Apple unveils Watch Series 12 with heart rate measurement every 5 seconds
Apple Watch Series 12 – a new generation of smartwatches featuring the Health Sensing System, which measures pulse every five seconds throughout the day and detects heart rate variability up to 24 times more frequently. The watch also includes the S11 chip, Readiness functionality for assessing body readiness, 5G support, and up to 24 hours of battery life.
Design and display
Apple Watch Series 12 is available in 42 mm and 46 mm sizes with cases made of aluminum, titanium, and ceramic. Aluminum models come in Dark Bronze, Black, Light Gold, and Space Gray; titanium models in Radiant Gold and Natural Titanium; and ceramic models in Pearl White and Night Blue.
The aluminum model is protected by Ceramic Shield 2 glass, which Apple says is 60% stronger than the Ion-X glass in the Apple Watch Series 11. The titanium and ceramic versions use sapphire crystal.
The always-on Retina display is built on a wide-angle LTPO3 OLED panel. The refresh rate drops to 1 Hz, peak brightness reaches 2000 nits, and minimum brightness is 1 nit.
The 42-mm version features a screen with 374×446 pixels resolution, while the 46-mm model has 416×496 pixels. The pixel density in both cases is 326 ppi.
Aluminum and titanium models are 9.7 mm thick and measure 42×37 or 46×40 mm in width. Ceramic versions are slightly larger: their height is 43 and 47 mm, with a thickness of 9.85 mm.
Weight depends on the material, size, and cellular connectivity. The aluminum 42mm version weighs 31,5-32,2 grams, and the 46mm version weighs 38,6-39,5 grams. Titanium models weigh 36.5 and 44.9 grams respectively, while ceramic models weigh 41,7-42,8 and 51,3-52,9 grams.
The watch is water-resistant to the WR50 standard ISO 22810:2010 and dust-proof to IP6X. It is suitable for swimming and snorkeling, equipped with a water temperature sensor and a depth gauge that operates at depths up to 6 meters.
Performance and Connectivity
The S11 chip includes a 64-bit dual-core CPU and a 4-core Neural Engine. The built-in storage capacity is 64 GB.
The S11 also features Secure Exclave, a hardware-isolated area used in part for processing Audio Intelligence audio data. After processing, the original audio data is deleted and, according to Apple, is inaccessible to the operating system, apps, and the company itself.
Supports Wi-Fi 4 in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, Bluetooth 5.3, second-generation Ultra Wideband, GPS L1, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou.
Versions GPS + Cellular work with LTE and 5G RedCap—a lightweight variant of 5G for low-power devices. Cellular support depends on the carrier and region.
Health
The new Health Sensing System combines an optical heart rate sensor with larger and more energy-efficient green LEDs, a third-generation electrical heart sensor, a temperature sensor, and a blood oxygen level sensor.
Apple calls the Series 12 its most accurate wearable devices for measuring heart rate, citing its own study involving more than 1,000 people.
Background pulse measurement occurs every five seconds throughout the day—60 times more frequently than on Apple Watch Series 11. The current value can be continuously viewed in the updated Heart Rate app or displayed on the watch face.
Heart rate variability, or HRV, is measured at intervals as short as five minutes—up to 24 times more frequently than the previous generation. In Heart Rate, the metric is split into Recovery HRV to assess stress and recovery, and Overall HRV to monitor long-term changes.
Recovery HRV is also displayed among the nightly Vitals metrics. The app’s new daytime mode allows you to compare data collected during the day and night, and track changes before the next sleep.
Apple also redesigned the pedometer model and added machine learning algorithms to improve step and distance counting accuracy, especially for indoor walking and running. The company calls Series 12 its most accurate step counter. The new Steps extension allows continuous display of step count on the watch face.
ECG recordings, blood oxygen measurement, notifications for high and low heart rate, irregular heart rhythm, hypertension, and signs of sleep apnea are retained, along with wrist temperature and menstrual cycle tracking. Availability of medical features depends on the country, user age, and local approvals.
Readiness and the Health app
The Readiness feature assesses the body’s readiness for exertion on a scale from 0 to 10, taking into account recent activity, training load, physiological metrics, and sleep quality.
Depending on the result, the watch displays one of four recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. The score can change throughout the day, for example after an intense workout or a significant change in metrics.
Later in 2026, Apple will release an updated Health app for iPhone and iPad with Apple Intelligence. The Insights section will combine data on heart health, sleep, workouts, Vitals, Readiness, and menstrual cycle to generate personalized recommendations.
