If one piece of technology has pushed me to stay active, it is the Apple Watch. I have been wearing one for a little over two years and have grown accustomed to closing my Activity rings often. What started as a simple fitness goal has gradually become part of my daily routine. The Apple Watch Series 11 has been my daily driver, so it’s hard to imagine switching to anything else anytime soon.
So, when Apple introduced the Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 at its ‘Surprise and Shine’ event in September, I was curious to see whether the latest generation could offer enough to change my daily routine. Much of the attention at the event went to Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, and the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, but the new Apple Watch also brings a handful of meaningful features that could change how you use it every day.
For the last two weeks, I have been wearing the 46mm Apple Watch Series 12 in a polished ceramic finish in the Night Blue colourway. Aesthetically, Night Blue contrasts sharply with my older Watch Series 11 in a Natural Titanium Case with a Milanese Loop strap. The new Apple Watch Series 12 is easy on the eyes, feels lighter, and offers far more detail on a user’s health stats.
A few headline features, including the new audio intelligence tools (Live Rewind, Siri recap), haven’t launched yet, but here’s my experience with the new Watch Series 12 and whether you should consider an upgrade.
First impressions
The Apple Watch Series 12 looks a lot like every other Apple Watch in recent years. I have spent a fortnight with the 46mm GPS + Cellular model, and most of the minor yet meaningful changes sit underneath the case. Apple has brought back the polished ceramic finish for the first time since 2019.
The polished ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 paired with a navy blue Sport Band offers a premium look on the wrist. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
The Series 5 was the last Apple Watch to offer a ceramic case; Apple discontinued the material from its smartwatch lineup until its return with Series 12 in 2026. The polished ceramic finish gives the Watch Series 12 a premium look and feel, and it almost feels like a luxury accessory on the wrist.
Along with ceramic, the Watch 12 series also features aluminium and titanium. The ceramic range comes in pearl white and night blue, both with a polished finish. My night blue watch is a deep, understated shade that complements its navy band.
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However, the catch here is the price, as ceramic roughly costs twice as much as other finishes. The aluminium finish starts at Rs 56,900, titanium at Rs 99,900, and ceramic at Rs 124,900.
For durability, Apple has also added a sapphire front crystal to the ceramic version. With its range of fitness and health features, the watch is designed to be worn throughout the day, including during workouts, making its durable construction particularly useful.
Sensors on the Apple Watch Series 12
Perhaps the biggest hardware change this year is a redesigned sensor array that is shared with Apple Watch Ultra 4. The electrical heart sensor is up from two electrodes to 32, so you can expect fuller, more consistent ECG readings. On the other hand, the optical sensor, the cluster of tiny LEDs, also takes more frequent readings.
The Series 12 displays real-time heart-rate data, with more frequent background readings providing a detailed view of heart-rate changes. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
The Workout app doesn’t feel much different from the Series 11. However, the gains are mostly outside workouts. For instance, background heart-rate readings were previously taken about every five minutes, which may miss short-term heart-rate fluctuations.
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With Series 12, readings are taken every five seconds, as they are during a workout. Heart rate and heart-rate variability also feed into Vitals, sleep and calorie estimates, offering a more detailed picture of your health.
The readiness score is a late but meaningful addition, since Whoop and Garmin have already offered their own version. But it is worth noting how Apple has integrated the tech into its new lineup of watches. Most importantly, it is not locked behind a subscription, and it updates throughout the day instead of delivering one verdict each day.
The Health app brings together activity, sleep and other health metrics, offering a clearer view of daily habits and trends. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
With frequent heart rate readings, users can monitor their coffee, hydration routine, or even a quick nap. The caveat is that to get accurate scores, the watch needs at least seven days and seven nights of use to unlock, with at least four hours of sleep.
Battery life and charging
While I expected more frequent heart-rate readings to drain the battery faster, I was pleasantly surprised by the battery life. Apple rates the Series 12 for up to 24 hours of normal use, or up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode. It can deliver up to 10 hours of outdoor workout tracking. These figures are essentially unchanged from the Series 11, but the Series 12 charges faster and can reach 80 per cent in about 30 minutes.
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Series 12 also supports low power mode during workouts, which can extend battery life while still measuring metrics such as heart rate and pace. For outdoor walking, running or hiking workouts, one can also reduce the frequency of GPS and heart-rate readings to save more power.
The Apple Watch Series 12 displays flight details and weather information, making it a useful companion while travelling. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
The charging speeds are particularly useful in everyday use. Apple says a 15-minute charge can provide up to 12 hours of normal use, while five minutes of charging can provide up to 10 hours of sleep tracking. In my experience, this made the Series 12 much easier to live with: I was relatively carefree about charging and could get close to two full days of use under my typical routine.
Siri on the Apple Watch Series 12 can provide answers directly on the wrist, making everyday interactions more convenient. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)
Another noteworthy addition is the S11 chip. The new chipset essentially separates background tasks, such as heart rate reading, from main tasks. It also adds a new secure exclave, which Apple says is a dedicated security subsystem inside the S11 chip that safeguards sensitive personal, health, and audio data.
Day-to-day, the watch feels more responsive, with faster heart rate lock-in, and Siri AI in beta on watchOS 27 makes it snappier than the Series 11. Siri AI now gives direct answers instead of a link to tap. As of now, Siri AI is English-only. Meanwhile, the Health app comes with a dynamic grid that offers easy insights into your health metrics.
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Among this year’s standout features is audio intelligence that combines four tools: faster Shazam, sound recognition, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap. While Live Rewind transcribes the last 15 seconds of a conversation, Siri Recap summarises meetings; both features are yet to arrive. This may raise privacy questions; however, Apple says the processing happens on the watch within the secure exclave and that no audio is stored.
Should you upgrade?
If you are using Watch Series 11, maybe not. If you are coming from an older watch, the Watch Series 12 offers plenty of likeable features, including a readiness score that updates throughout the day, longer battery life, faster charging, and a snappier processor. The polished ceramic finish also gives the watch a more premium look, although it comes at a significant premium. The Series 12 starts at Rs 56,900 in India, with the Ceramic finish starting at Rs 1,24,900, and requires an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 27. The best part is that the health insights come at no extra cost.
