Apple Watch Series 12 review: the upgrade worth making?

The Apple Watch Series 12 arrives with significant upgrades under its familiar design. The standout enhancements include the S11 chip, redesigned sensing hardware, and faster charging capabilities. For recent Apple Watch users, the upgrade offers a substantial difference, but those who have been using Series 11 watches have fewer reasons to switch.

Series 12 is particularly appealing to iPhone owners upgrading from older Apple Watch models. The device is powered by Apple's new S11 chip, featuring a 64-bit dual core processor and a four-core Neural Engine, along with 64GB of storage. The Always-On Retina display, with a wide-angle OLED and LTPO3 technology, maintains a 1Hz minimum refresh rate, with a 2,000-nit peak brightness and a dimming capability of 1 nit.

The device offers up to 24 hours of normal use or 38 hours in Low Power Mode, with fast charging that can reach 80% in about 30 minutes and provide up to 12 hours of use from a 15-minute charge. Water resistance is rated for 50 meters, and it carries an IP6X dust resistance rating. Overall, the Series 12 is an upgrade focused on internal improvements, with the S11 chip and redesigned Health Sensing System as the main changes.

Faster charging is the most noticeable improvement for most users, while the 2,000-nit Always-On Retina display is particularly suited for bright outdoor conditions. This upgrade is most convincing for iPhone owners with an older Apple Watch, making it a worthwhile step for those wanting to enhance their device's performance and capabilities.