” “Pace Yourself,” or “Recover.” It is a clear shot at dedicated fitness trackers that have been doing this for years, and it means your Apple Watch will finally tell you when it’s okay to take a rest day instead of nagging you to close your rings.

As for the specific models:

• Apple Watch Series 12. It continues to be the everyday watch for most people. It gets a battery bump for outdoor workouts (now up to 10 hours) and features faster charging — just 15 minutes gets you 12 hours of battery life. It also comes in a bunch of finishes, including a ceramic option in pearl white and night blue.
• Apple Watch Ultra 4: The adventure watch keeps its chunky, rugged titanium aesthetic (now available in black). It pushes outdoor workout battery life to 45 hours and continues to boast the most accurate on-device GPS in a sports watch.

Both smartwatches will also support the new Audio Intelligence and Siri AI features coming with watchOS 27.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 introduction video

The Apple AirPods 5: Shaking your head ‘no’ to Siri

The AirPods 5 are getting one of the most requested features: ANC in an open-ear design. If you don’t like the feeling of silicone tips jammed in your ear canal but still want to drown out the hum of an airplane or a busy coffee shop, these are built for you.

Apple says the new acoustic architecture removes up to 50% more noise than the previous AirPods 4 with ANC. They also feature a new Adaptive EQ for richer sound.

But what do we look forward to most? Hands-free Siri interactions. With iOS 27, you can simply nod your head to say “yes” to Siri, or shake your head “no” when asked if you want to answer a call or reply to a text. It is perfect for when you’re on a crowded MRT train and don’t want to look like you’re talking to yourself. They also introduced a Live Translation feature that lets you hear real-time translations right in your ear.

If you shell out a bit more for the Wireless Charging Case version, you finally get swipe volume controls right on the stem — a first for the open-ear model — and up to five hours of ANC playback.

Apple AirPods 5 intro video

Pricing and availability

If you’re buying in the United States, preorders are already open, with shipping starting Sept. 18. For those who are based in the Philippines, you’ll need to check back later for availability, but the local pricing is already locked in.

Here is how much it will cost to upgrade this year:

Device	US Price ($)	Philippine Price (₱)
Apple Watch Series 12	Starts at $399	Starts at ₱28,990
Apple Watch Ultra 4	Starts at $799	Starts at ₱59,990
AirPods 5	$129	₱9,490
AirPods 5 (with Wireless Charging Case)	$149	₱10,990

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