Apple Watch Series 12 review: the upgrade worth making?

Apple Watch Series 12 arrives with its most important changes beneath a familiar exterior. The new S11 chip and redesigned sensing hardware are the reasons to pay attention, while faster charging makes daily ownership a little easier. The verdict is more complicated for recent Apple Watch owners: this is a substantial step from an older model, but Series 11 users have less reason to replace a watch that remains highly capable. For anyone several generations behind, Series 12 is the more convincing upgrade.

Best for: iPhone owners upgrading from an older Apple Watch
Bottom line: A stronger upgrade for Series 8 and earlier owners than for anyone carrying last year's model.

The Apple Watch Series 12 uses Apple's new S11 chip, built around a 64-bit dual core processor and four core Neural Engine, with 64GB of storage. Apple also lists support for its newer intelligence features, although the more immediate benefit of the hardware is its role in processing sensor data and everyday watch functions.

The display remains an Always-On Retina panel using wide angle OLED and LTPO3 technology, with a 1Hz minimum refresh rate. The 46mm version has a 416 by 496 pixel active area at 326 pixels per inch. Peak brightness reaches 2,000 nits and the display can dim to 1 nit. Aluminum versions use Ceramic Shield 2 over the screen, while titanium and ceramic versions use sapphire crystal.

Underneath is Apple's redesigned Health Sensing System. It combines a second generation electrical heart sensor, an always-on optical heart sensor, blood oxygen sensing and a temperature sensor. The broader feature set includes the Vitals and Heart Rate apps, sleep tracking and Readiness, which draws on collected metrics to give users a general view of recovery. Availability and functionality of individual health features can vary by region.

Apple rates Series 12 for up to 24 hours of normal use or 38 hours in Low Power Mode. Fast charging can take the battery to 80 per cent in about 30 minutes, while Apple says a 15-minute charge can provide up to 12 hours of normal use.

Water resistance is rated to 50 metres under ISO 22810:2010, and the watch carries an IP6X dust resistance rating.

Series 12 is less about changing what an Apple Watch looks like than improving how much work it can do in the background. TechRadar's early experience describes the redesigned sensing system and S11 as the significant changes, with the new hardware allowing more frequent heart rate and HRV sampling while also improving step tracking.

Apple says its new optical system measures heart rate every five seconds throughout the day, while HRV can be measured as often as every five minutes. Those are monitoring features rather than medical assurances, but the increased sampling gives the software more information to work with for fitness and general wellness features.

The display is easier to judge from its specifications. A 2,000-nit peak should make information easier to read during bright outdoor use, which is particularly relevant for UAE walks or workouts under strong sunlight. Apple specifies an operating temperature range of 0°C to 35°C, however, so users should follow Apple's environmental guidance during periods of extreme summer heat.

Battery life remains a daily charge proposition for many users. WIRED reported that the faster charging made the Series 12 easier to accommodate in daily use, while Apple's own figure remains up to 24 hours under normal conditions. The ability to gain up to 12 hours from a 15-minute charge is arguably more consequential than the headline endurance figure, particularly if you want to wear the watch overnight and recharge while showering or getting ready in the morning.

Owners of a recent Series model should therefore expect refinement rather than a dramatic reinvention.

1. The S11 chip supports the watch's more frequent sensor sampling and newer software features.

2. Faster charging makes overnight tracking easier to fit around a normal charging routine.

3. The 2,000-nit Always-On Retina display is suited to bright outdoor conditions.

4. The redesigned sensing system expands the amount of fitness and general wellness data available to the wearer.

The strongest case is for an iPhone owner using a Series 8 or older Apple Watch. WIRED reaches a similar conclusion, describing Series 12 as a generational step for Series 8 and earlier users while finding less reason for Series 11 owners to change.

Older watch owners gain newer sensing hardware, the S11 platform, a brighter modern display and longer rated battery life than several previous generations. Series 11 owners should look more closely at the specific new features before replacing a one year old device. If multi-day battery endurance is your main priority, a different type of smartwatch may also suit your routine better.

Apple Watch Series 12 is an upgrade built around internals rather than spectacle. The S11 chip and redesigned Health Sensing System are the headline changes, but faster charging may be the improvement owners notice most often. Apple still rates normal use at up to 24 hours, so this is not a move into multi-day smartwatch territory.

For someone wearing an older Apple Watch, the cumulative gains make Series 12 a convincing point to upgrade. Coming directly from Series 11 is harder to justify because much of the basic experience remains familiar. The sensible dividing line is therefore age: the longer you have kept your current Apple Watch, the more meaningful the Series 12 package becomes.

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