Apple Watch Series 12 vs Series 11 new Ceramic model, Health Sensing System, Audio Intelligence and all the key upgrades

Date:
Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:53:40 +0000

Description:
How does Apple's new wearable compare to its predecessor? Here's our full comparison including all the key specs.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event unveiled long-awaited devices including the iPhone 18 Pro and the long-anticipated iPhone Duo, but Apple Watches also had their time in the spotlight.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are the latest models to join Apple's family of wearables, and both pack quite a punch on the
features- and health-tracking front, thanks to the combination of the new Health Sensing System and deeper Apple Intelligence integration. Of course every new Apple Watch offers improvements over the previous generation the question is always whether it offers enough to make it worth the upgrade. To help you decide, I've compared the new Apple Watch Series 12 against its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 11, so you can see all the changes side-by-side. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: @techradar

original sound - TechRadar Apple Watch Series 12 vs Apple Watch Series 11: Specifications Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Apple Watch Series 11

Apple Watch Series 12

Price

From $399 / 369 / AU$679

From $399 / $369 / AU$649

Dimensions

42mm x 36mm x 9.7mm (42mm), 46mm x 39mm x 9.7mm (46mm)

42mm x 37mm x 9.7mm (42mm), 46mm x 40mm x 9.7mm (46mm)

Weight

30.3g (42mm); 37.8g (46mm)

32.2g (42mm); 39.5g (46mm)

Case/Bezel

Aluminum with a metal back or Titanium (100% recycled)

Aluminum, Titanium or Ceramic

Display

Always-on Retina LTPO3 display Wide-angle OLED at 374 by 446 (42mm) 416 by
496 (46mm). Ion-X scratch-resistant

AlwaysOn Retina display with wideangle OLEDs and LTPO3 at 374 by 446 (42mm) 416 by 496 (46mm)

GPS

L1 GPS, GNSS, Galileo, and BeiDou

Precision L1 GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou)

Battery Life

24 hours, 38 hours in Low Power Mode

24 hours, 38 hours in Low Power Mode

Connection

Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, second-generation ultra-wideband chip, and 5G
(Optional)

Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, Secondgeneration UltraWidebandchip, and 5G (optional)

Water Resistance

IP6X

IP6X Design We weren't expecting a visual overhaul with the Apple Watch
Series 12, and nor did we get one.

The new model packs the same digital crown and side button that you'll find
on most Apple Watch models, and size-wise the only difference is that the Series 12 is 1mm wider; if you can spot that in real life, you have sharper eyes than I do. You may like Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3: What's changed? The Apple Watch Series 12 has 'the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable' here's where to preorder Apple's newest smartwatch
The best Apple Watch 2026: Which wearable is right for you? @techradar

original sound - TechRadar However, there are some design changes worth talking about. The key one is that as well as being available in Aluminium
and Titanium, as the Watch 11 is, there's also now a Ceramic version the first since the Series 5.

The Ceramic Watch 12 comes in two colors, Pearl White and Night Blue, while the Aluminum model is available in Space Gray, Black, Light Gold and the stunning new Dark Bronze shade, perfect for both casual and smart wear. The Titanium versions come in Radiant Gold and Natural. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Sticking with the Apple Watch 11? Then your choices are between Space Gray, Jet Black, Rose Gold, and Silver for Aluminum, and Slate, Gold, and Natural Polished in Titanium. And to reiterate, there is no Ceramic Watch 11 so if you want that, you'll need the new model. Features Minor design changes
aside, the key reasons to upgrade to the Apple Watch 12 relate to its health-tracking smarts.

Many of these stem from its new S11 chip. Apple inevitably describes this
as its "most powerful wearable chip", and it powers the new Health Sensing System and Audio Intelligence features. What to read next I test smartwatches for a job, and the Google Pixel Watch 5 beats Apple and Samsung in 5 key ways The best smartwatch for iPhone iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro: 5 key differences between Apple's best

Let's start with the Health Sensing System, the redesign of the previous generation's LED heart rate sensor array. The Series 12's electrode surface area is now bigger, allowing for better skin contact for ECG tracking. It
also packs new optical-sensing photo diodes to capture light more
efficiently, while its brighter green LEDs support accurate HR in motion. In short, it's the most accurate Apple Watch ever, tied with its sibling the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

It records heart rate continuously, up to every five seconds, and heart rate variability (a key part of sleep tracking and recovery metrics) up to every five minutes. That's a massive 24x more frequently than it did before, ensuring peak accuracy (in theory).

However one of the new standout features is the new Readiness Score, which
has finally arrived on Apple Watch. Every other health wearable seems to have one, and Apple's Readiness Score will combine your rings, vitals and other health metrics into a single actionable, frequently updated number.
@techradar

original sound - TechRadar There are also a significant redesign of the Health app which thrusts Apple Intelligence to the front of the experience. Now, Apple Watch lets you explore health profiles while offering personalized guidance thanks to Apple Intelligence. Once the Health app gets a sense of your health habits, it will tweak its recommendations so that they align with your health levels and data.

Health Age is another new feature that aligns your metrics and fitness level with your actual age, similar to features on Whoop and Garmin .

The Series 12 is packing tons of new fitness features, but Apple Intelligence
or at least, audio intelligence is brand new and unrelated to health.

Audio Intelligence is comprised of four features. The Series 12 can listen
out for sounds, be that a doorbell, traffic, or oncoming pedestrians, and
will send alerts right to your watch face which is ideal for users who are hard of hearing. You can also Shazam songs from your wrist.

Slightly more suspect are Live Rewind and Siri Recaps. Live Rewind allows you to go back 15 seconds to remember parts of a conversation. Didn't catch what the waiter said was new on the menu? Just double-press the digital crown and your watch will generate a transcript for you to read. Siri Recaps is a feature that, when active, listens constantly in the background, providing
you with a summary of your day in the evening, including conversations.

We've covered these two features in more detail here, including Apple's privacy assurances and why the Cupertino giant might not be reading the room on this feature, as surveillance-capable wearables are receiving a lot of pushback at the moment.

You can pre-order the Apple Watch Series 12 now , which will be available starting September 18. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/smartwatches/apple-watch-series-12-vs -series-11-new-ceramic-model-health-sensing-system-audio-intelligence-and-all- the-key-upgrades


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