Apple Watch Series 12: A Smarter Health and Fitness Companion for Your Wrist
Apple has officially announced the Apple Watch Series 12, bringing a major focus on health monitoring, fitness, safety and artificial intelligence. At the heart of the new smartwatch is Apple’s all-new Health Sensing System, paired with the new S11 chip, which Apple says delivers its most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable.
For everyday users, however, the biggest story isn’t just improved hardware. Apple Watch Series 12 introduces a new Readiness feature, more frequent heart rate and HRV measurements, improved step tracking, faster charging and a collection of new Apple Intelligence-powered Audio Intelligence features.
The result is an Apple Watch designed to give users a better understanding of how their body is performing while also making everyday tasks a little smarter.
Apple Watch Series 12 is available to pre-order from today, with availability beginning Friday, 18 September, and starts at A$649 including GST in Australia.
What’s new with Apple Watch Series 12?
The Apple Watch Series 12 builds on the health, fitness and safety capabilities Apple Watch users already know, but introduces several significant upgrades.
The headline features include:
An all-new Health Sensing System
More frequent heart rate and heart rate variability measurements
A new Readiness score
Improved step tracking
Longer workout battery life
Faster charging
New Apple Intelligence Audio Intelligence features
Siri AI powered by Apple Intelligence
A thinner and lighter design
New finishes and ceramic models
watchOS 27 with additional health, fitness and usability features
Apple says the S11 chip is its most powerful wearable chip yet and enables many of the new health and intelligence features arriving with Series 12.
A major upgrade to heart health tracking
One of the biggest improvements to Apple Watch Series 12 is its new Health Sensing System.
Apple has redesigned the watch's health-monitoring hardware with new optical and electrical heart sensors. According to Apple, testing involving more than 1,000 participants found that Apple Watch Series 12 delivered the highest heart-rate accuracy among the wearables included in the study.
For the average consumer, that means the Apple Watch can provide a more detailed picture of what is happening with your body throughout the day.
Series 12 now measures heart rate every five seconds, using larger, power-efficient green LEDs in its optical heart sensor. This information can also help make activity measurements such as the Move and Exercise rings more accurate.
There is also a new heart-rate watch face complication, allowing users to see their current heart rate at a glance.
HRV tracking gets a significant boost
Another important health upgrade is heart rate variability, or HRV.
HRV can provide useful insight into stress and recovery, and Apple Watch Series 12 measures it up to 24 times more frequently than before.
Apple is also providing two types of HRV information: Recovery HRV, which is designed to highlight daily signs of stress and recovery, and Overall HRV, which provides broader health insights, including cardiovascular information.
Series 12 also expands the Vitals experience with overnight HRV measurements compared against a user's personal baseline, as well as a new daytime view.
For everyday users, the benefit is relatively straightforward: instead of relying on one isolated measurement, the watch can provide more context around changes in your health and recovery over time.
Apple stresses that the Vitals app is intended for wellness purposes rather than medical use.
Apple Watch Series 12 introduces Readiness
Perhaps the most interesting new fitness feature is Readiness.
Series 12 analyses information such as your recent activity, training load, sleep score and vital signs to generate a 0–10 Readiness score.
The watch then translates that score into a simple recommendation:
Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It.
This is potentially one of the most useful features for people who don't want to spend their time studying graphs and statistics.
Instead of simply telling you how much sleep you had or how hard you trained, Apple Watch Series 12 attempts to turn that information into a practical indication of how prepared your body may be for the day ahead.
The score can also change throughout the day as new information becomes available. For example, an intense workout or a change in daytime vitals could affect the recommendation.
For anyone trying to balance exercise, sleep, work and recovery, Readiness could become one of the standout reasons to upgrade.
Better battery life for workouts
Battery life has traditionally been one of the compromises of owning an Apple Watch, but Series 12 brings some improvements.
Apple Watch Series 12 still offers up to 24 hours of everyday battery life, but outdoor workout battery life has increased to up to 10 hours. Apple says that's 25 per cent more than the previous model.
The bigger improvement may be charging.
Just 15 minutes of charging can provide up to 12 hours of additional battery life, according to Apple — a 50 per cent improvement over the previous generation.
That could be particularly useful for people who track their sleep overnight. A quick charge before bed or while getting ready in the morning could make keeping the watch charged much less of a hassle.
As always, actual battery life will depend on usage, configuration and other factors.
Apple Watch Series 12 gets more accurate step tracking
Apple is also targeting one of the most basic smartwatch features: counting your steps.
The pedometer system has been redesigned using new machine-learning algorithms to improve distance measurements during indoor walking and running workouts, while the S11 chip contributes to more accurate step counts throughout the day.
Apple claims Series 12 now offers the most accurate step tracking of any smartwatch based on its testing.
There's also a new Steps complication, allowing users to view their current step count directly on the watch face.
It may sound like a relatively small upgrade, but for people who use their Apple Watch to stay active every day, more accurate step tracking can make the device more useful.
Apple Intelligence comes to your wrist
Apple is also pushing further into artificial intelligence with the Apple Watch Series 12.
The new Audio Intelligence features use the S11 chip, the Apple Watch microphone, Apple Intelligence models on iPhone and Apple's Private Cloud Compute system.
The goal isn't simply to make the watch "AI-powered." Instead, Apple wants the watch to help users remember conversations, recognise important sounds and remain more present during everyday interactions.
Sound Recognition
Sound Recognition is coming to Apple Watch, allowing the watch to identify sounds such as alarms, sirens, doorbells and a baby crying.
Importantly, Apple says the feature can work even when the user's iPhone isn't nearby, making it particularly useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Live Rewind
One of the more futuristic features is Live Rewind.
