In a column for CNET, principal writer Vanessa Hand Orellana argues that testing the new Audio Intelligence features on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 feels surprisingly mundane despite the inherent discomfort of a smartwatch listening and taking notes all day.
The new capabilities roll out in this week’s WatchOS 27.3 and iOS public beta ahead of a public release later this year. Hand Orellana tests the features for two weeks in the wild, examining how Siri Recap and Live Rewind handle everyday conversations.
While built-in privacy safeguards handle how audio is processed and deleted, and users hear a barely audible chime when double-clicking the Digital Crown for Live Rewind, there is no indicator light or physical notification to alert spectators within earshot that they are being recorded, unlike the indicator lights found on smart glasses.
The functionality shares similarities with AI-powered recording pins like Plaud or Amazon’s Bee, but operates within the context of a smartwatch without additional costs or subscriptions.
Live Rewind generates a transcription of the last 15 seconds of audio when a user double-clicks the Digital Crown.
Hand Orellana reports that she has to go out of her way to remember the feature exists, finding it easier simply to ask someone to repeat what they said rather than timing a double-press, while noting it could prove more useful during presentations or events where 15 seconds passes faster than expected and often captures only silence or missed remarks.
Siri Recap provides high-level summaries of discussions throughout the day without transcripts or speaker identification. The tool shines during dedicated meetings with a single conversation track, such as catching up on details during an iPhone Duo live folding test stream on YouTube.
“Opening a phone 20 times daily over 10 years equals 73,000 folds,” said Matthew Murray, CNET’s lab director, during a stream summarized by the watch.
Murray also said that the “machine runs approximately 22,560 cycles every 24 hours.”
Siri struggles when tracking chaotic personal logistics or background media. During a car-pool conversation, Siri Recap generated action items with incorrect names and assigned the wrong child to the author.
The software also conflates unrelated discussions happening within the same two-hour window.
The system even mistakes late-night television viewing for actual human dialogue. A discussion about wedding plans heard while streaming an episode of Nobody Wants This on Netflix at midnight was flagged by Siri as a standalone recap event.
Hand Orellana suggests using Siri Recap intentionally rather than leaving it running all day. Users should turn it on before specific events like work meetings or doctor appointments.
“If the stakes are high, have a backup — whether that’s your own notes or a recording — lest you risk coming home with the wrong kid,” Hand Orellana writes.
