The Apple Watch Series 12 launches with a redesigned health sensing system and a $399 starting price, competing directly in a market increasingly focused on continuous personal metrics and recovery scores.
Apple Watch Series 12 Hardware Upgrades and Heart Rate Sensors
The Series 12 and Ultra 4 feature a completely revamped heart rate monitor that checks metrics every five seconds instead of every five minutes. Gizmodo reported that this new Health Sensing System includes larger green LEDs for continuous tracking, revamped photodiodes shaped into trapezoids to eliminate dead space, and a larger electrode surface area for improved electrocardiogram readings. According to MacRumors, the hardware is powered by an S11 chip derived from the A20 Pro’s 2nm design, which also brings a new Readiness app and all-day step-counting capabilities.
Apple Watch Series 12 matches Garmin step accuracy
In real-world testing, Tom’s Guide evaluated the Apple Watch Series 12 against the Garmin Forerunner 570 during a 5,000-step manual walk test. The manual count of 5,440 steps compared closely to the Apple Watch Series 12 reading of 5,490 steps and the Garmin Forerunner 570 reading of 5,512 steps. While the Garmin offers a superior battery life of 10 to 11 days in smartwatch mode, 9to5mac.com reported that the Series 12 easily lasts through a full day and overnight sleep tracking, offering fast charging that delivers up to 12 hours of use from a 15-minute charge.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Pricing and Durability
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 maintains its $799 starting price without a price hike despite rising industry memory costs, as noted by Gizmodo. MacRumors highlighted that the Ultra 4 retains its 49mm titanium case, Action button, 3,000-nit display, and recreational diving support to 40 meters while introducing the S11 chip, the Health Sensing System, and audio intelligence features. For owners of the older Ultra 2, which Apple has discontinued though it remains available refurbished from $589, the upgrade decision depends heavily on whether users want the new five-second heart rate tracking and recovery metrics.
What are the Apple Watch Series 12 specs?
What is the starting price of the Apple Watch Series 12?
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399, matching the introductory price point of previous non-Ultra models tested by fitness reviewers.
How does the Apple Watch Series 12 measure heart rate differently than older models?
While earlier versions measured heart rate every five minutes, the Series 12 checks vitals every five seconds using larger green LEDs, trapezoidal photodiodes, and a redesigned Health Sensing System.
Does the Apple Watch Ultra 4 increase in price compared to previous generations?
No, Gizmodo reported that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799, keeping the exact same price as previous generations despite broader memory cost increases in consumer electronics.
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