The Longevity tab is designed for analyzing long-term changes. The Health Age feature compares the body’s condition to the user’s actual age, taking into account VO2 max, HRV, sleep, and other Apple Watch data. If desired, you can add biomarkers from blood tests.
The updated Health app will initially be available in American English. Apple Watch is required for Health Age.
Apple Intelligence
The Audio Intelligence suite uses the watch’s microphone, the S11 chip, Apple Intelligence models on a compatible iPhone, and Private Cloud Compute for specific tasks. Some features will be available only after sales begin.
Sound Recognition detects sirens, alarms, doorbells, a baby’s cry, and other important ambient sounds, then displays notifications on the watch. The feature is designed for users with hearing impairments as well.
Live Rewind, activated by double-pressing the Digital Crown, displays a text transcript of the last 15 seconds of a conversation. The text can be saved or used to ask Siri.
Siri Recap generates the title, a brief summary, and key points of the conversation, but does not create a full transcript or identify participants in individual utterances.
Live Rewind and Siri Recap will launch in beta later in 2026. At launch, they will support only English, will not be available in the European Union, and require an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone 16 or newer, excluding the iPhone 16e. Daily limits apply to some cloud features.
Audio Intelligence is also integrated with Shazam. The watch will automatically recognize music playing nearby and display the track and artist in the Music Recognition widget within Smart Stack.
Later in 2026, a new Siri will launch with support for natural dialogue, personal context, internet search, and app actions. watchOS 27 includes a dedicated client for it, enabling users to continue conversations started on other Apple devices. The feature will not be available initially in the European Union.
watchOS 27
Apple Watch Series 12 runs on watchOS 27. The system received the Siri Modular watch face, a dynamic app grid with five suggested Siri apps, and additional recommendations in Smart Stack.
The new single tap gesture – a brief touch of the index finger and thumb together – selects an individual Smart Stack widget. Double tap is used to navigate between items.
Workout Buddy now displays additional details about pace, distance, and workout progress and can operate without an iPhone nearby. This requires a compatible iPhone with Apple Intelligence, Bluetooth headphones, and the watch connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network. The feature supports English and Spanish.
Cycle Tracking has added features for perimenopause and menopause, including cycle change notifications that may correspond to perimenopause.
watchOS 27 will be released on September 14 for Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and subsequent models.
Battery life and charging
During normal use, the watch lasts up to 24 hours; in power-saving mode, up to 38 hours. During outdoor workouts, battery life reaches 10 hours, which is 25% more than Apple Watch Series 11.
Fast charging restores up to 80% of the battery in approximately 30 minutes. In 15 minutes, the watch gains enough power for up to 12 hours of use, and five minutes is sufficient for up to 10 hours of sleep tracking.
Straps
Sport Band is available in Olive, Burgundy, Wildflower Blue, and Pale Succulent. Sport Loop now comes in Chambray Blue and Magenta, as well as Burgundy Plaid and Light Umber Plaid with patterns applied via inkjet printing.
The Nike Sport Band and Nike Sport Loop are now available in Essential White, Chalk Calm, Pavement Grey, After Dark Black, and Green Spark.
Milanese Loop is available in Radiant Gold and Dark Bronze variants. Modern Buckle has transitioned to a new woven material with colored speckles and is also offered with gold-toned hardware for the Radiant Gold Titanium case.
Apple Watch Hermès Series 12 are now available for the first time with a Radiant Gold Titanium case alongside Silver Titanium. The gold version comes with a Noir Satin Clou de Selle band, and the collection has also been expanded to include the Rocabar Club knit band.
Ceramic models come with Sport Bands in Sand or Navy Blue, featuring a ceramic pin-and-tuck clasp.
Materials
Aluminum and titanium Apple Watch Series 12 are made of 40% recycled material by weight. The cases use 100% recycled aluminum or titanium, with titanium versions produced via 3D printing.
The battery contains 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium. The Taptic Engine uses recycled copper and tungsten, while the printed circuit boards use recycled gold and tin.
According to Apple, only renewable electricity is used in the production of aluminum and titanium models. The packaging is made entirely from fiber-based materials.
Prices and release date
Preorders for Apple Watch Series 12 opened on September 9 in more than 60 countries and regions. Sales will begin on September 18.
In the US, Apple Watch Series 12 start at $399. Versions GPS and GPS + Cellular are available with 42 mm and 46 mm cases. Titanium and ceramic models are offered only with cellular connectivity.
To operate the watch, you need an iPhone 11 or a newer model, or an iPhone SE (2nd generation) or later with iOS 27.
