Apple Adds Readiness Scoring to Its New Watches

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) introduced a recovery scoring feature called Readiness on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, moving the company further into territory occupied by Whoop, Oura and Garmin.

Readiness produces a score from 0 to 10 drawn from recent activity, training load, vitals and sleep data. Depending on the result, the watch recommends that the wearer recover, pace themselves, train, or in Apple's highest band, go for it. The score updates through the day as new health and activity data arrives rather than being fixed at waking.

Apple delivers the feature through a dedicated Readiness app, separate from the existing Vitals app. Code references to a standalone Readiness app were identified by a MacRumors forum member before the event.

The scoring depends on the denser measurement the new Health Sensing System provides. Both watches sample heart rate every five seconds through the day and can take heart rate variability readings up to 24 times more frequently than the previous generation, with separate values for recovery and for overall HRV.

Apple also added an Audio Intelligence feature to both models.

Readiness arrives as Apple positions health as the principal reason to upgrade a watch, in a generation that carries no significant design change. Neither the Series 12 nor the Ultra 4 alters the case shape of its predecessor.

Both models went on sale on 18 September, at $399 and $799 respectively.