Apple Watch Series 12 評測：新功能與升級建議

Written by Tyler Hayes

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edited by Steven Cohen

The Apple Watch is having a bit of an identity crisis. From the beginning, Apple's wearables were built around notifications, calls, texts, and general activity tracking. In that sense, its smartwatches have been perfect for casual users. But this year's Apple Watch Series 12 ushers in a new era by incorporating a slew of artificial intelligence features — and it's caught between what it has been and what it could be.

I've been covering the Apple Watch since the first model was released in 2015. It was once a fresh, fast-moving product category, but it's been a bit stale over the last few years. The latest models have still been great devices, but they haven't broken any new ground. So, I understand why Apple is trying something new by pushing the Series 12 toward becoming a full-fledged AI assistant on your wrist. One that can constantly listen, take notes, and remind you of important tasks.

But after using the Apple Watch Series 12 for a couple of weeks, I've been underwhelmed by its current state. That's partly because some of its new health and Apple Intelligence features aren't out yet. But even then, I remain skeptical about their usefulness.

To be clear, the Apple Watch Series 12 is technically an improvement over the Series 11 and a worthy entry in Apple's flagship smartwatch line, but it's best suited for newcomers to the Apple Watch or those who own a Series 8 or older. Those with a Series 9 or newer are probably better off skipping this year's release and waiting to see what comes next.

Shopping for more wearable devices? Check out our guides to the best Apple Watches and best fitness trackers.

Apple Watch Series 12 (42mm)

The Apple Watch Series 12 improves on the Series 11 with a new chip, upgraded heart rate tracking, and more AI capabilities. But you need to wear it while sleeping to unlock its full potential, and several key features aren't available at launch.

The Series 12 looks a lot like the Series 11, but there are some design and hardware tweaks

Like the Series 11, the Apple Watch Series 12 is available in 42 or 46mm sizes, with or without cellular connectivity, with prices starting at $399 for the base configuration. But while this new model has the same core design as its predecessor, there are some upgrades here and there.

You can still choose between aluminum and titanium cases, but there's also a new ceramic case option. In addition, the aluminum case now uses a more durable glass, called Ceramic Shield 2, which makes it more scratch- and drop-resistant than the Series 11. Meanwhile, the titanium and ceramic cases use a sapphire front crystal. For this review, I tested the 46mm model with an aluminum case.

All Apple Watch Series 12 configurations use the brand's new S11 chip, which is more powerful than the S10 used by the Series 11. At least, on paper. If there's a speed difference between the two for common tasks, such as scrolling through lists or tapping on an app, it's subtle. Instead, I mostly noticed improvements when the Series 12 was multitasking, with fewer delays if I got a notification while starting a workout or playing a song.

When it comes to battery life, the Series 12 charges slightly faster than its predecessor. Charging it for 15 minutes gives you 12 hours of use, and charging it for 30 minutes can power it from 0% to 80%. While using the Series 12 (with a cellular connection) for 35-minute morning runs, followed by a steady stream of notifications and use throughout the day, I was left with 20-40% battery life. It still doesn't have as much battery life as an Apple Watch Ultra, but most people will get a full 24 hours of use if they need it.

Audio Intelligence is interesting, but key features are missing at launch

Some of the Series 12's most talked-about new features are tied to its Audio Intelligence capabilities. These features rely on the watch's ability to continuously listen to your surroundings. This is made possible by the S11 chip's new Secure Exclave. This is part of the chip's hardware that enables it to process data locally and in isolation from the rest of the system. Using this Secure Exclave, Apple says that the Series 12 can process the audio it hears as a continuously overwritten stream, so none of it is ever stored or captured as an actual recording.

The Series 12 boasts four Audio Intelligence features — Siri Recap, Live Rewind, Sound Recognition, and Music Recognition — but only the latter two are available at launch. The others are coming by "late 2026," so they aren't available for testing yet.

Sound Recognition is an accessibility feature that notifies you when the watch detects sounds such as a doorbell, breaking glass, a siren, a dog barking, and so on. But my favorite feature is Music Recognition. This is powered by Shazam and, if you turn it on, automatically identifies songs playing around you. It's delightful to scroll the digital crown up and see a timely widget pop up with music info.

When it eventually arrives, Live Rewind will allow you to double-press the Digital Crown to pull up a written transcript of the last 15 seconds of audio said around you. And when available, Siri Recap will provide generalized, non-attributed recaps of events throughout your day based on what the watch has heard.

Both features have been divisive since they were announced, and I'm a bit skeptical about their usefulness. I review lots of cutting-edge products, so I'm always open to new capabilities. But in this case, I'm struggling to imagine any scenarios where I would take the time to generate a transcript of only the last 15 seconds of a conversation. It seems too disruptive and potentially rude. Even having Siri listen to my whole day to provide generalized recaps seems like an answer to a question no one asked.

These two features will need to prove themselves over time, so it's hard to say whether they'll actually be selling points for the Series 12. These kinds of always-listening features also raise obvious privacy concerns. The Secure Exclave is designed to serve as a safeguard, but you can opt out of these features entirely if you prefer. You can learn more about how the Secure Exclave works and how it's built to address security in Apple's detailed Audio Intelligence privacy overview.

Health tracking is improved, but you need to wear the watch overnight consistently to get the most from it

The Apple Watch Series 12 also has a new Health Sensing System with improved sensors that now allow the watch to track your heart rate every five seconds, compared to every five minutes on previous models. There's a new live heart rate complication to help showcase this.

A newly redesigned Health app is also in the works to complement the new sensor, but it's delayed until "late 2026." When it comes, the app will add more insights, such as a Longevity tab and Health Age. Longevity will show how the different aspects of your health correlate with one another using a graph. Health Age will offer insights into how healthy your body appears, contrasted with your biological age. Brands like Whoop and Oura already offer similar insights with their products, so it's nice to see Apple follow suit.

