For most people, a smartwatch is a secondary purchase — an accessory that complements the smartphone. An Apple Watch, however, is such a compelling device that it holds the potential to drive iPhone sales on its own. I know some people who actually bought iPhones just so they could use an Apple Watch. Over the years, the Apple Watch has built up a reputation of being a life-saver, literally, and that’s reason enough for people to covet it. And now with Series 12, Apple has upgraded the health sensors and made them even more capable, and in turn, made the smartwatch even more compelling for health and fitness enthusiasts. The upgraded Health Sensing system, in fact, counts as the biggest upgrade boasted by the new wearable, as unsurprisingly, the overall design language hasn’t changed much. Read on for more.
Table of Contents
Design and display
For better or worse, the design of the Apple Watch Series 12 is unchanged as compared to previous generations. Over time, this design has become quite iconic, I think, though the army of me-too’s that spawned and copied the same look have somewhat diluted its appeal. That said, few others match the build quality, construction, and materials used in an Apple Watch. And the new Series 12 doesn’t disappoint. The wearable is available in aluminium, titanium and ceramic, and notably, the ceramic edition seems to have made a comeback to Apple’s watch lineup after many years. I played around with the ceramic model briefly, and I can tell you that the build quality and finish on that is exquisite. However, it’s also the priciest of the lot, and it’d be safe to say that the aluminium model will make sense for most potential buyers.
As usual, Series 12 is available in two sizes — 42mm and 46mm, and in regular or cellular options. I have the 46mm aluminium model in the new dark bronze colour — a shade that I love. It does look quite chic and elegant, I think. Also appreciated is the new Ceramic Shield 2 layer on the screen, which promises to keep scratches at bay. The watch is comfortable to wear for prolonged periods and doesn’t cause wrist fatigue, so no complaints there.
Most aspects, like the rotating Digital Crown on the right and the side button below it, plus the band attachment mechanism, remain the same as before. The last point deserves emphasis, as it means that in case you have bands from any of the previous iterations, they’ll work with the new Series 12 as well. In fact, as far as I know, Apple Watch bands are compatible across generations, going as far back as the very first model.
The 2,000 nits always-on Retina display is a beauty and is easy to read outdoors, even under harsh sunlight. The refresh rate can go down to 1Hz. The watch is water-resistant up to 50m, while the dust resistance rating of IP6X also adds to peace of mind. So sweat and rain don’t really pose any threat, and you can take it swimming without a second thought too.
Features
From a features standpoint, Audio Intelligence stands out as the most noteworthy one. Unfortunately though, it’s not available at the time of writing this review and is expected to land in beta in the next few weeks. Audio Intelligence includes Live Rewind, which takes you 15 seconds back in time by giving you a transcript of conversations around you, and Siri Recap, which promises to provide notes from conversations and meetings spontaneously. Both of these seem like handy additions, but only time will tell how useful they turn out to be in real life. Understandably, there are some privacy-related concerns, but as per Apple, no audio is stored anywhere, and everything is encrypted and handled by a secure exclave in the new S11 chip that powers the device. As of now. Audio Intelligence enables you to call up Shazam for song recognition with a tap on the Smart Stack widget.
How Apple Watch Series 12's Audio Intelligence actually works?
Apart from Audio Intelligence, the other big headline is the new Health Sensing system. A look at the array of sensors on the back of the watch allows for visual differentiation, as it looks noticeably different compared to the sensors found on the back of previous-gen models.
The revamped sensors measure heart rate every five seconds, and the frequency of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) readings has also gone up. In fact, Apple calls this its most accurate heart rate sensor yet, and we’re told that the results were compared with other wearables and dedicated chest strap-mounted heart sensors to verify this.
Another new feature comes in the form of a readiness score, which is visible in the Health app and gives you an indication of how ready you are to take on the day, based on various factors like physical activity, sleep quality, etc. This is similar to the readiness score measured by other wearable and health platforms like Google Health and Samsung Health, and it’s nice to see Apple implement it on the Watch, especially since it can prove to be useful. As long as you don’t obsess over the numbers and make sure you listen to your body first.
