Smartwatches have gradually transformed beyond simply checking notifications and counting steps. They have now come to a point where smartwatches are more than just a mini phone on your wrist. With the new Apple Watch Series 12, there are a couple of new features that I was eager to try. To name a few, there’s a new Health Sensing System, improved heart rate tracking, readiness and AI-powered capabilities.
As I brought it along during my travels in Japan, I really got down and dirty to explore the different features while focusing on how it would elevate my day-to-day, especially in a place where I am clocking 20K steps and beyond daily.
Heart rate that actually caught my attention
One of the more interesting additions for me was the new heart-rate sensing system. The Series 12 can measure heart rate every five seconds throughout the day, while heart rate variability (HRV) and other health data feed into features such as Vitals and Readiness.
Apple takes pride in the Apple Watch Series 12 having its most accurate heart-rate sensing yet in a wearable. With that said, I’ve used plenty of smartwatches before, but I found the heart-rate tracking on the Series 12 particularly interesting as my other watches did not offer the same frequency of continuous monitoring. Rather than being something I only checked during workouts, the data became part of the watch’s overall picture of my health and activity, while HRV adds another useful indicator of how my body is responding to exercise and recovery.
This can be especially useful for runners or hybrid athletes who invest in heart-rate monitors to better understand their limits and training zones. Having this information available directly from the watch makes it easier to keep an eye on your performance without needing additional equipment.
Readiness needs some time.e
I was also keen to try Readiness, which uses factors such as sleep, activity and other health metrics to assess how prepared you are for the day.
The catch is that it takes time to become useful. You need to provide the watch with a fair amount of sleep and activity data before it can give you a more robust outlook. For someone travelling and dealing with irregular sleeping hours, this meant giving it some time before I could really appreciate the feature.
Though I already had some data collected, which gave me a different perspective of my ability throughout the day. I do see it becoming more useful once I have more data collected. Ultimately, this score gives guidance to myself on whether or not I can be pushing myself further in a workout or take things easier.
A great travel companion
This was probably where the Series 12 impressed me most. Unfortunately, my timing in Japan was not the best; it was typhoon season, and that meant that weather was a significant disruptor to my plans. It was as though the weather was an emotional rollercoaster.
With the Apple Watch Series 12, I could quickly check any notifications and weather information without pulling my phone out and doing a search. It was also light enough that I barely noticed it on my wrist during long days of travelling. It matters so much that the watch is providing utility whilst being comfortable to be worn all day.
My unexpected music detective
One of my favourite little discoveries was automatic music recognition by Shazam. While shopping, I’d occasionally hear a catchy song and wonder what it was.
The Series 12 could recognise the music around me and show the song information directly on my wrist.
It’s a small feature, but one that I found myself using more than expected. It is also a good example of how intelligent the watch has become to be useful without requiring me to actively think about using it.
Great for hybrid athletes
The Workout app also continues to be one of the Series 12’s strengths. Beyond the usual running, cycling and swimming activities, Apple supports more varied workouts including triathlons and mixed-sport activities. For hybrid athletes who don’t stick to a single type of training, this makes the watch considerably more useful.
Step tracking also adds a simple way to keep tabs on everyday activity. This was particularly useful during my Japan trip, where I was naturally clocking up plenty of steps while walking between stations, attractions and shops. Seeing the numbers build throughout the day gave me a little extra motivation to keep moving.
Then there’s Workout Buddy, which gives workouts a more personalised feel by providing spoken feedback and encouragement based on your workout and progress. Instead of simply recording metrics such as heart rate, pace and calories, it makes the watch feel more like a training companion. Combined with the Series 12’s heart rate, HRV and other health data, the broad selection of sports makes it a particularly capable option for runners and hybrid athletes who want to track different types of training without relying on additional equipment.
AI could make it even more useful.
The Series 12 also has more AI capabilities on the way. With watchOS 27, Siri becomes more capable through Apple Intelligence, allowing for more natural interactions and better use of personal context. Apple is also bringing features such as Live Rewind, which can capture the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as text, and Siri Recap, which can summarise a conversation. These are expected to arrive in beta later in 2026.
For me, these could be particularly useful during meetings, events and travel. Being able to quickly look back at something that was just said could be much more practical than simply having another AI chatbot on my wrist.
Fast charging makes travelling easier.r
Battery life is always important with a smartwatch, especially when travelling. The Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of normal use, but I found its fast charging more useful than simply having a large battery.
Apple says just 15 minutes of charging can provide up to 12 hours of additional battery life. That makes it much easier to squeeze in a quick charge while getting ready or having breakfast rather than leaving the watch off my wrist for a long period. It took me around 45 minutes to get the whole watch charged to 100%, so I must say that is impressive.
It is also handy if you want to maintain sleep tracking, as a short charging session during the day can help keep the watch running overnight.
My Take
After using the Apple Watch Series 12 around Japan, I found its biggest strength to be how naturally everything comes together.
From heart-rate and HRV tracking to Readiness and its broad range of workouts, it offers plenty for health and fitness, while notifications, weather and music recognition proved useful during my travels.
Its lightweight fit and fast charging also made it easy to wear all day. With more Apple Intelligence features on the way, the Series 12 feels less like a smartwatch and more like a genuinely useful everyday companion.
The Apple Watch Series 12 is now retailing from $599 onwards at Apple stores and selected retailers.
