Apple Watch Series 12 brings a bigger upgrade than Series 11

Apple Watch Series 12 brings a more substantial set of changes than Series 11, which the report describes as one of the smallest refreshes in the product’s history. The comparison covers each model’s features against its direct predecessor.

Key Series 12 additions include a fourth-generation optical heart sensor, background heart-rate readings every five seconds and more frequent heart-rate-variability measurements. The watch also adds steps and heart-rate complications, Audio Intelligence with Sound Recognition and automatic song identification through Shazam.

Series 12 protection and design

Aluminum models use Ceramic Shield 2 glass, described as 60% tougher than the Ion-X glass on Series 11. Aluminum and titanium cases are 1mm wider and about two grams heavier, while the display area is approximately 2% smaller at unchanged screen resolutions.

Series 12 supports up to 10 hours of outdoor workout tracking, 25% longer than Series 11. Fifteen minutes of charging provides up to 12 hours of normal use, while five minutes provides up to 10 hours of sleep tracking.

Earlier generation upgrades

Earlier models also introduced notable changes. Series 11 brought a thinner case, an LTPO3 display with a faster refresh rate in always-on mode, a live seconds hand on selected watch faces and a wide-angle OLED that is up to 40% brighter when viewed at an angle.

Series 10 added a Retina display reaching 2,000 nits, brightness as low as 1 nit, a four-core Neural Engine and on-device processing for some Siri requests. Series 9 added almost 20% more display area than Series 6, a brighter screen and fast charging to 80% in about 45 minutes.

Series 8 introduced the S6 chip, access to Notification Center, Control Center and complications while the display is asleep, and improved tracking for some workouts. Series 7 added faster charging, new case colors and additional finishes.

Series 6 added optical and electrical sensors for ECG, faster charging to a full charge in 1.5 hours and Siri responses through the built-in speaker. Apple has discontinued earlier Series models, but older watches may still be available at lower prices through third-party retailers or secondhand sellers.