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If you’ve got an Apple Watch Series 11, you’re probably wondering what changed with the Series 12. There are only a couple of small hardware differences, but there’s a big difference in the software.
I’ve been wearing both. Here’s everything that changed, what your Series 11 still gets with watchOS 27, and whether the Series 12 is worth the upgrade.
On a Series 11, you’d mostly miss the new heart sensor, Readiness and faster charging, and that’s probably not worth a new watch. The Series 12 makes a lot of sense if you’re on a Series 10 or older, any Apple Watch SE, or you want Siri Rewind and the daily summary.
- New heart sensor that checks your heart rate every 5 seconds
- Readiness, a 0 to 10 score from your sleep, activity and recovery
- 15 minutes of charging gets you 12 hours, up from 8
- Siri Rewind and daily summary, coming later this year
- Same $399 starting price and almost the same look
- Gets watchOS 27 with the new Siri
- Better step counting and Workout Buddy without your iPhone
- Both are rated for 24 hours of battery
Price and design
Both start at the same $399 price, and they look almost the same. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the Series 12 looks a little bit slimmer than the Series 11. The case is about one millimeter wider and a couple of grams heavier. I didn’t feel the extra weight when I wore it, and both of these are super comfortable.
| Series 11 | Series 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $399 | $399 |
| Heart rate every 5 seconds and Readiness | No | Yes |
| Memory | 2GB | 4GB, with the new S11 chip |
| Front glass on aluminum | Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says is 60% tougher | |
| Battery rating | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| 15-minute charge | Up to 8 hours | Up to 12 hours |
| Outdoor workout tracking | Up to 8 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Siri Rewind and daily summary | No | Yes, later this year |
Need help picking any Apple gear? Tell me how you’d use it and I’ll give you a personalized pick.
The new heart sensor and Readiness
The big change is on the back. The Series 12 has a new heart rate sensor that checks your heart rate every 5 seconds all day long, and it checks your heart rate variability up to 24 times more often than the Series 11 did.
That sensor powers a new feature from Apple called Readiness, a 0 to 10 score built from your sleep, activity and recovery. The Series 11 doesn’t get it. I don’t sleep with my Apple Watch, so I didn’t use this score, but if you do sleep tracking it matters more.
S11 chip, memory and Ceramic Shield 2
The Series 12 has the new S11 chip and double the memory, 4GB instead of the 2GB in the Series 11, which is supposed to make things respond a little faster. Apple also upgraded the aluminum models with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, which Apple says is 60% tougher.
Battery and charging
The battery is still rated at 24 hours, but I was able to get over 24 hours out of the Series 12, which I never got with my Series 11. Charging got faster too. Fifteen minutes on the charger now gets you up to 12 hours of battery, up from 8 on the Series 11. Outdoor workout tracking goes from up to 8 hours on the Series 11 to 10 hours on the Series 12.
What the Series 11 still gets
Your Series 11 still gets a lot with watchOS 27. It has the new Siri, better step counting and Workout Buddy without your iPhone, and a lot of the other subtle features come to it for free. What it’s missing is Readiness, plus the new Rewind and daily summary features coming later this year.
Siri Rewind and the daily summary
Rewind lets you press the Digital Crown and get a text summary of the last 15 seconds of a conversation. If you’re like me and you’re hard of hearing, that feature is going to come in clutch. There are so many times I don’t hear what people say and have to ask them to repeat themselves over and over.
The daily summary is a secure way for the watch to take fragments of your day and tell you everything that happened at the end of it, including things you need to remember. I think that one’s going to be super handy as well.
Should you upgrade?
You could probably still skip the Series 12 if you already have a Series 11. You’d mostly miss the new heart sensor, Readiness and the faster charging, and that’s probably not worth a new watch. Most of the new software comes to the Series 11 anyway.
It’s definitely worth an upgrade if you’re on a Series 10 or older, or if you have an Apple Watch SE 1, 2 or 3. And if you’re like me and looking forward to Siri Rewind and the daily summary, that’s the other reason I’d recommend getting the Series 12.
| Keep your Series 11 if | Get the Series 12 if |
|---|---|
| You don’t sleep with your watch, so Readiness won’t matter | You’re on a Series 10 or older |
| You’re happy with the watchOS 27 updates you already get | You have an Apple Watch SE 1, 2 or 3 |
| Faster charging isn’t worth a new watch to you | You want Siri Rewind and the daily summary |
Ceramic and trade-in
With the Series 12, Apple brought the ceramic model back. It’s a nice finish that costs extra. I don’t think it’s worth the extra money to me, but if you’re going to keep the watch for a long time, the ceramic does look nice.
If the new features are worth it to you, you can trade your Series 11 in to Apple for about $200. That drops the Series 12 to about $200 or $250, depending on the model you get.
The bottom line
On a Series 11, you can probably skip it. On a Series 10 or older, any SE, or if Siri Rewind sounds like it’d help you as much as I think it’ll help me, the Series 12 makes a lot of sense.
Still deciding? See which Apple Watch to buy, SE 3 vs Series 12 vs Ultra 4, my Series 12 vs Ultra 4 comparison, or tell me how you’d use it and I’ll give you a personalized pick.
