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The Apple Watch Series 12 is the Apple Watch most people should get. The battery life has been ridiculous. This watch still isn’t perfect, though, and the biggest new feature Apple pushed at launch isn’t even out yet.
Here’s everything I like about it, a couple of things to be aware of, and who should buy it.
The Series 12 is the Apple Watch most people should get. The battery is great, it’s comfortable, and you get the new heart rate sensor. If you’ve already got a Series 11, you can skip it.
- I beat the 24-hour battery rating, with 45 to 55% left at bedtime
- 15 minutes on the charger gets you 12 hours
- New heart sensor checks your heart rate every 5 seconds
- Still starts at $400, same as last year
- Live Rewind and Siri Recap aren’t out yet
- Siri can take 30 seconds to a minute to start a workout
- Readiness only works if you sleep with it on
- Not a big enough jump from a Series 11
Price and what’s new
The Series 12 still starts at $400, same as last year. It has the new S11 chip. Apple didn’t give a speed increase for it, but we know it has more RAM, and the chip unlocks the new heart rate sensor on the back. Apple says that sensor is more accurate for heart rate, better for ECG, and it also gives heart rate variability readings.
| Apple Watch Series 12 | |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $400 |
| Sizes | 42mm and 46mm |
| Chip | S11 |
| Heart sensor | 8 windows, heart rate every 5 seconds, HRV up to 24 times more often than Series 11 |
| Front glass (aluminum) | Ceramic Shield 2, 60% tougher than Ion-X per Apple |
| Battery rating | 24 hours (38 in Low Power Mode) |
| My battery test | Over 24 hours, 45 to 55% left at bedtime |
| Outdoor workouts | Up to 10 hours (8 on the last version) |
| Fast charging | 15 minutes gets you 12 hours |
Need help picking any Apple gear? Tell me how you’d use it and I’ll give you a personalized pick.
Glass, case and comfort
The aluminum models get Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, and Apple says it’s 60% tougher than the old Ion-X glass on the older aluminum watches.
The case is 1mm wider and a little bit heavier. With it side by side with my Series 11, I still wasn’t able to notice much extra weight or a difference in how the new glass feels. On my wrist it feels exactly the same.
The new heart sensor and Readiness
The biggest change is the sensor on the back. It has eight windows instead of the four on the older one. That lets it check your heart rate every five seconds, and it can check heart rate variability up to 24 times more often than the Series 11.
The sensor also powers the new Readiness score, Apple’s score from 0 to 10 built from your sleep, activity, vitals and recovery. To get it, you need a Series 12 or an Ultra 4. None of the older watches got it, even with the latest watchOS update. You also have to wear the watch to sleep to use it. I don’t like wearing a watch to sleep, so I don’t use Readiness.
You still get all of Apple’s other health features too: hypertension notifications, sleep apnea notifications, ECG and blood oxygen.
Battery life and charging
Apple still rates the Series 12 at 24 hours of battery life, just like the Series 11, or 38 hours in Low Power Mode. I was able to beat that. There are days when I go to bed and it’s still at 45 to 55%, and I got over 24 hours out of it while leaving it off the charger at night.
I mostly use it for running workouts. Outdoor workouts go up from eight hours on the last version to 10 hours on this one. Charging is faster too: 15 minutes on the charger gets you 12 hours of battery life, so you can wear it all day and top it off for a minute.
Siri
Siri and Apple Intelligence are the biggest things Apple has been pushing with the Apple Watch lately. My problem is that Siri is so slow to respond, and that’s on all my devices, not only the watch. Starting a workout with Siri sometimes takes 30 seconds or a minute, where it was instant on my older watch.
There are also times I ask it to start a simple timer so I can keep track of the chicken on the grill, and the timer never starts. I’m not sure what the deal is with Siri listening. If I press the Digital Crown on the side, it almost always works.
Live Rewind and Siri Recap
The headline features this year are Live Rewind and Siri Recap, and neither one is out yet. Live Rewind takes the last 15 seconds of a conversation and turns it into a text summary when you press the button on the side. That’s going to be useful for people like me who are hard of hearing. There are so many times I ask people to repeat themselves and still don’t catch what they said, so I’m excited to try it later this year.
Siri Recap summarizes the conversations you had all day, and it’s supposed to be secure and not store your actual audio anywhere. Both are coming in beta later this year, in English first. You also need to pair the watch with an iPhone 16 or newer, and the 16e doesn’t count.
I think this is lame. Aside from Readiness and the better heart rate sensor, these features are the biggest thing the watch added over last year’s, and you can’t use them yet.
Sizes and finishes
There are two sizes, 42mm and 46mm. I went with the 46mm in space gray aluminum with the olive Sport Loop, and some of the other new colors, like the bronze, look great too.
You can also get it in titanium or ceramic. Those cost more, and they’re nicer finishes. Titanium is a good pick if you want it to last, because you get an even better sapphire display and cellular comes built in. The aluminum is still a little lighter than the titanium model.
Who should buy it?
I’d buy it if you have a Series 10 or older, or any Apple Watch SE. It’s comfortable, it has great battery life, and it gets the same new heart rate sensor and Readiness score as the Ultra 4.
If you already have a Series 11, you don’t have to upgrade. The new Siri, Workout Buddy without your iPhone and some other features come to your watch with watchOS 27. A few things here might still make you want to: the new heart rate sensor, Readiness, Live Rewind, Siri Recap and the faster charging are all Series 12 only.
If you hate charging and you want the biggest, best screen, the Ultra 4 is still the watch for you. It costs about double, though, and it isn’t as comfortable or as sleek as the Series 12.
| Buy the Series 12 if | Skip it if |
|---|---|
| You have a Series 10 or older | You already have a Series 11 |
| You have any Apple Watch SE | You hate charging (get the Ultra 4) |
| You want the new heart sensor and Readiness | You want the biggest, best screen (get the Ultra 4) |
The bottom line
Here’s my verdict: the Series 12 is the Apple Watch most people should get. The battery is great, it’s comfortable, and you get the new heart rate sensor. If you’ve already got a Series 11, you can skip it.
Still deciding? My Series 11 vs Series 12 comparison goes deeper on the upgrade, my Ultra 4 review covers the bigger watch, and my guide to which Apple Watch to buy includes the SE 3. Or tell me how you’d use it and I’ll give you a personalized pick.
