Apple Watch Series 12 adds readiness score & AI audio

Apple has introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 with new bands, materials and health features.

The new smartwatch centres on a Health Sensing System and Apple's S11 chip, which improve heart rate and heart rate variability measurements. Apple says the watch measures heart rate every five seconds throughout the day and tracks heart rate variability up to 24 times more often than before.

Those changes underpin a new readiness feature that gives users a daily score from zero to 10. The score draws on recent activity, training load, vital signs and sleep data, then labels the result with prompts such as Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It.

The readiness score updates during the day as new data comes in, including after a hard workout or a shift in daytime vital signs. Users can also see which factors are driving the score and view more detail in the watch interface.

Apple is also making a stronger claim about heart monitoring accuracy. It says a study involving more than 1,000 participants compared the Series 12 with leading wearables and found its device recorded the highest heart rate sensing accuracy among the products tested.

In a separate claim, Apple says the Series 12 offers the most accurate step tracking of any smartwatch. It attributes that to a redesigned pedometer model, new machine learning algorithms for indoor distance measurements, and processing improvements from the S11 chip.

Audio features

Beyond health tracking, Apple is adding a group of features under the Audio Intelligence label. They include Sound Recognition for alerts such as sirens, alarms, doorbells and a baby crying; Live Rewind, which shows the previous 15 seconds of conversation as text; Siri Recap, which creates summaries of conversations; and Shazam music identification on the wrist.

Some of these functions rely on an iPhone alongside the watch. Siri Recap and Live Rewind will arrive later this year in beta. Apple says the system does not create or store audio recordings, and that raw audio used for processing remains inaccessible to apps, the user and Apple itself.

The S11 chip includes a hardware-isolated area called Secure Exclave that processes audio separately from the rest of the system before deleting it. Live Rewind emits an audible chime and shows a visual indicator when activated, while summaries and text snippets are end-to-end encrypted in the Siri app with iCloud syncing.

The watch will run watchOS 27, which also brings Siri AI to the device. According to Apple, the updated Siri is designed to support personal context understanding and broader general knowledge, while a new Siri app and Siri Modular watch face aim to make those functions easier to access.

Battery and design

Battery life remains at up to 24 hours of general use, according to Apple, while outdoor workout battery life rises to up to 10 hours. Apple says that marks a 25 per cent increase on the previous model, and that 15 minutes of charging can now deliver up to 12 hours of extra battery life.

Apple Watch Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes. Aluminium versions are available in dark bronze, black, light gold and space grey. Titanium models come in radiant gold and natural titanium, while a ceramic version is offered in pearl white and night blue.

For aluminium models, Apple says it is using Ceramic Shield 2, which it describes as tougher than any smartwatch glass and 60 per cent tougher than the Ion-X glass used on earlier aluminium Apple Watch models. New and updated band options include fresh Sport Band and Sport Loop colours, along with new finishes for the Milanese Loop and Modern Buckle.

The line-up also includes Apple Watch Hermès Series 12, now offered in radiant gold titanium as well as silver titanium. Apple says that version adds new strap options including the Noir satin Clou de Selle band and a Rocabar Club band with a knitted pattern inspired by horse-jumping competitions.

Wider health push

Other software updates tied to watchOS 27 include support for perimenopause and menopause in Cycle Tracking, a dynamic app grid with Siri-suggested apps, and a new single-handed tap gesture for navigating widgets. Workout Buddy can also now work on Apple Watch without an iPhone nearby, provided the user has a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

The launch keeps Apple focused on health, fitness and safety as key areas of competition in wearables, where device makers are trying to differentiate through sensors, coaching tools and AI-based features. Apple is also extending that effort into materials and manufacturing, saying the Series 12 is made with 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 Watch Series 12 is the most advanced health and fitness companion we've ever created," said Kaiann Drance, Vice President of Worldwide Apple Watch Product Marketing at Apple.

"With our new Health Sensing System and S11 chip, Apple Watch Series 12 gives you meaningful insights, like readiness, so you can better understand how to take on your day and care for your health, plus intelligence features that make everyday life easier. And it's all wrapped in a beautifully thin, light design you'll love wearing all day and night," Drance said.