The introduction of the Apple Watch Series 12 marks a significant update for the brand’s smartwatch lineup, featuring the long-awaited native step counting enhancement and Apple’s claim of unmatched heart rate accuracy. Initial evaluations reveal improvements, though certain new options are delayed, pending future updates later this year.
Step Counts Take Priority at Last
With the Apple Watch Series 12, daily step count becomes a central, easily accessible figure, finally satisfying one of the most frequent user requests. Users can now instantly view their step totals in the smart stack or position this metric as a complication in the Activity area on their watch face. The system supports both steps and wheelchair pushes, in addition to retaining the classic Activity Rings.
This leap in step tracking is powered by Apple’s proprietary pedometer model, which resides in the new processor. Apple specifies that earlier devices such as the Series 11 lack this enhanced hardware and therefore will not receive the precision offered in this version. The technology appears reliable in practice: even a simple test involving nine steps—walking from desk to door—demonstrates accurate, prompt step counting. Deeper reviews are slated to further explore Apple’s assertion that this represents the most accurate step count you can get from any wearable to date.
Putting Advanced Heart Rate Technology Under Scrutiny
In tandem with its step tracking overhaul, Series 12 incorporates a redesigned heart rate sensor, which Apple describes as providing “the most accurate heart rate in a wearable.” For preliminary comparisons, the Series 12 went up against the Series 11, the Garmin Forerunner 570, and a chest strap monitor—industry standard for accuracy—across activities including treadmill intervals and varied pace outdoor runs.
Comparative results at this early stage show Series 12 performs well, though its edge versus Series 11 is not immediately convincing. A major point is Apple Watch’s sampling frequency: heart rate data refreshes every five seconds in workout mode, contrary to the one-second intervals delivered by the Garmin and chest strap alternatives. This results in just 12 sample points per minute on Apple’s device versus 60 for its rivals, influencing the data’s ability to track rapid heart rate shifts.
When reviewing workout data, the Apple Watch sometimes missed peaks that the chest strap captured, though sporadic variances also emerged with the Garmin. Ongoing comparisons under broader scenarios will be necessary before any conclusive statements can be made regarding Apple’s accuracy claims for Series 12’s heart rate monitoring.
Key Functions Await Future Software Enhancements
Not all heralded features for Apple Watch Series 12, like Live Rewind and Siri Recaps, are functional in the current watchOS 27 release and are planned for rollout later in the year. Live Rewind will allow playback of transcribed speech from the previous 15 seconds, while Siri Recaps promises summaries of extended interactions, such as entire meetings. The tester has not engaged with these options yet, as the shipped watchOS version for early access units does not include them and no beta has been sourced for testing.
Another incoming feature, Readiness, is not yet available as it requires about a week’s sleep tracking to provide health and recovery insights. Early results reveal a “recovery HRV” (heart rate variability) entry: the Apple Watch registered 45 for the latest reading, compared to 50 on the Oura ring. Slight discrepancies between devices are common in HRV tracking, but longer monitoring periods should indicate whether patterns on both devices consistently reflect the user’s recovery baseline.
Summary
The Apple Watch Series 12 launches with much-needed step tracking and promises major heart rate monitoring advancements. Early hands-on use notes meaningful hardware improvements, though several main features remain pending as of June 2024. Capabilities like Live Rewind, Siri Recaps, and Readiness await software updates and further user data, so their performance will be clearer as more tests and firmware upgrades are completed over the coming months.