A double press of the Digital Crown can show a text snippet covering the previous 15 seconds of conversation, allowing users to catch something they may have missed.
Users can then ask Siri about the information or save it for later.
Siri Recap
Siri Recap takes the idea further by creating a high-level summary of a conversation.
Rather than producing a full transcript, Apple says Siri Recap generates a title and key points that users can revisit later through the Siri app.
For anyone who regularly sits through meetings, conversations or moments where remembering key details matters, this could prove particularly useful.
Shazam on your wrist
Apple Watch Series 12 also gets a faster Shazam experience, automatically identifying music playing around you and displaying the song and artist information on the watch.
Apple is putting privacy at the centre of Audio Intelligence
With AI features that interact with conversations and audio, privacy is naturally a major concern.
Apple says the new Audio Intelligence features have been designed with privacy in mind and do not create or store audio recordings.
The S11 chip includes a hardware-isolated Secure Exclave that processes audio separately from the rest of the system before immediately deleting it.
Apple also says users control whether individual Audio Intelligence features are enabled.
Live Rewind provides an audible chime and visual indicators when it is active, while Siri Recap produces summaries rather than complete transcripts. Apple says the features are also designed to exclude sensitive information such as financial information and government-issued identifiers.
Live Rewind and Siri Recap are scheduled to arrive in beta later in 2026 and will initially require a compatible Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. They will also initially be available in English and won't launch in the European Union at first.
Siri AI gets a major upgrade
Apple Watch Series 12 also benefits from Siri AI with watchOS 27.
Apple describes this as an entirely new version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, with features including personal context understanding and broader world knowledge.
A new Siri app is designed to let users continue conversations while on the move, while a new Siri Modular watch face provides easier access to Siri throughout the day.
Siri AI is rolling out as a beta with watchOS 27, initially supporting English, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish support following in October.
watchOS 27 adds even more features
Apple Watch Series 12 launches alongside watchOS 27, which introduces several other improvements.
The redesigned software includes a dynamic app grid that can display five Siri-suggested apps based on your most-used and recently used applications.
There is also a new single-handed tap gesture for interacting with Smart Stack widgets, while existing double-tap functionality can be used to scroll through the Smart Stack.
Smart Stack widget suggestions can also appear when they're most relevant, such as displaying a Parked Car suggestion from Maps or a birthday message suggestion.
Other watchOS 27 improvements include expanded Cycle Tracking support for perimenopause and menopause, as well as Workout Buddy support when your iPhone isn't nearby, provided the necessary connection requirements are met.
A familiar Apple Watch design with new finishes
Apple Watch Series 12 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes.
Aluminium models come in dark bronze, black, light gold and space grey, while titanium models are available in radiant gold and natural titanium.
Apple is also introducing a ceramic version in pearl white and night blue.
For aluminium models, Apple is introducing Ceramic Shield 2, which the company says is 60 per cent tougher than the Ion-X glass used on previous aluminium Apple Watch models.
The range is also supported by a large collection of new and existing bands, including Sport Bands, Sport Loops, Nike bands, Milanese Loop and Modern Buckle options.
Apple Watch Hermès Series 12
Apple is continuing its luxury partnership with Hermès through Apple Watch Hermès Series 12.
For the first time, the Hermès version will be offered in radiant gold titanium alongside silver titanium.
The radiant gold model comes with the new Noir satin Clou de Selle band featuring matching gold hardware, while Hermès is also launching a new Rocabar Club band.
Apple Watch Series 12 and the environment
Apple says Series 12 has also been designed with sustainability in mind.
The watch is made using 40 per cent recycled material overall, including 100 per cent recycled aluminium in the aluminium case and 100 per cent recycled titanium in the 3D-printed titanium case.
Apple also says electricity used to manufacture Series 12 is sourced from renewable energy across its supply chain, while the company's paper packaging is fibre-based and recyclable at home.
Apple Watch Series 12 price and availability in Australia
For Australian buyers, Apple Watch Series 12 starts at A$649 including GST.
Pre-orders are available now, with retail availability beginning Friday, 18 September 2026.
Apple Watch Series 12 will also be available in more than 50 other countries and regions.
Is Apple Watch Series 12 worth upgrading to?
For the average Apple Watch owner, the Series 12 looks like an upgrade focused less on radically changing the familiar watch design and more on making the device smarter and more useful every day.
The biggest improvements are arguably behind the screen: more detailed health tracking, more frequent heart-rate and HRV measurements, the new Readiness score and more accurate step tracking.
The AI-powered features could also prove increasingly useful, particularly Live Rewind, Siri Recap and improved Siri capabilities.
The faster charging and improved workout battery life are less flashy but could make a noticeable difference to daily use.
For people buying their first Apple Watch, Series 12 offers a comprehensive combination of health, fitness, safety, communication and smart features. For existing Apple Watch owners, however, the decision to upgrade will likely come down to how valuable the new health sensing, Readiness and Apple Intelligence features are.
The RANT Tech verdict
The Apple Watch Series 12 looks like one of Apple's most feature-packed standard Apple Watch upgrades yet.
Rather than simply chasing bigger displays or a radically redesigned exterior, Apple has focused on making the watch more useful as a personal health, fitness and intelligence companion.
The new Health Sensing System could give users a much richer understanding of their health and recovery, while Readiness has the potential to turn all that data into something genuinely useful.
Add faster charging, improved workout battery life, more accurate step tracking, Siri AI and a growing collection of Apple Intelligence features, and Series 12 is shaping up to be much more than a simple smartwatch refresh.
For everyday consumers who want a wearable that can help them stay active, understand their health, stay safer and make everyday tasks easier, Apple Watch Series 12 could be one of the most compelling Apple Watch models yet.