Otherwise, the list of features offered by Series 12 seems similar to last year’s model, which means the list is quite long and comprehensive. The smart features are as expected, and you have the option to download and install third-party apps via the App Store, while the health and fitness side of things includes everything from basic step counting to something as advanced as ECG. Unlike Samsung’s smartwatches though, it can’t measure blood pressure, so that’s one feature where Samsung edges ahead. You do, however, get advanced sleep monitoring, including sleep apnea notifications, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, high and low heart rate notifications, and irregular rhythm notifications. A wide range of physical activities and workouts can be tracked, while safety features cover fall detection, crash detection, emergency calling and more. Thankfully, I can’t vouch for any of these, but it’s good to know they’re there. In any case, there are numerous user testimonials out there that prove these features work and have saved many lives.
UI and app
The new watchOS 27 is on board, and it brings with it a slew of changes and new features. A UI change you’re going to notice right away is the new app grid that opens up when you press the Digital Crown. It shows five app icons arranged in a circle, changing them dynamically based on what Siri thinks you need at the time, using factors like recently accessed apps, location, time of day, etc. The Siri icon gets a fixed place in the centre, and deservedly so, since that’s another big update in the new platform. Siri gets its own dedicated app and acts as your personal AI assistant you can converse with, banking on new superpowers it has acquired as part of improvements to the Apple Intelligence suite. It understands personal context better and can even take action in apps. Smart Stacks have also received an upgrade and display contextual and useful info, which is actionable too — being able to wish a contact happy birthday, for instance, or view your car’s parking location. There’s also a new gesture that lets you select a widget from the Smart Stack by tapping your index finger and thumb together — useful when your other hand is occupied with something else.
Performance and battery
The new S11 chip keeps ticking (pun unintended) nicely, and usage is super-smooth overall. The Apple Watch Series 12 is a breeze to use, with fluid animations, fast response and no signs of any jitters whatsoever. It faithfully and accurately tracks physical activity, though I must remind you that it’s always a good idea to look at data trends captured over time instead of worrying over numbers from a day or two.
As far as battery life and charging speeds are concerned, the Apple Watch Series 12 shows noticeable improvements in both these aspects. It lasted me a couple of days on a single charge, with two full days of usage and sleep tracking during the intervening night. This included about GPS-based workout tracking for 30 minutes each of those two days. I usually needed a top-up charge to track my sleep before heading to bed on the second night. Battery drain during regular usage and workout tracking appears to be much slower than before.
Speaking of juicing up, the bundled magnetic charging puck does a swell job with fast charging. A quick 15-minute top-up just before leaving for work gives me 30-35 percent in the tank, enough to last till evening, and letting the watch stay on the charger for another 15 minutes adds about 70 percent or so. While there are other smartwatches that fare better from a battery perspective, I’d say that Series 12 should prove to be a solid upgrade as compared to previous generations.
Verdict
There’s no doubt that the Apple Watch Series 12 is really an ideal option for you if you’re an iPhone user and looking for an everyday smartwatch. While it might not be for you if you’re a Series 10 or Series 11 user already (as things stand currently), it should make for a worthy purchase if you’re upgrading from any of the previous generation models. Apple keeps adding new and useful features with each iteration, and in that respect, the Series 12 comes across as a compelling upgrade thanks to its new Health Sensing system and improvements in aspects such as fast charging. And when those promised Audio Intelligence land, the Series 12 could prove to be a worthy upgrade even for Series 11 users. Apple’s tight control over both hardware and software makes it work seamlessly with your iPhone, and it plays well within the brand’s ecosystem, compounding its usefulness if you’ve subscribed to services like Apple Music.
The pricing for the base model starts at Rs 56,900, which is a fair bit to pay for a smartwatch. In terms of other options, there are a lot of choices out there. Garmin’s offerings stand out and are preferred by serious athletes, though the premium ones are priced high. I’ve also had a very good experience with Amazfit smartwatches, and if you’re looking for something affordable and that works well with an iPhone, you should check them out. All said and done, no other smartwatch works as smoothly and seamlessly with an iPhone as an Apple Watch, and Series 12 is about the best there is at the moment. Sure, there’s the Apple Watch Ultra 4 as well, but that’s another story.
Editor’s rating: 8.5 / 10
Pros:
- Reliable health tracking & insights
- Improved heart monitoring
- Smooth performance
- Battery & charging improvements
Cons:
- Design is unchanged
- Audio Intelligence features not available yet
- Pricey (but not unexpectedly so)
