Hands-On With the Apple Watch Series 12

The Apple Watch Series 12 was released today, and a reporter obtained one to examine the new features. The device's design remains unchanged from the Series 11, but Apple has made modifications to its internal components and health sensors. The Series 12 comes in the same aluminum, ceramic, and polished titanium materials as the Series 11, with new color options.

The aluminum models are now available in light gold, dark bronze, black, and space gray, while ceramic models are offered in pearl white and night blue, and polished titanium in radiant gold and natural. The aluminum models now utilize Ceramic Shield 2 instead of Ion-X glass, making the watch 60 percent tougher.

Apple claims the Series 12 is the most precise wearable for heart rate sensing thanks to its upgraded sensors. The device's Health Sensing System, combined with an S11 chip, enables the watch to measure heart rate every five seconds and heart rate variability as frequently as every five minutes. Early tests have not indicated that the increased sampling rates are causing significant battery drain.

The Series 12 maintains an all-day battery life rating, and charging times have been improved. A 15-minute charge will provide up to 12 hours of typical usage, but the Apple Watch charger included with the Series 12 is required to achieve the faster charging rate.

The Health Sensing System also generates a readiness score, which helps you decide whether to engage in high-intensity activities or take a rest day. The score is based on factors such as recent activity, vital signs, and sleep patterns, and it will evolve as data is collected over the day. It takes around a week of data collection before users begin receiving readiness scores.

The S11 chip will enable Live Rewind and Siri Recap features, but these will not be available until later this year. Although the Apple Watch has not received a design refresh, the health improvements make this an acceptable update. Users with Series 10 or Series 11 may not feel compelled to upgrade, but older models are worth upgrading from. The Series 12 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, with pricing starting at $399.