However, it's hard to say whether the new Health app will be a big draw, since it's not available for testing yet. To that point, I run about 3.5 miles each day, and I haven't noticed any of the Series 12's current health-tracking benefits compared to last year's models. I typically use an Ultra 3 as my daily smartwatch, and I've spent plenty of quality time testing the Apple Watch Series 11. So far, I've been unimpressed by the year-over-year changes the Series 12 delivers.

This is likely because I don't like wearing my Apple Watch Series 12 to bed, and to get the most out of its improved sensors, you need to use it for sleep tracking. The increased HRV tracking, thanks to the revamped sensor system, feeds into Apple's Vitals app. Overnight Recovery HRV is analyzed against your baseline to show changes in your daily health. Among other things, this can help signal whether you're getting sick.

The Readiness app, new to the Series 12, is another piece of software that needs your sleep data to inform you about your overall health. Basically, it checks your activity, vitals, and sleep, and displays a score that quantifies how your body is doing. I've used a similar feature in Oura's app for years. It's helped me determine whether I should push myself to go the extra mile while running or peel off early and save it for another time.

These new data insights make it tempting for me to overcome my personal obstacles to wearing an Apple Watch overnight. But I still much prefer to wear the more minimal Oura Ring alongside an Eight Sleep mattress to track my sleep. If you're like me and find wearing an Apple Watch too disruptive while sleeping, you're simply not going to get the full experience and value that the Series 12 offers.

You don't have to buy a Series 12 to get watchOS 27 with Siri AI

Not only does the Apple Watch Series 12 include some hardware tweaks, but it also comes with watchOS 27. The software changes are minor overall, primarily focused on bug fixes and optimizations. For example, media playback starts faster, the visual interface is refined, and route maps after workouts are more accurate.

The most noticeable addition might be the new dynamic app grid when pressing the digital crown. Instead of immediately showing a list of all your apps, a grid displays your most popular and recently used apps. At first, I didn't like the change. But after a few days, I realized I only use a handful of apps anyway, and it was nice having Music, Podcasts, Workouts, and Settings just one click of the crown away.

The new software also comes with a more capable, conversational Siri AI and a Siri Modular watch face that automatically shows the most relevant widget. Workout Buddy also now works without an iPhone nearby (so long as the watch has a WiFi or cellular connection) and offers new motivational insights.

If you've tried a chatbot like ChatGPT or used Siri AI on an iPhone, then you have an idea of what you're getting with the new Siri on Apple Watch. The difference, of course, is that it's not quite as speedy and is limited by what's shown on its small screen.

Though the Series 12 ships with watchOS 27, you don't need the latest model to update to it. The operating system and Siri AI are compatible with Apple Watch Series 9 and newer, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and newer, and Apple Watch SE 3.

But one word of warning: My watch kept rebooting for the first few days, so it's critical to update to 27.0.1. Otherwise, I haven't run into any problems with the new software. In fact, I've felt very indifferent about watchOS 27. Unless you have a strong aversion to the new dynamic grid, I suspect that's how you'll feel about it too.

Should you buy the Apple Watch Series 12?

There are a lot of qualifications around a product like the Apple Watch Series 12. How much do you work out? Are you a heavy Siri user? How much do you need to monitor your heart rate? Will you be wearing it to sleep?

But the simplest buying advice I can offer is that owners of an Apple Watch Series 8 or earlier should find the Series 12 to be a significant upgrade. You'll get four years of progress and access to new software. Likewise, Apple fans who have never owned a smartwatch will find good value in the Series 12 as a general health tracker and iPhone companion, especially if you plan to wear it while sleeping. Last year's Series 11 is now hard to find in stock, so the Series 12 is the default option for newcomers who want a midrange Apple Watch.

But owners of an Apple Watch Series 9 or newer can probably skip this update without much FOMO (fear of missing out). You can still get some new features on your existing watch by updating to the latest software. Series 12 exclusives like Siri Recap and Live Rewind will be opt-in when they eventually launch in beta, and even if they prove useful in the long run, I don't think you'll miss them in the near term.

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.

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Tyler Hayes

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I’m a contributor to Business Insider, where I primarily cover audio gear, technology products, smart home appliances, and travel accessories. Generally, I’m interested in anything with a battery or power cable.My areas of expertiseI consider myself a jack-of-all-trades in consumer electronics. I’ve covered everything from wearable tech and wireless audio to electric cars. I don’t necessarily have a favorite area of coverage, but I do have a soft spot for anything related to music.My experienceI’ve been writing for Business Insider since 2019, covering speakers, headphones, soundbars, pellet smoker grills, and travel bags, among other things. I’ve been writing professionally since 2013. Since then, I’ve written for The New York Times, WIRED, Fast Company, Newsweek, and a host of other publications. You might be surprised by all the places you find my writing, including the Library of Congress, where I muse on Bruce Springsteen.Why you can trust meService journalism has become my primary focus of writing over the years. I use as many products and services as I can to get a sense of how things work, why they’re great, or how they could be better. At the end of the day, everyone wants to know whether they should spend their money on something or not, and I’ve spent more than a decade trying to have a helpful answer to that question.My educationI’m a lifelong learner who pursued general studies in college before eventually getting certificates in writing and marketing.Outside of workWhen I'm not working, I’m trying to keep up with my kids and family life. I accidentally became a daily runner during the 2020 COVID lockdown and have been unable to quit since.You can find Tyler writing about TV shows, entertainment, and more gadgets in his newsletter at This Week The Trend. You can also follow along on TikTok, Yahoo, or Instagram.